Learning intentions: To understand how biodiversity is identified and managed in Australia. Success Criteria: Be able to apply categories of conservation status and describe how degree of threat is determined. Know the three biodiversity categories and how they relate to each other. Be able to explain how remnant vegetation, corridors and conservation reserves can be used to support biodiversity. Describe Global, Australian and Victorian legislation and conventions and a current biodiversity issue which refers to each.

1. Biodiversity conservation and management.
VCE Environmental Science Unit 3.
Peter Phillips

2. types of biodiversity, including genetic, species and ecosystem diversity
•significance and value of biodiversity to ecosystem function and human survival, including ecosystem services, biological resources,
and social benefits
•conservation categories including genetic diversity, populations and species, and their use in conservation planning
•assessment of biodiversity, including number of species, endemism, and species diversity, including the application of simple indices
•threats to biodiversity, including:
•habitat modification and destruction
•competition from exotic species
•loss of pollinators, dispersal agents, host species or symbionts
•genetic drift, genetic swamping, inbreeding, demographic variation or other consequences of small population size
•overexploitation and over collection
•assessment of threat in determining conservation categories, including critical, endangered and vulnerable
•methods of protecting environments and managing populations, including wildlife corridors, urban environments, national parks,
captive breeding programs, and remnant vegetation
•use of scientific data to establish biodiversity treaties, agreements and regulatory frameworks, including Convention on International
Trade of Endangered Species (of wild flora and fauna) (CITES), Ramsar Convention, and the sections of the Flora and Fauna
Guarantee Act 1988 that apply to the protection of a threatened animal.
Biodiversity conservation and management
Learning intentions:
To understand how biodiversity is identified and managed in Australia.
Success Criteria:
Be able to apply categories of conservation status and describe how degree of threat is determined.
Know the three biodiversity categories and how they relate to each other.
Be able to explain how remnant vegetation, corridors and conservation reserves can be used to support biodiversity.
Describe Global, Australian and Victorian legislation and conventions and a current biodiversity issue which refers to each.
VCAA Environmental Science Unit 3 Key Knowledge Outcome 2 Outcome 3
assessment of biodiversity, including
number of species, endemism,
species diversity, and genetic
diversity including the application of
simple indices assessment of threat
in determining conservation
categories, including critical,
endangered and vulnerable
environmental impact assessment
precautionary principle and statistical
techniques to estimate and manage
biodiversity assessment of risk,
including estimating the risk of
extinction.

3. Conservation categories
Projects funding is determined by the
•availability of economic resources.
•conservation category (perceived need: risk of extinction,
demographic structure (number of individuals of breeding age),
rarity (geographic distribution, genetic), importance of species to
its ecosystem, resilience).
•social acceptability.
•population viability.
Biodiversity conservation and management
Rarity: describe in terms of...
•population size,
•geographic range,
•habitat
IUCN species classification system 2012
Be able to explain what each of these means.
Conservation categories are one of the
factors which determine whether a
project will receive funding.
Use quiz cards to learn these at this Quizlet
Assessment criteria used for threatened categories:
include... (complete)
•trends in its pop...
•its geog...
•the num...
•an est.....
Lack of data +
value judgements
-> inconsistencies
between
organisations

4. Conservation of biodiversity
Precautionary principle:
•The Australian Intergovernmental Agreement on the
Environment (1992) defined the precautionary principle as:
“where there are threats of serious or irreversible environmental
damage, lack of full scientific certainty should not be used as a
reason for postponing measures to prevent environmental
degradation.”
•This decision put the onus on developers to prove that their
project will not significantly harm biodiversity.
Biodiversity conservation and management
Levels of biodiversity: define each of the following:
•genetic diversity
•population diversity
•species diversity
How does the world conservation
strategy define conservation?
Test each other on your knowledge of these terms using Quizlet
What is meant by
intergenerational
equity?
Conservation of genetic diversity:
•Low levels of genetic diversity (determined via DNA
analysis) reduce the ability of a species to adapt to
change using natural selection. Appearance is not a
good indicator where the genetic diversity of a species
is unknown,
Conservation of population diversity:
•Fragmentation restricts gene flow between
populations with adaptations to local environments
leading to the development of genetic differences.
Management strategies need to consider the full
biodiversity with in the species.
Conservation of species diversity:
•Species are the fundamental basis of
conservation. It is therefore important that you are
very clear about what a species is.
Genetic diversity: the variation of genes within a species
Population: individuals of the same species living in one location
Species: organisms which are able to produce fertile offspring.

