Biodiversity

The effect of changing irrigation strategies on biodiversity

Irrigation farming has changed significantly in the past 25 years. Policy and climatic changes have seen the amount of water available to irrigators reduced which has driven greater water use efficiency at both farm and regional levels. Research recently completed by CSIRO Ecosystem Sciences aimed to identify likely changes to irrigation practices, the potential implications for native biodiversity in irrigation landscapes, and (more)...

The effect of changing irrigation strategies on biodiversity

Here we report on a three year project conducted by CSIRO in collaboration with the Ricegrowers Association who have been conducting an Environmental Champions Program since 2005.

This program aims to assist landholders to improve environmental and economic returns of their farm businesses and also allows them to be recognised for their past, current and future environmental stewardship at an industry level.

Maximising woodland bird diversity in Brigalow Bird forests

Large continuous areas of woodland, such as the eucalypt woodlands of the Brigalow Belt, are potentially significant refugia for fragmentation-sensitive birds, and the area of these woodlands under private and public conservation management is increasing substantially. Yet the avifauna of the apparently relatively intact woodlands shows many of the symptoms typically associated with fragmented agricultural regions, such as domination by a single species, the aggressive noisy miner.

The fourth dimension: incorporating time into landscape-level biodiversity assessments

To survey birds using the protocols and sites established during DUV6 - surveys conducted in replicate landscapes that sample a gradient in native vegetation cover and contrasting configuration - thereby enabling temporal change to be assessed. To evaluate differences in (a) species richness and (b) incidence of woodland bird species between the sampling periods (2002/03 and 2006/07) in relation to landscape composition and configuration. To (more)...

Assessing biodiversity outcomes from waterpoint interventions in the patchy, gibber-gilgai arid rangelands

“Domestic and feral herbivores need daily access to water during summer, and every few days during winter. The risk to biodiversity and ecosystem function depends on the type of herbivore activity, its intensity, and how long an area is exposed to grazing and seasonal conditions (rainfall). We explore whether waterpoint manipulation is a useful management tool for achieving biodiversity and ecosystem outcomes in the arid grazing lands of remote Australia. We used the (more)...

Biodiversity values and functional ecology of regrowth vegetation in modified landscapes

“At a continental scale, remnant vegetation in the Australian rangelands can be described as intact, except towards the east where intensive land clearing has occurred prior to cessation of broadscale land clearing at the end of 2006. However, ongoing clearing of native vegetation for the purposes of harvesting fodder is a legitimate management approach for large areas of south-west Queensland, and is regulated under the Vegetation Management Act 1999. This is (more)...

Project Title Biodiversity Conservation in Regional NRM Planning

Managing Landscapes to Meet Public Biodiversity and Farm Business Goals

In summary, we have shown that economically, financially and environmentally sound strategies exist for landholders in the mid and upper Goulburn Broken Catchment that will meet catchment management targets. The results indicate possibilities for reorgani