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Biodiversity & the Urban Fringe

Biodiversity & the Urban Fringe. Georgia Garrard PhD Candidate Biodiversity Planning in Urban Fringe Landscapes Dr Sarah Bekessy. Outline. State of Biodiversity Victoria, Urban Fringe, Locally Research and Conservation Tools Findings, Challenges Comments on Green Paper.

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Biodiversity & the Urban Fringe

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  1. Biodiversity & the Urban Fringe Georgia Garrard PhD Candidate Biodiversity Planning in Urban Fringe Landscapes Dr Sarah Bekessy

  2. Outline • State of Biodiversity • Victoria, Urban Fringe, Locally • Research and Conservation Tools • Findings, Challenges • Comments on Green Paper

  3. Victoria’s Biodiversity • Victoria has highest landscape stress in Australia (Green Paper, p. 15) • 49 plant and 9 animal extinctions • >800 plants, >177 animals regionally extinct, endangered or vulnerable (p. 17) • Net Gain Report: losses = 4,000 ha/year • Western (Basalt) Plains Grassland: <1% • Nominated for EPBC listing in 2002

  4. Urban Fringe Biodiversity • 40% of threatened ecological communities & 50% of threatened species occur in urban fringe (Yenken & Wilkinson, 2000)

  5. Frankston Region • 18 of 25 mammal species locally extinct • 60% of bird species locally extinct • Similar figures for reptiles and amphibians • Similar trends in Mornington Peninsula (Hans Brunner, Pers. Comm.)

  6. Urban Context Source: EastLink Website

  7. Overlays and Ecological Values • Planning schemes must accurately reflect ecological values (Melanie Hearn)

  8. Long-term Population Viability • Alex Lechner • Scenario 1: All threats and no fire. • Scenario 2: No threats and Fire. • Scenario 3: No threats and fire • Scenario 4: No threats and no fire • Scenario 5: All threats 50% and No fire • Scenario 6: All threats 50% and fire

  9. Understanding Impacts of Landscape Change • Spotted Marsh Frog • Limnodynastes tasmaniensis • Joab Wilson

  10. Understanding Impacts of Landscape Change Reduced by ~50%

  11. Challenges to Conservation • Need to plan strategically for biodiversity • Must know what we’ve got

  12. Planning for Biodiversity • Detectability in Grasslands: Georgia Garrard • We need to know what we’ve got

  13. Biodiversity Conservation Tools • Need to plan regionally Dr Ascelin Gordon, RMIT

  14. Challenges to Conservation Need to plan strategically for biodiversity Must know what we’ve got Green Paper: Extend use of Precinct Planning Must be based on good information = Need more data!

  15. Challenges to Conservation • Must account for ecological uncertainty • Use available tools • Be precautionary in our approach • Allow for adaptive management • Climate Change: need to ensure our ecosystems are as robust as possible • Legislation and Policy must be sufficiently resourced and enforced

  16. Comments on Green Paper • Emphasis on Market-Based Approaches • Important part of biodiversity management BUT • How will these markets deal with threatened species and communities? • How will market-based tools work in urban fringe landscapes where land prices are inflated?

  17. Comments on Green Paper • Emphasis on species triage & trade-offs • Improved biodiversity outcomes in some areas may be accompanied by concentrated land development elsewhere • Page 83. “…what trade-offs and compromises are you prepared to accept?”

  18. Comments on Green Paper • Role of Legislation & Policy • FFG Act: failing to meet objectives (Sutton, 2003) • Green Paper: Shifting focus from species? • “Fundamental decisions need to be made about ...whether we can to continue to aim to protect all species.” (p. 28) • Emphasis on cutting red tape • Can this be done without compromising objectives of the legislation?

  19. References Department of Sustainability and Environment, 2008, Native Vegetation Net Gain Accounting: First Approximation Report. State Government of Victoria, Melbourne. Sutton, P. (2003) Has the Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act achieved what we hoped for? The Victorian Naturalist, 120(6), 216-223. Yenken, D. & Wilkinson, D. (2000) Resetting the Compass: Australia’s Journey Towards Sustainability. CSIRO Publishing, Melbourne.

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