Whole of landscape conservation in Australia using WildCountry connectivity principles: approaches and case studies
Conservation and restoration of biodiversity is a great challenge facing Australia. In this paper, I describe case studies based on the WildCountry program that is being conducted by The Wilderness Society. WildCountry was inspired by the USA Wildlands project and a volunteer council of conservation scientists (the WildCountry Science Council, WCSC) was formed to help develop a sound scientific basis for WildCountry. The central philosophy of WildCountry science is the importance of large scale and long term ecological processes that drive and enhance ‘connectivity’ between ecosystems and species. In the WildCountry context, connectivity draws attention to large scale phenomena and processes that contribute to the maintenance of landscape ecological function. As such, the WCSC aims to integrate continent-scaled, ecological and evolutionary-time span considerations of ecosystem processes into conservation planning at national, regional and local scales.
They also argue that it is imperative that protected areas are embedded within a broader landscape matrix in order to build upon and complement the anchors provided by the protected area network and the need to incorporate the impacts of rapid climate change into conservation planning.
This talk will describe a number of regional case studies that utilises the WildCountry conservation science and philosophy.
An important component of these case studies is that they provide examples of collaboration between a range of organisations, communities, governments and individuals with responsibilities for land stewardship. Ultimately, these case studies reflect the need for (i) significant improvement in off-reserve management and in the extent and management of the protected area network; (ii) community engagement to catalyze and sustain partnerships capable of developing and implementing conservation assessment, policy, planning and action; and (iii) recognition that assessments, policy, plans and management must be based on scientific principles designed to ensure the long term conservation of biodiversity.