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Animal Habitat s like Reef s and Forest s must be preserved in order to preserve population and diversity of animal species. Conservation is vital for future study and for field Research to be undertaken, and because biological richness is an unmeasurable aesthetic that may be developed into commercial Recreation al attractions.

According to Janine Benyus , the potential for advances in Biomimicry in Australia are great because the Extreme Weather and conditions found here provide an excellent Evolution ary incubator. Research on natural processes can only occur if habitat is preserved and Organism s continue to thrive.
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Federal and State governments manage Protected Areas and National Parks ; a number of non-governmental organizations are also involved in conservation.


CONSERVATION ISSUES

A key conservation issue is the preservation of biodiversity, especially by protecting the remaining Rainforest s. The destruction of habitat by human activities, including land clearing, remains the major cause of biodiversity loss in Australia. The importance of the Australian rainforests to the conservation movement is very high. Australia is the only Western country to have large areas of rainforest intactOur Rainforests and the issues'' by Beryl Morris, Tondy Sadler and Graham N. Harrington. 1992. CSIRO . ISBN 0-643-05141-4. Forests provide Timber , Drug s, and Food and should be managed to maximise the possible uses. Currently, there are a number of environmental movements and campaigners advocating for action on saving the environment, one such campaign is the Big Switch. The Big Switch

Land Management issues including clearance of native vegetation, reafforestation of once-cleared areas, Control Of Exotic Weeds And Pests , expansion of dryland Salinity , and changed Fire regimes. Intensification of resource use in sectors such as Forestry , Fisheries , and Agriculture are widely reported to contribute to biodiversity loss in Australia. Coastal and Marine environments also have reduced biodiversity from reduced water quality caused by Pollution and sediments arising from human settlements and agriculture. In central New South Wales where there are large plains of grassland, problems have risen from—unusual to say—lack of land clearing.

Before european settlement, Aborigines burnt the grassland regularly for thousands of years and eventually native animals became dependent on the grasslands and the regular burning. When Europeans settled the area in the early 1800s, their ignorance lead to the destruction of the grassland through lack of regular burning. Thus the grasslands were swallowed up by woody weeds and shrub, degrading the soil, accellerating erosion and reducing the biodiversity. The problem still exists today; green groups compound the problem through constant lobbying and the villainising of farmers.


SPECIFIC ISSUES



LEGAL FRAMEWORK

International agreements that affect conservation policy in Australia.


PROTECTED AREAS OF AUSTRALIA

There are numerous Protected Areas in all States and Territories that have been created to protect and preserve Australia's unique ecosystems. Protected areas include national parks and other reserves, as well as 64 wetlands which are registered under the Ramsar Convention and 16 World Heritage Site s. As Of 2002 , 10.8% (774,619.51 km&2) of the total land area of Australia is within a protected area.Department of the Environment and Heritage. 2002. Summary of Terrestrial Protected Areas in Australia by Type
Protected marine zones have been created in many areas to preserve marine biodiversity; as of 2002 they cover about 7% (646,000 km&2) of Australia's marine jurisdiction.Department of the Environment and Heritage. 2002. About the National Representative System of Marine Protected Areas (NRSMPA)

Protected areas of include those managed by the federal Department Of The Environment And Heritage , and National Park s and other protected areas managed by the states, Agencies responsible for protected areas include:



CONSERVATION ORGANIZATIONS

A number of governmental and nongovernmental organizations work in conservation and restoration of the Australian Environment.


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