Biodiversity In Australia Research Articles

No More Extinctions: Recovering Australia's Biodiversity.

Most conservation programs and laws aim to prevent extinction. However, there is a gulf between such aspirations and the current reality of escalating biodiversity loss. This review focuses on efforts to prevent extinctions in Australia, but much of this consideration is likely to apply globally. As context, we consider the reasons for trying to prevent extinction, review Australia's extinction record, and note that there are likely to be many more extinctions than formally recognized. We describe recent cases where conservation actions have prevented extinction. We note that extinction is a pathway rather than solely an endpoint, and many decisions made or not made on that pathway can determine the fate of species. We conclude that all looming extinctions can and should be prevented. This will require transformational change in legislation, increased resourcing, more consideration of poorly known species, and increased societal recognition of the need to be responsible for the care of country.

Ants of Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park in arid Australia: Diversity, faunistic composition and habitat associations

Inland Australia supports by far the world's most diverse arid-adapted ant fauna, but there are no published studies of regional ant faunas from the central arid zone. Here we describe the ants collected by pitfall trapping at 22 sites in World Heritage-listed Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park (300 mm mean annual rainfall), representing all major vegetation types from spinifex grasslands to eucalypt woodlands. A total of 154 (mostly undescribed) ant species from 26 genera were recorded, with the richest genera being Melophorus (30 species), Monomorium (26), Iridomyrmex (18) and Camponotus (12). The pattern of species accumulation suggests that many more species remain to be collected from the Park, and we estimate that the total fauna consists of around 300 species. The most abundant ants were species of Iridomyrmex (collectively contributing 76% of all ants collected), as is the case throughout arid Australia. Species of Monomorium and Melophorus were also highly abundant. No exotic species were recorded. Ant species composition was strongly related to vegetation type, with a particular distinction between the various grasslands on one hand, and woodlands on the other. Unexpectedly, species richness was higher in structurally simple spinifex grasslands than in eucalypt woodlands. The woodland fauna lacks many taxa characteristic of such habitats in similarly arid regions of southern Australia, which we attribute to remoteness and small patch size. Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park supports an extremely diverse ant fauna, but surveys of other areas are required for an improved understanding of patterns of ant biodiversity in Australia's central arid zone.

Habitat suitability maps for Australian flora and fauna under CMIP6 climate scenarios.

Spatial information about the location and suitability of areas for native plant and animal species under different climate futures is an important input to land use and conservation planning and management. Australia, renowned for its abundant species diversity and endemism, often relies on modeled data to assess species distributions due to the country's vast size and the challenges associated with conducting on-ground surveys on such a large scale. The objective of this article is to develop habitat suitability maps for Australian flora and fauna under different climate futures. Using MaxEnt, we produced Australia-wide habitat suitability maps under RCP2.6-SSP1, RCP4.5-SSP2, RCP7.0-SSP3, and RCP8.5-SSP5 climate futures for 1,382 terrestrial vertebrates and 9,251 vascular plants vascular plants at 5 km2 for open access. This represents 60% of all Australian mammal species, 77% of amphibian species, 50% of reptile species, 71% of bird species, and 44% of vascular plant species. We also include tabular data, which include summaries of total quality-weighted habitat area of species under different climate scenarios and time periods. The spatial data supplied can help identify important and sensitive locations for species under various climate futures. Additionally, the supplied tabular data can provide insights into the impacts of climate change on biodiversity in Australia. These habitat suitability maps can be used as input data for landscape and conservation planning or species management, particularly under different climate change scenarios in Australia.

