Schools For a Sustainable Future

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Not so green, less than clean
Biodiversity loss
by Claire Miller
Environmental Reporter

For 65 million years, Australian evolution dreamed undisturbed, cut off from the rest of the world. The result is a treasure trove of plants and creatures found nowhere else and a special place for Australia as one of the planet's 12 megadiverse nations.

It is the only industrialised country on this elite list. Yet despite the advantages of stronger laws, lower population and relative wealth, Australia's unique flora and fauna are in the process of a mass extinction.

The fossil record suggests between two and six species a year normally become extinct around the world. This "background" rate includes everything from bacteria and fungi to insects and plants. The background rate for higher life forms is roughly one mammal and two birds globally every 400 years; background extinctions are normally offset by the evolution of new species.

Since white settlement 212 years ago, Australia has lost 19 mammals, 23 birds and 64 plants. Another 63 mammals and 35 birds are on the critically endangered list, meaning imminent extinction in the wild. One in five Australian birds is now in serious decline. Degradation and fragmentation of ecosystems mean the conditions for new species to evolve are doubtful.

Native biodiversity is critically important. Biodiversity is defined as the number of species, their proportional abundance, distribution and genetic diversity. Their complex interactions provide clean air and water, fertile soil, and climate regulation. There are no human substitutes for these basic processes. The loss of biodiversity changes the conditions conducive to human wellbeing as well as other species, evident in imbalances such as salinity and toxic algal blooms.

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The Age Publication
1st November 2000