Maintaining Biodiversity – top 10 tips
- Mechanical ( e . g . broad scale tree clearing , thinning , blade ploughing , stick-raking ). - Chemical ( e . g . ring barking , herbicides ). - Organic ( e . g . overgrazing , introduced species , wildfire ).
5 . Manage introduced weeds
• Introduced weeds impact on biodiversity by competing for resources , changing the structure of woodlands , wetlands and riparian areas ( transformer weeds ) and reducing or altering food and shelter opportunities for native animals .
• Target transformer weed species that may dominate special areas ( e . g . wetlands ).
6 . Manage feral animals
• Feral animals may damage special areas through overgrazing ( e . g . goats , deer , camels , cattle , horses ) and physical disturbance ( e . g . pigs , rabbits , horses ).
• Feral predators ( e . g . cats , foxes ) kill large numbers of native animals . They are implicated in the extinction of more than 20 Australian mammals - the world ’ s worst extinction record .
• Maintaining good ground cover can reduce the effect of cat and fox hunting ( as they hunt by sight ).
• The Australian Dingo is a native predator and has evolved with Australian animals , yet often plays a very positive role in the management of feral animals .
• Dingos kill feral predators ( e . g . cats , foxes ) to protect their own territories .
• Dingos hunt feral rabbits and pigs reducing their numbers .
• Dingos moderate the numbers of large macropods ( e . g . wallabies ) which contribute to total grazing pressure .
• Consider the ecological role of the Dingo .
• Control and de-sex domestic cats and dogs to prevent escape and cross-breeding .
7 . Avoid using introduced pasture plants
• Introduced , perennial grasses are not a direct replacement for native , perennial grasses because they change the composition of the ground storey , reducing or altering food and shelter opportunities for native animals .
• Animals that rely exclusively on native , perennial grasses disappear , reducing overall biodiversity and interrupting ecological processes ( e . g . incorporation of organic matter , water infiltration , nutrient cycling ).
• Introduced pasture plants compete directly with native plants for resources and can reduce soil fertility over time .
• Introduced plants often produce a lot of leaf and stem , changing the intensity and frequency of fire regimes and promoting wildfire through increased fuel loads .
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