Diverse Methods for Diverse Systems: A Large-Scale Comparison of Reptile Sampling Methods

Abstract Reptiles play a crucial role in maintaining biodiversity and ecosystem health, yet many species face increasing threats due to various anthropogenic factors. Enhancing our understanding of reptile diversity and habitat use worldwide necessitates evaluating the effectiveness of diverse survey techniques. The relative efficacy of different methods may vary significantly across regions or communities, highlighting the need for a comprehensive approach using multiple survey methods over extensive spatial and temporal scales. In this study, we compared the effectiveness of seven survey methods – pitfall traps, funnel traps, spotlighting, arboreal cover boards, incidental encounters, camera traps, and passive acoustic monitoring (PAM) – for assessing reptile biodiversity over several years across an extensive spatial range in open eucalypt woodlands throughout eastern Australia. Pitfall and funnel traps were the most effective methods for detecting reptiles across all sites and latitudes. A combination of pitfall and funnel traps accumulated species the quickest, had high detection probabilities, and accounted for nearly 90% of all different reptile species detected in this study. However, with a decrease in latitude reptile diversity increased and other survey methods became necessary to document the full extent of the reptile communities. Reptile assemblages captured by different survey methods varied significantly, except for the communities captured by pitfall and funnel traps. No single method captured all species, and no species was detected by every method. Passive acoustic monitoring failed to detect any reptiles and may not be viable for assessing reptile biodiversity in Australia. Pitfall and funnel traps proved highly effective for detecting terrestrial reptiles within open eucalypt woodlands in Australia, however, the selection of methods for evaluating reptile biodiversity depends on the objectives and target fauna, and when possible, to maximize species richness, survey designs should incorporate an array of concurrently deployed methods, particularly in regions with higher overall species richness. Nevertheless, if resources and time are limited, pitfall and funnel traps, combined with incidental encounters, should capture the majority of species.

From legislation to obligation: Re-thinking smart urban governance for multispecies justice

Given the rise in Australia's biodiversity and habitat loss, in this paper we explore how smart urban governance—might move beyond its more anthropocentric focus on citizens, civic institutions, and the urban environment to address multispecies justice. Situated in Brisbane, Australia, our research contributes new knowledge (co)produced with stakeholders who identify four anthropocentric barriers within smart urban governance: (1) property ownership, (2) green spaces, (3) lobbying and donations, and (4) lack of environmental integration. Next, we position multispecies justice in Brisbane's smart urban governance as a shift from ownership to stewardship and from legislation to obligation: challenging human-centred urban typologies, and technological and institutional tools. In conclusion, we reflect on what stakes matter for Urban Governance to embrace the transition towards multispecies justice.

Insights into Delivering a Robust and Comprehensive Names Classification for a Living Atlas Using Diverse Taxonomic Sources

The Atlas of Living Australia*1 (ALA) is a collaborative, digital, open infrastructure that pulls together Australian biodiversity data from multiple sources, making it accessible and reusable. The ALA helps to create a detailed picture of Australia’s biodiversity for scientists, policy makers, environmental planners and land managers, industry, and the public. It does this by aggregating data that records occurrences of species within Australia's diverse environments. To enable the most effective use of occurrence data, records need to be placed consistently in a replicable and systematically generated taxonomic hierarchy. At the core of the ALA's taxonomic hierarchy are the Australian national species lists*2 (NSLs) for animals, vascular plants, bryophytes, fungi, lichens, and algae. There is an ever-present lag between newly published species and their addition to NSLs, making it challenging to validate the names of these species when they are received in data. The ALA nevertheless needs to be able to represent these species. Because the ALA is presenting data for research, it also needs to be able to handle informal names, including unpublished names and spelling errors. The ALA needs to reflect the challenges to Australia's biodiversity, including highlighting threatened and sensitive species, as well as noting threats from potential biosecurity species. Newly identified sensitive and threatened species often appear on various government conservation lists before they are added to NSLs. By their nature, potential (but not current) invasive and vagrant species do not appear on NSLs, nor do foreign species that may be held in Australian collections. Even after 10 years of operation, all these issues still challenge automated systems such as the ALA because of scale and complexity. Considering these challenges, the ALA has been re-evaluating how it constructs its taxonomic hierarchy. We will discuss how the ALA is using NSLs and other resources to develop a fit-for-purpose taxonomic hierarchy, and how that process incorporates data quality control, data assurance, and source transparency.