5. Strategies for protecting
biodiversity
Conservation reserves:
•Land set aside for nature conservation (Government/Non-
government), including National Parks, State Forests,
Conservation Trusts (Trust for Nature, Bush Heritage Australia,
Australian Trust for Conservation Volunteers,) Reserves whose
primary focus is to protect biodiversity should be located based
on the need to protect individual species, communities,
ecosystems or landscapes, however it is also affected by land
availability and cost of acquiring the land. Historically,
conservation reserves were not land of high economic
importance.
Biodiversity conservation and management
Remnant Vegetation: Small patches of native
plants that remain after conversion of
landscapes to agricultural or other use.
See what the Encyclopedia Britannica
has to say about ‘conservation’.
Test your knowledge
using Quizlet
Describe how
wildlife corridors
improve biodiversity.
Management of remnant vegetation:
•When land is cleared for agriculture, mining, forestry or
development the patches of habitat left behind are
fragmented, isolated and vulnerable to pests. The
establishment of corridors of habitat between remnant
vegetation enables gene flow. In the SW of W.A. a wildlife
corridor (Gondwana Link), 1000 km long has been established in the
South West of Western Australia, involving 12,000 ha of property. It
provides an opportunity for previously fragmented populations to
breed, improving resilience, and allowing them to move in response
to climate change, away from threats such as bushfires, or to
colonise new areas. More about Wildlife Corridors.
Translocation and reintroduction:
•Contrast and describe when you would use either one
of these two strategies.
•Why has translocation and reintroduction failed so
often in the past?
Look at a 80km view of Echuca on Google
maps satellite view and note the location of
remnant vegetation.
Remnant vegetation
management: koalas
Identify some issues with wildlife corridors that managers
should be wary of.
Preparation for the translocation of the orange bellied parrot.

6. Responses to the loss of biodiversity
biodiversity
UN Convention on Biodiversity 1992 at the Rio Earth Summit,
requires each of its 170 signatories (including Australia) to
develop a program of conservation.
Biodiversity conservation and management
Why is the
Great Barrier Reef in danger?
What actions have the World
heritage Committee and
Australian Government
taken?
Why does the federal
government want to wind
back the Heritage status of
Tasmania’s forests?
Severn Suzuki at the Rio Earth Summit
The World Heritage Convention 1972 links together in a single
document the concepts of nature conservation and the
preservation of cultural properties. The Convention
recognizes the way in which people interact with nature, and
the fundamental need to preserve the balance between the
two. The Convention defines the kind of natural or cultural
sites which can be considered for inscription on the World
Heritage List. By signing the Convention, each country
pledges to conserve not only the World Heritage sites
situated on its territory, but also to protect its national
heritage.
ABC News Sydney Morning Herald

7. Responses to the loss of biodiversity
biodiversity
RAMSAR The Convention on Wetlands of International
Importance, called the Ramsar Convention 1983, is an
intergovernmental treaty that provides the framework for
national action and international cooperation for the
conservation and wise use of wetlands and their resources.
The Ramsar Convention is the only global environmental
treaty that deals with a particular ecosystem. The treaty was
adopted in the Iranian city of Ramsar in 1971 and the
Convention's member countries cover all geographic
regions of the planet.
Biodiversity conservation and management
Despite the good will shown by the signatories to CITES, the
trade in endangered and protected species continues. Identify 3
reasons why.
CITES Convention on the trade in endangered species of wild
flora and fauna 1973 is an international agreement between
governments. Its aim is to ensure that international trade in
specimens of wild animals and plants does not threaten their
survival.
WWF: African ivory trade Whale hunting: Japan presses to resume
The RAMSAR Convention protects
wetlands of national significance which
provide habitat and breeding ground for
migratory water birds. It includes the
Barmah Lakes.
Why are the Barmah Lakes so
important to maintaining biodiversity
in Australia?
Barmah Lakes Wetlands
JAMBA (Japan Australia
Migratory Birds Agreement)
is an agreement between
Japan and Australia
protecting habitat of birds
which migrate between
those two countries

