Linking Landscapes

“Reconnecting landscapes, reconnecting people with the land”

What is Linking Landscapes?

It is a long term and wholistic vision for landscape and marine protection which seeks a balance between conservation and other land uses.

Since commencing in 2006, Linking Landscapes has produced a new blueprint for landscape conservation on public land in north-east Tasmania , which has identified around 148 000 hectares of potential reserves. Future elements will include conservation on private land, protection of marine ecosystems, and restoration of degraded landscapes.

National Parks and other types of reserves are the basis for nature conservation in Tasmania . But they have limitations. Many natural processes occur on a larger scale than the small island-like reserves which presently occur in north east Tasmania . Large, well-connected areas of protected land are needed.

“Connectivity between habitat patches has emerged as one of the most important principles in landscape management and conservation in recent years.” Dr Peter McQuillan. For example, Tasmania's Threatened Fauna Handbook (Bryant and Jackson 1999) recommends maintaining patches and corridors of 50 to 100 km 2 of suitable forest habitat in the landscape for quolls because these native carnivores have large home ranges.

Established conservation projects such as the Wildlands Project in North America and Gondwana Link in south-western Australia are implementing this concept of connectivity on a huge scale.

Most of north-east Tasmania is within the Ben Lomond bioregion. The following description is from ‘Identifying Priorities for Biodiversity Conservation' in State of the Environment Tasmania (2003):

Ben Lomond Bioregion has a moderate priority for reserve consolidation. Comprehensiveness is high and adequacy low (11%), with a substantial number of unreserved threatened ecosystems. Representativeness is low to moderate: alpine and subalpine vegetation is strongly represented in reserves, but lowland forest and woodland ecosystems are not. Expansion of forestry plantations operates as a regional scale threatening process.

Linking Landscapes attempts to protect a range of features such as threatened species habitat, rare vegetation types and geoconservation areas. Aerial photographs, vegetation maps, spatial data and on-ground surveys were used to identify significant unprotected areas of natural habitat and linkages between existing protected areas.

Threats to the integrity and functioning of ecosystems include climate change, coastal development, forestry, land clearing, large dams, feral species and diseases. For example, many dry forests and heathlands are highly susceptible to dieback caused by root rot disease ( Phytophthora cinnamomi ), which can have a devastating impact on the native flora.

Extinctions of plant and animal species present a worldwide crisis for biodiversity with potentially catastrophic consequences for the ecosystems which we rely on for food, air, clean water, carbon storage and other resources. “Habitat loss and habitat fragmentation are the two major causes of species loss,” Dr Peter McQuillan of the University of Tasmania .

Animals, plants and forests will have to migrate or evolve to survive in response to climate change. Small isolated reserves will be like sinking ships for the animals and forests they contain. Healthy, interconnected populations of animals and plants will maintain the genetic diversity which allows for adaptation to new conditions. It is a long term vision.

How you can help Linking Landscapes and habitat protection

•  conservation covenants for private land

•  Land For Wildlife

•  Gardens for Wildlife

•  support the Linking Landscapes vision for new reserves (write or talk to your local politicians)

•  make a donation to conservation groups working in your area

•  get involved with your local conservation group (Environment Tasmania has a list of local groups)

•  volunteer for on-ground projects such as replanting and weed control (e.g. rehabilitation of Skyline Tier near Scamander)

•  look after the bush on your property (fence out stock, control weeds, revegetate degraded sites) Bushcare or contact the local NRM organization

•  join in or conduct your own biodiversity surveys (frogs, birds, fungi, plants, etc.)

continuing from...

Constable Creek Report