Risk assessment of Australian ecosystems. Dr Emma Burns and Prof. David Keith. presentation to ACEAS Grand 2014

1. Risk Assessment of Australian
ecosystems
Informing the development of the IUCN draft Red List
for Ecosystems
Emma Burns (ANU and LTERN) on behalf of the working group

2. Context
Principles
• Prof David Keith
• Dr Emily Nicholson
• Dr Tracey Regan
Background
• Global – IUCN Red List of Ecosystems by 2025;
a need to identify and conserve higher levels of
biological organisation
• Australia – well developed TEC models in
certain jurisdictions; Hawke review identified
need for improved alignment and to list
broader systems

3. Draft RLE Overview
• A framework analogous to the IUCN Red List for Species.
• IUCN Red List of Ecosystems risk assessment protocol is based on assessments of
trends in ecosystem distribution and function.
• The methodology requires an assessor to quantify: (1) key aspects of the ecosystems’
risk of: historical, current and future decline in spatial distribution; (2) changes in the
size of the area occupied by the ecosystem; and (3) the decline in key abiotic and biotic
processes and features for: historical, current and future time periods. These analyses
then underpinned a quantitative assessment of the probability of ecosystem collapse
within 50 to 100 years.

4. Identified need
Intent
To develop a working group of ecologists, IUCN RLE experts, policy experts , and
jurisdictional experts to progress:
• the harmonisation of Commonwealth and State listings of TECs
• case studies from the Oceania region to test the draft IUCN framework
• to draw on TERN facilities to identify data needs and inform application of new
data collection protocols
Planned Outcomes
• Education and outreach
• Establishment of a network of key stakeholders
• Synergistic policy development in Australia and New Zealand, and ultimately
globally
• Scientific products and advancements
• Outputs: 1. published comparative review of listings; 2. published case studies;
3. identify data requirements and standardise data use in application of the RLE
protocol and publish summary paper

5. The working group
Name Affiliation Expertise
Prof David Keith University of NSW; NSW OEH; LTERN Led development of IUCN RLE criteria; NSW Scientific Committee; Agency specialist
Dr Emily Nicholson The University of Melbourne Decision analysis expert; led review of national and regional risk assessment protocols; RLE expert
Dr Tracey Regan The University of Melbourne Applied quantitative ecological modeller; RLE expert ; NatureServe ranking protocol
Prof Richard Kingsford University of NSW Environmental Water Scientific Advisory Committee, Lake Eyre Basin Scientific Advisory Panel
Prof Peter Harrison Southern Cross University Commonwealth Threatened Species Scientific Committee
Dr Elaine Wright NZ Environment Agency Agency specialist in threatened ecological communities
Dr Dan Metcalfe CSIRO; LTERN LTERN; extensive research in ecosystem dynamics
Mr Matthew White Department of Environment Agency specialist in threatened ecological communities
Ms Val English WA Environment Agency Agency specialist in threatened ecological communities
Dr Phil Pisanu SA Environment Agency Agency specialist in threatened ecological communities
Dr Stephen Harris Tas Environment Agency Agency specialist in threatened ecological communities
Mr Matt White Vic Environment Agency Agency specialist in threatened ecological communities
Dr Tony Auld NSW Environment Agency
Agency specialist in threatened ecological communities; NSW Scientific Committee; researcher in
dynamics of arid ecosystem
Dr Michelle Leishman Macquarie University Chair NSW Scientific Committee; research in invasion processes
Mr Bruce Wilson Qld Environment Agency Agency specialist in threatened ecological communities
Dr Robert Holdaway Landcare Research, New Zealand Agency specialist in threatened ecological communities
Dr Emma Burns Australian National University; LTERN LTERN; conservation biology and policy expert
Dr Richard Williams CSIRO LTERN; extensive research in ecosystem dynamics
Prof Alfredo Huete University of Technology Sydney Auscover; extensive research in remote sensing
Mr Chris Watson University of Technology Sydney PhD Candidate in remote sensing science
Dr Laurie Chisholm University of Wollongong Auscover; extensive research in remote sensing

6. Outcomes and Benefits
Policy and regulation
• Commonwealth – recent adjustment s in listing criteria to align with the concept of collapse
• SA – no legislation but employing protocol to assist the Commonwealth listings, and local
planning and management
• NSW – intent to adjust listing guidelines and process
Relationships and networks
• Broadened through TERN and Special Edition of Austral Ecology

7. Outputs

8. Outputs

9. Outputs

10. Outputs

11. What’s next?
Paper
IUCN Risk Assessment of Ecosystems: linking data, process, and
interpretation to achieve best practice
Data needs and standards
ARC Linkage Project
Maintaining relationships and policy
agenda
Sam Haskins www.samhaskinsblog.com

12. Acknowledgements
PI’s, working group members, and most
importantly