8. Responses to the loss of biodiversity
biodiversity
Environment Protection and biodiversity conservation Act 1999
Focussed on matters of national environmental significance,
streamlining the environmental assessment and approvals
process. The Act prescribed how biodiversity should be
identified and monitored, applied international listing criteria,
described procedures for the preparation of recovery and
conservation plans and established a whale sanctuary in
Australia’s exclusive economic zone.
Biodiversity conservation and management
National Strategy for the Conservation of Australia’
s Biodiversity 2010 aims to establish effective mechanisms
for the identification, conservation and management of
Australia’s biodiversity. It recognised the need for detailed
strategies at the state, territory and regional levels of
government, as well as the involvement of the community.
ABC News: Japanese whalers ordered out of Australian waters
How can Australia’s
exclusive economic zone
be used to protect
biodiversity in our oceans.
Read this article on
World Ocean Day to find
out.

9. Responses to the loss of biodiversity
biodiversity
Victoria’s Biodiversity Strategy 1997
Identify the key aims of the legislation and how it hoped to
achieve these.
Aim: updates Victoria’s biodiversity strategy to comply with
the National Strategy for the Conservation of Australia’
s Biodiversity 1996.
Strategy: identified 21 terrestrial bioregions and 5 aquatic
bioregions, allowing the development of specific strategies
addressing the major threatening processes in each.
Biodiversity conservation and management
Victorian Flora and Fauna Act 1988
Identify a key aim of the legislation and how it hoped to
achieve this.
Aim: to ensure that Victoria’s native species survive, flourish
and keep their potential for evolutionary development.
Strategy: Identify and manage processes that lead to
extinction, genetic diversity, endangered habitats and areas
of environmental significance. The act encourages public
participation: any member of the public may nominate a
species for investigation. Interim Conservation Orders may
be issued where a critically endangered species is
threatened by human activity.Why are the
Wilderness Society and
Victorian National Parks
Association calling for an
Interim Conservation Order
for the Leadbeaters possum? Department of Primary Industries Vic (DPI):
Biodiversity booklet: guide to laws, guidelines and codes
Victoria’s Biodiversity
Strategy 1997 recognises
21 Land bioregions and 5
aquatic bioregions
Make 3 statements which
describe the condition and
management response in a
bioregion in your area of
the state.

10. Responses to the loss of biodiversity
biodiversity
Victoria’s Biodiversity Strategy 1997
Identify the key aims of the legislation and how it hoped to
achieve these.
Aim: updates Victoria’s biodiversity strategy to comply with
the National Strategy for the Conservation of Australia’
s Biodiversity 1996.
Strategy: identified 21 terrestrial bioregions and 5 aquatic
bioregions, allowing the development of specific strategies
addressing the major threatening processes in each.
Biodiversity conservation and management
Victorian Flora and Fauna Act 1988
Identify a key aim of the legislation and how it hoped to
achieve this.
Aim: to ensure that Victoria’s native species survive, flourish
and keep their potential for evolutionary development.
Strategy: Identify and manage processes that lead to
extinction, genetic diversity, endangered habitats and areas
of environmental significance. The act encourages public
participation: any member of the public may nominate a
species for investigation. Interim Conservation Orders may
be issued where a critically endangered species is
threatened by human activity.Why are the
Wilderness Society and
Victorian National Parks
Association calling for an
Interim Conservation Order
for the Leadbeaters possum? Department of Primary Industries Vic (DPI):
Biodiversity booklet: guide to laws, guidelines and codes
Victoria’s Biodiversity
Strategy 1997 recognises
21 Land bioregions and 5
aquatic bioregions
Make 3 statements which
describe the condition and
management response in a
bioregion in your area of
the state.