Ecosystem conservation

There has been a decline in biodiversity across most regions of South Australia, particularly in agricultural areas where habitats have been destroyed or altered, leaving behind fragmented patches of vegetation. These remnants, and the biodiversity they support, are under continuing threat. It is important to manage and rehabilitate these areas if further loss of biodiversity is to be avoided.

Conserving our biodiversity is extremely important, not only in terms of its intrinsic values but because many of our economic activities are based on healthy and functioning natural systems.

An essential part of ecosystem conservation is the establishment of a comprehensive and well managed reserve system. In South Australia, this system already contains a wide range of many of our unique ecosystems, from the sandy and stony desert areas to mallee, coastal systems and off-shore islands.

There are a range of management programs underway in South Australia to conserve and restore ecosystems both on and off reserves. These programs involve the:

• removal of threats, such as environmental weeds or grazing by domestic stock and feral animals
• eradication of introduced predators such as foxes and cats
• re-introduction of threatened species and the restoration of habitat through revegetation programs.

Management programs are crucial if we are to retain healthy and functioning ecosystems in the longer term.