Loss of terrestrial biodiversity in Australia: Magnitude, causation, and response.

Australia's biota is species rich, with high rates of endemism. This natural legacy has rapidly diminished since European colonization. The impacts of invasive species, habitat loss, altered fire regimes, and changed water flows are now compounded by climate change, particularly through extreme drought, heat, wildfire, and flooding. Extinction rates, already far exceeding the global average for mammals, are predicted to escalate across all taxa, and ecosystems are collapsing. These losses are symptomatic of shortcomings in resourcing, law, policy, and management. Informed by examples of advances in conservation practice from invasive species control, Indigenous land management, and citizen science, we describe interventions needed to enhance future resilience. Many characteristics of Australian biodiversity loss are globally relevant, with recovery requiring society to reframe its relationship with the environment.

Why losing Australia's biodiversity matters for human health: insights from the latest State of the Environment assessment.

Why losing Australia's biodiversity matters for human health: insights from the latest State of the Environment assessment.

The costs of managing key threats to Australia's biodiversity

Abstract Budgeting for biodiversity conservation requires realistic estimates of threat abatement costs. However, data on threat management costs are often unavailable or unable to be extrapolated across relevant locations and scales. Conservation expenditure largely occurs without a priori cost estimates of management activities and is not recorded in ways that can inform future budgets or cost‐effective management decisions. We provided transparent, broadly applicable cost models for 18 Threat Abatement Strategies aimed at managing the processes threatening Australia's biodiversity. We defined the actions required to implement each strategy and used a consistent structure to classify costs of labour, travel, consumables and equipment. We drew upon expert knowledge and published literature to parameterise each model, estimating the implementation cost of each strategy across the Australian continent, accounting for spatial variables such as threat presence, terrain, and travel distance. Estimated annualised costs for the threat abatement strategies varied considerably between strategies and across Australia, ranging from $24 to $879,985 per km2 ($0.24–$8880 per ha). On average, labour was the largest cost component (49%), followed by consumables (37%), travel (13%) and equipment (2%). Based on national scale variables and assumptions, cost estimates across Australia for each threat abatement strategy ranged from +44% and −33% of the most common cost estimate. Policy implications. We provide a consistent and transparent approach to budgeting for threat abatement strategies, aiming to improve conservation planning processes, outcomes, and reporting across Australia. In addition, understanding the budget required to achieve threat management outcomes can aid revenue‐raising and target setting. The models, cost layers and estimates we generate provide the basis for a nationally consistent approach for estimating and recording the cost of biodiversity management strategies, which should be continually updated and improved with local‐scale information over time.

What type of rainforest burnt in the South East Queensland's 2019/20 bushfires and how might this impact biodiversity

AbstractBushfires burnt over 18 million hectares across Australia's east coast, including rainforests, over the spring and summer 2019/2020 period. Rainforest harbours a large percentage of Australia's biodiversity and does not usually burn and therefore understanding the extent and biodiversity implications was a priority. The National Indicative Aggregated Fire Extent Dataset (NIAFED) combined with detailed regional ecosystem (RE) mapping was used to estimate the perimeter and area of each of the burnt rainforest types within South East Queensland (SEQ). Previous biodiversity estimates for each rainforest regional ecosystem type combined with remnant ecosystem mapping data then enabled an assessment of the potential biodiversity impacts of the fires for SEQ rainforest. We found that 12% of the rainforest estate in SEQ was within the burn footprint (29 031 ha) including parts of the UNESCO World Heritage Gondwana Rainforests of Australia. Fifty per cent of the total remnant area of the Endangered rainforest type, semi‐evergreen vine thicket on Mesozoic to Proterozoic igneous rocks (RE: 12.12.17) was potentially burnt. This rainforest type has high diversity. Burn severity analysis found that the rainforest primarily burnt with low severity, however, there were patches of high severity. Accuracy assessment of severity mapping resulted in a weak correlation (0.57) due to the underestimation of ground fires in rainforest. As expected, we found rainforest‐suppressed fires. However, in contrast to expectations, we found the wettest rainforest types and putative past refugia burnt more than other rainforest types. These results suggest that given drought conditions any rainforest could burn, and we can expect that the area of rainforest will contract if both incidences of drought and wildfires increase due to climate change.

