Conservation in Australia
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Conservation in Australia is an issue of state and federal policy. Australia is one of the most biologically diverse countries in the world, with a large portion of species endemic to Australia, preserving this wealth of biodiversity is important for future generations.
Federal and State governments manage protected areas and national parks, a number of non-governmental organizations are also involved in conservation.
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Conservation issues in Australia
A key conservation issue is the preservation of biodiversity, the destruction of habitat by human activities, including land clearing remains the major cause of biodiversity loss in Australia. Land management issues including clearance of native vegetation, control of exotic weeds and pests, expansion of dryland salinity, changed fire regimes and intensification of resource use in sectors such as forestry, fisheries and agriculture are widely reported to contribute to biodiversity loss in Australia. Coastal and marine environments also have reduced biodiversity from reduced water quality caused by pollution and sediments arising from human settlements and agriculture.
Protected areas of Australia
Protected areas of Australia include those managed by the federal Department of the Environment and Heritage, and national parks and other protected areas managed by the states, Agencies responsible for protected areas include include:
- Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority
- Department of Conservation and Land Management (Western Australia)
- Environment Australian Capital Territory
- National Parks and Wildlife South Australia
- New South Wales National Parks and Wildlife Service
- Parks and Wildlife Commission of the Northern Territory
- Parks Victoria
- Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service
- Tasmania Parks and Wildlife Service
Other conservation organizations
A number of governmental and nongovernmental organizations work in conservation and restoration of the Australian Environment.
- Australian Conservation Foundation
- Australian Koala Foundation
- Banksia Environmental Foundation
- Clean Up Australia
- Coastcare Australia
- Conservation Volunteers Australia
- Foundation for National Parks & Wildlife
- Green Corps
- Greening Australia
- Landcare Australia
- Natural Heritage Trust Australia
- Planet Ark
- Surfrider Foundation Australia
- Sustainable Population Australia
- The Australian Network for Plant Conservation
- The Wilderness Society Australia
See also
Reference
- Australia State of the Environment 2001 Report (http://www.deh.gov.au/soe/2001/index.html)