Australia's biodiversity crisis and the need for the Biodiversity Council
Australia is a highly biodiverse region with exceptional endemism, but biodiversity has declined sharply since colonization due to habitat loss, invasive species, and climate change. Many species are extinct or threatened, ecosystems are collapsing, and mass mortality events are increasing, with impacts likely underestimated due to limited monitoring.
Subject Tags
- Biodiversity
- Ecosystem management
- Wildlife
Abstract
Australia hosts exceptional biodiversity and endemism shaped by long isolation, yet it faces accelerating decline driven by land clearing, invasive species, altered Indigenous land management, water extraction, and climate change. Numerous species are extinct or threatened, ecosystems are degrading or collapsing, and mass mortality events are increasing. Biodiversity underpins Australia’s economy, health, and culture, but current policy responses and funding remain inadequate. Improved conservation requires stronger legislation, Indigenous knowledge integration, increased investment, and coordinated public, governmental, and scientific action. The Biodiversity Council aims to address these gaps by providing evidence-based guidance, raising awareness, and driving transformative change to halt and reverse biodiversity loss.
Citation
Dielenberg, J., Bekessy, S., Cumming, G.S., Dean, A.J., Fitzsimons, J.A., Garnett, S., Goolmeer, T., Hughes, L., Kingsford, R.T., Legge, S. and Lindenmayer, D.B., 2023. Australia's biodiversity crisis and the need for the Biodiversity Council. Ecological Management & Restoration, 24(2-3), pp.69-74. https://doi.org/10.1111/emr.12594
TNC Authors
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James Fitzsimons
Senior Advisor, Global Protection Strategies
The Nature Conservancy
Email: jfitzsimons@tnc.org