Comparative Epidemiology of Rabbit Haemorrhagic Disease Virus Strains from Viral Sequence Data.

Since their introduction in 1859, European rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus) have had a devastating impact on agricultural production and biodiversity in Australia, with competition and land degradation by rabbits being one of the key threats to agricultural and biodiversity values in Australia. Biocontrol agents, with the most important being the rabbit haemorrhagic disease virus 1 (RHDV1), constitute the most important landscape-scale control strategies for rabbits in Australia. Monitoring field strain dynamics is complex and labour-intensive. Here, using phylodynamic models to analyse the available RHDV molecular data, we aimed to: investigate the epidemiology of various strains, use molecular data to date the emergence of new variants and evaluate whether different strains are outcompeting one another. We determined that the two main pathogenic lagoviruses variants in Australia (RHDV1 and RHDV2) have had similar dynamics since their release, although over different timeframes (substantially shorter for RHDV2). We also found a strong geographic difference in their activities and evidence of overall competition between the two viruses.

Insects from the southwest Australia biodiversity hotspot: a barometer of diversity and threat status of nine host-dependent families across three orders

Insects from the southwest Australia biodiversity hotspot: a barometer of diversity and threat status of nine host-dependent families across three orders

Recognizing culturally significant species and Indigenous‐led management is key to meeting international biodiversity obligations

AbstractIncreasingly the importance of Indigenous participation is acknowledged as central to effective biodiversity conservation. Traditional management emphasizes the importance of a holistic, integrated approach to safeguard species and ecological communities of cultural significance. This is discordant with many instruments for biodiversity conservation. Indigenous Australians have consistently lobbied for domestic laws to be amended to establish comanagement as the preferred approach to managing significant species and ecological communities – an approach that aligns with international obligations such as the Convention on Biological Diversity and the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. We describe amendments to Australia's biodiversity legislation and the use of biocultural indicators that would support Traditional management of Culturally Significant Entities (species and ecological communities), and in turn, assist Australia to effectively conserve biodiversity and meet international obligations. The ongoing challenge will be in empowering Indigenous peoples and their governance structures to implement enduring change.

Introducing the Australian Journal of Taxonomy, a new, fully-online, fully open-access journal for the rapid publication of new Australian species and other taxa

With this paper we introduce the Australian Journal of Taxonomy and outline its scope, rationale, workflow and governance. The journal is published by Taxonomy Australia, a national collaboration by the Australian taxonomic community. Australian Journal of Taxonomy is one of the world's first fully-online journals. Papers are born-digital and born-online: they are authored on the Australian Journal of Taxonomy online platform, and all subsequent steps (peer-review, editing, copy editing and publication) take place on that platform. At no stage does a paper in Australian Journal of Taxonomy need to exist as a document in a word-processing application. This fully-online processing substantially eases and accelerates workflows, and reduces the costs of production and publishing to a minimum. For these reasons, Australian Journal of Taxonomy is also diamond open access, with no access charges for either authors or readers. Australian Journal of Taxonomy is optimised for the rapid publication of new Australian taxa across all eukaryotic organismal groups (animals, fungi, plants etc.), and is part of the overarching strategy of Taxonomy Australia to substantially accelerate the discovery and taxonomic documentation of Australia's biodiversity.

