The neglected 74% - the non-threatened vertebrates - and a reflection on the limitations of the process that fashioned the current schedules of threatened species in New South Wales

Dickman, Christopher R.; Cogger, Hal; Lunney, Daniel; Matthews, Alison

doi:10.7882/fs.2004.066

Cited by 9 publications

(20 citation statements)

References 15 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Fauna protection beyond the boundaries of protected areas was hard to achieve (see Recher 1998) and often bitterly fought in the courts, with the passage of the NSW Endangered Fauna (Interim Protection) Act 1991 identifying a turning point (Lunney 2017b) in favour of at least a limited groupthe endangered fauna. This has been something of a trap in that endangered fauna (called threatened species since the NSW Threatened Species Conservation Act 1995) have dominated the conservation agenda at the expense of non-threatened fauna, which we dubbed "the neglected 74%" in Lunney et al (2004), and biodiversity conservation in its broadest sense (Lunney 2017a,b). Possingham et al (2002) succinctly captured this problem in their study on the limits to the use of threatened species lists.…”

Section: A Current Overviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

A history of a contested ideal: national parks for fauna conservation

Lunney¹

2017

Australian Zoologist

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

This paper a) gives an historical view of national parks and other protected areas since the 19th century, b) gives a history of national parks and nature reserves in NSW, c) shows how recent has been the recognition that fauna conservation depends upon protected areas, d) reflects how much has been achieved in the last 50 years, and e) considers what must be done to stop an ever-increasing list of our fauna becoming extinct, including identifying the crucial role of scientific study in this endeavour. The evolving debate of what burden protected areas should carry in conserving the nation's fauna is a central theme of this paper. The First World Congress on National Parks in 1962 produced ideals that are inspiring, connected and ecological. What was not apparent in 1962 was the scale of the problem of conserving the flora and fauna of the world. I present the case that the principles of protecting areas, fauna conservation and scientific research for nature conservation have been slow to take hold and uneasy in their political relationships as a land use option, but are now beginning to be seen as a key element in conserving a nation's wildlife. Protected areas, whether for wildlife, game, plants, ecosystems or scenery for public enjoyment, are a late competitor for large tracts of land. The historical account shows how distinct African, American, British and Australian protected area development has been, with common threads being how the ideal of protected areas is contested territory, and the linking over time of the concepts of fauna conservation and protected areas. The British story differs markedly from that in the USA and Africa. In 1943, a Nature Reserves Committee was appointed to draw up a rationale and list of National Habitat Reserves and Scientific Areas. Its report led directly to the appointment of the Nature Conservancy in 1949 charged with the establishment of National Nature Reserves, disseminating advice on nature conservation generally, and carrying out the research relevant to those responsibilities. These are crucial dates for the origin of nature reserves in Britain, the important role of research, and the central position of an ecological outlook on nature conservation, rather than the more limited label of preservation. Protected areas in Australia are often underestimated , both for wildlife research and as havens for fauna populations, and for the research value of protected areas to conserve biodiversity in NSW. The published articulation of these values, and specifically the value of National Parks and Nature Reserves for research, is hard to find except in the recent literature. A review of the last four decades of published papers shows how much has changed in this short time. Given the long history of resistance to establishing protected areas, Australia's fauna is at an ever-increasing risk of extinction as natural habitats are relentlessly lost to economic growth and a rising human population. The problem, as I read the historical record, is that although we are learning fast, ...

show abstract

Section: A Current Overviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

A history of a contested ideal: national parks for fauna conservation

Lunney¹

2017

Australian Zoologist

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…In 1992, a review of the status of all the native mammals, birds, reptiles and frogs in New South Wales (Lunney et al 1996(Lunney et al , 2000(Lunney et al , 2004 was carried out with the sole aim of preparing lists of threatened fauna to comply with new legislation, the Endangered Fauna (Interim Protection) Act 1991. The schedules containing the species lists were subsequently transferred to a replacement act, the Threatened Species Conservation Act 1995.…”

Section: Background and Some Vexatious Mattersmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The 1992 review of threatened species is overdue for an update (Lunney et al 2004), but since it was the only systematic NSW list, we used it to derive the list of abundant native vertebrate fauna. An update would allow for the identification of species which had remained abundant, those which increased in number to the extent that they had become abundant and those which had decreased and were no longer abundant.…”

Section: The Need For Overabundance As a Category In Managing Native mentioning

confidence: 99%

Overabundant native vertebrates in New South Wales: characterising populations, gauging perceptions and developing an ethical management framework

Lunney¹,

Baker²,

Matthews³

et al. 2007

Pest or Guest

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

This paper examines populations of both abundant and overabundant native vertebrate species in New South Wales, human perceptions of the problem of overabundance and the ethical dimensions faced by managers. We argue that overabundant native vertebrate species form a group requiring specific policy and management attention, just as threatened species as a group has received special attention. The biological scores of a 1992 review of the status of all the native birds, mammals, frogs and reptiles in New South Wales were reexamined to identify the abundant species. Overabundant species, those that are too abundant, were identified from the licensing records of the Department of Environment and Climate Change (NSW) which lists species for which management action has been employed to control their numbers or impacts. Of the 891 species of native vertebrates listed in the 1992 study, 109 were identified as abundant, while another 50 were identified as overabundant (11 mammals and 39 birds).

show abstract

“…Starting with the Victorian Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act 1988 and continuing through the 1990s, most States, Territories and the Commonwealth introduced modern Acts to conserve threatened biodiversity. In NSW, the The three-person Scientific Committee under the EF(IP) Act was the first in NSW to apply criteria, as set out in the EF(IP) Act, by which to judge the endangered status of fauna, and their lists became entrenched in the schedules of the subsequent Threatened Species Conservation Act 1995 (Lunney et al 2004).…”

Section: Modern Australian Threatened-species Legislationmentioning

confidence: 99%

The evolving intent and coverage of legislation to protect biodiversity in New South Wales

Jarman

Brock

2004

Threatened Species Legislation

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

In the mid to late 19 th century, New South Wales passed laws protecting from over-hunting just a few native bird and mammal species, despite scientists having documented the disappearance and decline of once-common species. As public concern grew over the decline of useful or commercially exploited species, and as scientific societies lobbied for their increased protection, so more bird and mammal species, and from 1927 some native plant species, gained protection. Realisation of the detriment of broad-scale agriculture led to laws setting aside reserves where land-uses that threatened species could be excluded. Mid-20 th century laws introduced professional administration of reserves and of biodiversity laws, and increased the range of protected taxa. From the 1990s, with conservation politically potent, modern laws sought to conserve all biodiversity, not just individual species, but also ecosystems and their intrinsic processes, and to manage threatening processes. Such laws affect other planning and land-use laws, at all jurisdictional levels; they are embedded in a nationally integrated set of laws and reflect international agreements to conserve biodiversity. Biodiversity laws have grown in complexity, coverage and importance. Science and society will contribute to their continuing change.

show abstract

The neglected 74% - the non-threatened vertebrates - and a reflection on the limitations of the process that fashioned the current schedules of threatened species in New South Wales

Cited by 9 publications

References 15 publications

A history of a contested ideal: national parks for fauna conservation

A history of a contested ideal: national parks for fauna conservation

Overabundant native vertebrates in New South Wales: characterising populations, gauging perceptions and developing an ethical management framework

The evolving intent and coverage of legislation to protect biodiversity in New South Wales

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About