|
|
Australian Endangered Ecosystems
A large number of species (kinds) of plants and animals live in what is left of the native grasslands.
Less than 1% is left of the original habitat.
An ecosystem means a community of plants and animals interacting with one another in a habitat. The relationship between all the living things within an ecosystem is called biodiversity.
Land clearing
The clearing of huge areas of native vegetation, including grasslands and forests, to convert land for other uses is the main cause of the loss of biodiversity.
It is also the main cause of land degradation in Australia.
In some places, so much native vegetation has been removed that natural ecosystems are threatened.
Some facts about the destruction
of all kinds of native vegetation:
| More than 600,000 hectares of bushland in Australia is destroyed each year (90% in Queensland and NSW). |
| Australia is one of the 5 main countries that clear the most native vegetation, including forests. |
| There are about 2 million hectares of temperate grasslands in south-eastern Australia, but only about 10,000 hectares is estimated to be in good condition. |
| About 80% of woodlands in Victoria and NSW have been removed, to the degree where a number of animal species face extinction. |
| About two-thirds of the Queensland Mulga lands and
a large amount of the western NSW Mulga lands have been reduced
or cleared. |
| About 3% of temperate eucalypt woodlands remain in south western WA, cleared for wheat. |
What can you do?
| Help revegetate a bit of Australia, in your garden, school or local area. Revegetating means restoring original plant species back into the landscape. It involves planting trees and smaller plants that were in that area originally. This will encourage animal species to return. |
| Plant native plants in your garden instead of introduced plants. This can attract and support wildlife by providing food and shelter. Native plants need less water, which means we use less of this valuable resource. |
| In the bush, don't dump rubbish and chemicals, or gather firewood. Discourage others from doing so.
Fallen trees or dead trees with hollows are important habitats in the ecosystem and should be left in the bush. Two examples are Leadbeater's Possum and Sulphur-crested Cockatoos. |
| Take part in Clean up Australia days and similar local clean ups. Find out how by checking the Clean up Australia website http://www.cleanup.org.au/au/ |
| Control weeds . They threaten native species. |
| Keep your cat inside, especially at night. Cats are natural hunters and kill a large number of native animals and birds. |
| Check out organisations such as 'Friends of...' groups in your local area. They need volunteers. |
| Reduce, Reuse and Recycle!
That way we can reduce the resources we waste and reduce the amount of waste we generate. It's good for the whole environment. Find out more here http://www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/swfa/kidsPage/ Set up a compost system at home or school |
If you use any part of this in your own work, list the source in your bibliography like this:
Sydenham, S & Thomas, R. Australian
Grasslands [Online] www.kidcyber.com.au (2002)
Find out about other biomes:water .. rainforest .. tundra .. desert .. taiga ..grasslands
| Back to Biomes main page | Back to Planet Earth |