Costs and benefits of ammonia abatement in Australia

The abatement of ammonia (NH3) emissions has attracted much attention globally given its increasingly dominant roles in ecosystem sustainability and human health. The potential, costs and benefits of NH3 abatement in Australia, the driest inhabited continent in the world, are less known. We mapped the latest spatial-temporal NH3 emissions in Australia and assessed the feasibility of NH3 abatement. Results show that annual NH3 emissions in Australia ranged 1.2–1.4 Tg N yr-1 in response to agricultural activities and climate variability during 2014–2019. Intensive animal and cropping systems occupy ∼13% of Australia's land but contribute 60% of NH3 emissions. The mitigation potential of Australian agricultural NH3 emissions is 32% (21–47%), with implementation cost estimated at 0.3 (0.1–0.9) billion US dollars (USD), equivalent to only one-tenth of the total mitigation benefit at 3.1 (0.5–7.6) billion USD. The societal benefits of mitigating NH3 emissions in terms of ecosystem sustainability (0.6–6.2 billion USD) are higher than human health benefits (0.8–1.9 billion USD) due to the small human population and the uniqueness and significance of Australia's biodiversity. Mitigating NH3 emissions in Australia should be prioritized to the animal and cropping systems to achieve the low-hanging fruit. Cost-effectiveness mitigation of NH3 will require integration with the current climate policy.

The occurrence of Anisakis spp. in Australian waters: past, present, and future trends.

As one of the world's megadiverse countries, Australian biodiversity is vital for global biodiversity. Nematodes belonging to the genus Anisakis (family Anisakidae) are an important part of this biodiversity due to their ability to be repeatedly transmitted among their intermediate hosts before reaching the top of the food pyramid. Therefore, they have a significant impact on the community structures of various ecosystems. In addition, globally, they are known to be of medical and veterinary significance. The aim of this article is to provide an update on the current knowledge about these important parasites in Australia. Since 1916, a total of 234 records of Anisakis spp. from various hosts and localities have been found in Australia. It is estimated that the occurrence of Anisakis spp. and their health impacts in at least 84, 98.5, and 95% of Australian marine mammals, fish, and water birds, respectively, have not been documented yet. The results of this study suggest Australia is perhaps home to the most diverse Anisakis fauna. Available information is dominated by reports of these parasites in fish hosts, many of them among edible fish. Given the popularity of seafood in Australia and the occurrence of infectious stages of Anisakis spp. in edible fish, all stakeholders should be made aware of the occurrence, prevalence, and survival of Anisakis spp. in seafood. Also, as more pet owners feed their pets with a variety of fish and seafood products, it is important for veterinarians to be aware of seafood transmitted Anisakis spp. in pet animals. This study also highlights several important knowledge gaps: (i) The detailed life cycle of Anisakis spp. in Australia is not known. Detecting their first intermediate hosts is important for better management of crustacean zooplankton populations in our waters. (ii) Research on Anisakis spp. in Australia has been restricted to limited taxonomical studies and should extend to other aspects of these important parasites. (iii) The capacity to identify parasite taxa to species is especially important for resolving biological diversity around Australia; however, opportunities to formally train in parasite taxonomy are rare and diminishing. There is a need to train researchers with taxonomy skills. (iv) Given the vast range of biodiversity in Australia and the broad host-specificity of Anisakis spp., particularly in the larval stages, the full range of their intermediate hosts remains unknown. (v) The health impacts of the infection of the intermediate/definitive hosts with Anisakis spp. are not fully understood. Thus, one of the important areas for future studies is investigating the pathogenicity of Anisakis spp. in affected animals. This is a crucial yet unknown factor for the conservation of some endangered species in Australia.

Cattle, climate and complexity: food security, quality and sustainability of the Australian cattle industries.

