Threatened species
Anthropogenic climate change has been listed as a key threatening process under the NSW Threatened Species Conservation Act 1995 and Federal Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999.
There is currently little understanding of how changes in climate may affect biodiversity beyond simplistic bioclimatic modelling.
In terms of land management, action is required to minimise habitat loss, ensure that ecological processes and associated disturbance regimes are maintained in remnant habitats, and ensure that existing threats are minimised.
For those species capable of dispersal, action is required to ensure that there is sufficient remnant habitat, control invasive species and ensure that linkages (including dispersal vectors) between habitats exist.
Before embarking on costly reserve acquisition or restoration of cleared land, research is required to understand the likely best and most cost-effective protection measures for all flora and fauna (and not just the highly mobile components) across a diverse array of landscapes and habitat types in NSW. This requires a comprehensive assessment of how ecological processes are impacted by climate changes for different types of organisms, including threatened species and how the structure and composition of communities will change.
DECC is undertaking a project to
- determine the level of risk for key threatened species, ecological communities, ecosystems and bioregions
- identify those at greatest risk from climate change in the short term, with particular focus on the prospects and options for threatened species and communities
- assess the likely impacts of climate change on factors that control species survival and distribution
- design and/or implement some monitoring programs in key areas of high endemism and high threat.
The project will focus on those ecological processes that have been identified as critical to species’ persistence in the landscape or their ability to move to new habitats. This will include dispersal (fragmented and non fragmented landscapes) and recruitment (arid landscapes). Particular focus would be on a selected group of species and communities already perceived to be at risk.
For more information
Biodiversity Risk Assessment and a Changing Climate - Dr Tony Auld (PDF kb). Presentation at the NSW Climate Change Impacts and Adaptation Summit - 23 February 2007: Assess the relative risk of species and ecological communities to inform policy and management; inform about planning for connectivity; highlight where in situ management of threats will be critical for species persistence.