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Environment Victoria. Safe Climate, Healthy Rivers, Sustainable Living.

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Environment Victoria is an Independent and not-for-profit group campaigning for a Safe Climate, Healthy Rivers, and Sustainable Living

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Issues with no end in sight

In many areas, Australia's temperate zones and coastal ecosystems have been extensively altered, many wetlands have been degraded.

Climate change, and introduced plants and animals (invasives), are the agents of the radical changes that are tearing through Australia's environment. The result? Dramatic declines in the distribution and abundance of many species, with natural resources such as water now going scarce.

When forests are cut, the salinity of the soil can greatly increase. As a result, saline water draining from such areas can affect downstream or downslope water quality. It is estimated that around 7% of the agricultural area of western Australia is suffering from this problem following deforestation.

Moreover, studies in Australia's wet tropics show that soils have limited capacity to recover from deforestation. This adds to deforestation's price tag. Australia's Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) estimates that land degradation costs about $1 billion annually.

Agriculture clearing and overgrazing

Because of clearing activities for agricultural land, around 13% of Australia's original vegetation has been removed since European settlement.

Overgrazing is one of the main pressures on biodiversity in Australia. Grazing and various agricultural improvement strategies have modified vast areas of grasslands and open grassy woodlands. In temperate ecosystems, less than 2% of the original grasslands remain.

Moreover, overgrazing promotes desertification and erosion, and is also seen as one cause of the spread of invasive plants.

Overfishing and illegal fishing

Overfishing has already decreased part of Australia's fish stocks to dangerously low levels. Two major factors account for this problem; the fact that some areas have low biological productivity (and hence fish stocks do not regenerate quickly), along intensive fishing efforts by commercial and recreational fisheries.

In 2005, 17 of 82 species that were assessed in Australian waters were classified as overfished. Species that remain subject to overfishing and/or are overfished include the southern bluefin tuna; blue warehou; silver trevally; orange roughy; and bigeye tuna in the Pacific and Indian Oceans beyond the Australian Fishing Zone (AFZ).

Illegal fishing places further pressure on some species, with patagonian toothfish in the Southern Ocean and shark (for fins) in northern Australian waters being the worst affected.

Introduction of exotic species

It is estimated that Australia gains around 20 new pests or diseases each year. Some well-known examples include cane toads, rabbits, willows and, more recently, black striped mussels and red fire ants.

Historically, feral cats, foxes and rabbits have been a cause of local extinctions and significant reductions in range for native species through a combination of habitat modification and predation. They are a major ongoing problem.

Weeds are an equally significant pressure on ecosystems, with more than 2,500 species of introduced plants now thriving in the wild in Australia. They have invaded every part of the landscape - bushland, rangelands, coasts, rainforests, deserts and farms.

Ballast water from shipping has been responsible for introducing more than 250 species, and possibly as many as 500 species, into Australian waters.

Intensive agriculture is affecting Australia's coasts and oceans, particularly estuaries and environments near the shore. Modelling predictions estimate that each year almost 19,000 tonnes of phosphorus and 141,000 tonnes of nitrogen are discharged to rivers flowing to the coast.

Infrastructure development

Of continuing concern for Australia's is continued population growth along the coastline. The formation of massive metropolitan centres with increasing population density on Australia's coasts could displace much valuable biodiversity and 'high-value' agricultural land.

Beeton RJS (Bob), Buckley Kristal I, Jones Gary J, Morgan Denise, Reichelt Russell E, Trewin Dennis (2006 Australian State of the Environment Committee) 2006, Australia State of the Environment 2006 . Independent report to the Australian Government Minister for the Environment and Heritage, Department of the Environment and Heritage, Canberra.

FAO. 2005. Global Forest Resources Assessment. FAO Forestry Paper 147.

McLoughlin, K. (ed.) (2006) Fishery Status Reports 2005: Status of Fish Stocks Managed by the Australian Government. Bureau of Rural Sciences, Canberra.

V. Rasiaha, S.K. Florentineb , B.L. Williamsb, M.E. Westbrooke. 2003. The impact of deforestation and pasture abandonment on soil properties in the wet tropics of Australia. Geoderma 120 (2004) 35-45

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In many areas, Australia's temperate zones and coastal ecosystems have been extensively altered, many wetlands have been degraded. Climate change, and introduced plants and animals (invasives), are the agents of the radical changes that are tearing through Australia's environment. The result?

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Forests cover 31% of the land area on our planet. They help people thrive and survive by, for example, purifying water and air and providing people with jobs; some 13.2 million people across the world have a job in the forest sector and another 41 million have a job that is related to the sector. Many animals also rely on forests. Eighty percent of the world's land-based species, such as elephants and rhinos, live in forests. Forests also play a critical role in mitigating climate change because they act as a carbon sink-soaking up carbon dioxide that would otherwise be free in the atmosphere and contribute to ongoing changes in climate patterns.

But forests around the world are under threat, jeopardizing these benefits. The threats manifest themselves in the form of deforestation and forest degradation. The main cause of deforestation is agriculture (poorly planned infrastructure is emerging as a big threat too) and the main cause of forest degradation is illegal logging. We're losing 18.7 million acres of forests annually, equivalent to 27 soccer fields every minute.

Deforestation is a particular concern in tropical rain forests because these forests are home to much of the world's biodiversity. For example, in the Amazon around 17% of the forest has been lost in the last 50 years, mostly due to forest conversion for cattle ranching. Deforestation in this region is particularly rampant near more populated areas, roads and rivers, but even remote areas have been encroached upon when valuable mahogany, gold, and oil are discovered.

WWF has been working to protect forests for more than 50 years. WWF works with governments, companies, communities and other stakeholders to promote certification for responsible forest management practices, combat illegal logging, reform trade policies, protect forested areas, and more.

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Deforestation and Forest Degradation | Threats | WWF

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Forests cover 31% of the land area on our planet. They help people thrive and survive by, for example, purifying water and air and providing people with jobs; some 13.2 million people across the world have a job in the forest sector and another 41 million have a job that is related to the sector.

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In places including Australia, deforestation has many devastating effects on the environment

The salinity of soil can increase and has the ability to destroy crops

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TED style talk by Damien and Neel

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Some farmers use too much pesticide and it is affecting the animals and crops

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I am interested in the environment and ways to make the world we live in healthier and more efficient