Marked increases in atmospheric CO2 concentrations are largely associated with the release of sequestered carbon in fossil fuels. While emissions of green-house gasses (GHG) from cattle have significant global warming potential, these are biogenic sources and substantially involve carbon in natural cycles, rather than fossil fuel. Cattle use human inedible feeds and by-products of human food production to produce nutrient-dense foods of great value to humans. Reductions in land clearing and burning of grasslands and increased carbon sequestration in soils and trees have potential to substantially reduce GHG emissions. Increased efficiencies of production through intensified feeding and enteric modification have markedly reduced intensity of GHG emissions for cattle in Australia. Genetic selection for lower emissions has modest, but cumulative potential to reduce GHG (mostly CH4 ) emissions and intensity. Improved reproductive performance can reduce intensity of GHG emissions, especially in beef production. Feeds and technologies that reduce GHG production and intensity include improved pastures, grain feeding, dietary lipids, nitrates, ionophores, seaweed, 3-NOP, hormonal growth promotants in beef, and improved diets for peri-parturient dairy cattle. There is considerable potential to further reduce emissions from cattle using the technologies reviewed. Cattle are susceptible to heat stress and ameliorating interventions include tree and shelter belts, shade, housing, cooling with fans and water and dietary manipulations. Numerous interventions can reduce GHG emissions and intensity from cattle. There are opportunities to increase carbon capture and maintain biodiversity in Australia's extensive rangelands, but these require quantification and application. We can reduce the intensity of CH4 emissions for cattle in Australia and simultaneously improve their well-being.

Phylogeography, historical demography and systematics of the world’s smallest pythons (Pythonidae, Antaresia)

Advances from empirical studies in phylogeography, systematics and species delimitation highlight the importance of integrative approaches for quantifying taxonomic diversity. Genomic data have greatly improved our ability to discern both systematic diversity and evolutionary history. Here we combine analyses of mitochondrial DNA sequences, thousands of genome-wide SNPs and linear and geometric morphometrics on Antaresia, a clade of four currently recognised dwarf pythons from Australia and New Guinea (Antaresia childreni, A. stimsoni, A. maculosa and A. perthensis). Our integrative analyses of phylogenetics, population structure, species delimitation, historical demography and morphometrics revealed that the true evolutionary diversity is not well reflected in the current appraisal of the diversity of the group. We find that Antaresia childreni and A. stimsoni comprise a widespread network of populations connected by gene flow and without evidence of species-level divergence among them. However, A. maculosa shows considerable genetic structuring which leads us to recognise two subspecies in northeastern Australia and a new species in Torres Strait and New Guinea. These two contrasting cases of over and under estimation of diversity, respectively, illustrate the power of thorough integrative approaches into understanding evolution of biodiversity. Furthermore, our analyses of historical demographic patterns highlight the importance of the Kimberley, Pilbara and Cape York as origins of biodiversity in Australia.

Threats to Biodiversity in Australia’s Burdekin River Basin

Threats to Biodiversity in Australia’s Burdekin River Basin

Pollen adaptation to ant pollination: a case study from the Proteaceae.

Background and AimsAnt–plant associations are widely diverse and distributed throughout the world, leading to antagonistic and/or mutualistic interactions. Ant pollination is a rare mutualistic association and reports of ants as effective pollinators are limited to a few studies. Conospermum (Proteaceae) is an insect-pollinated genus well represented in the south-western Australia biodiversity hotspot, and here we aimed to evaluate the role of ants as pollinators of C. undulatum.MethodsPollen germination after contact with several species of ants and bees was tested for C. undulatum and five co-flowering species for comparison. We then sampled the pollen load of floral visitors of C. undulatum to assess whether ants carried a pollen load sufficient to enable pollination. Lastly, we performed exclusion treatments to assess the relative effect of flying- and non-flying-invertebrate floral visitors on the reproduction of C. undulatum. For this, we measured the seed set under different conditions: ants exclusion, flying-insects exclusion and control.Key ResultsPollen of C. undulatum, along with the other Conospermum species, had a germination rate after contact with ants of ~80 % which did not differ from the effect of bees; in contrast, the other plant species tested showed a drop in the germination rate to ~10 % following ant treatments. Although ants were generalist visitors, they carried a pollen load with 68–86 % of suitable grains. Moreover, ants significantly contributed to the seed set of C. undulatum.ConclusionsOur study highlights the complexity of ant–flower interactions and suggests that generalizations neglecting the importance of ants as pollinators cannot be made. Conospermum undulatum has evolved pollen with resistance to the negative effect of ant secretions on pollen grains, with ants providing effective pollination services to this threatened species.