Biodiversity
Priority Issues:

• Habitat loss and modification;
• Management of threatened populations species and ecological communities
• Pest plants and animals and diseases.
  

Major causes of habitat loss and modification include:

• Clearance of riparian and wetland vegetation and the degradation of these habitats by uncontrolled stock access.
• Over-grazing. Grazing pressure is thought to be one of a suite of contributors to rural tree decline in native woodland and forest communities. Not only is tree decline a major cause of habitat loss and modification in some areas, it also has the potential to contribute to soil erosion and salinity, through rising water tables.
• Conversion of native vegetation for agriculture and forestry is still occurring in the Region. Highly biodiverse areas of native grasslands and grassy woodlands are at risk of species decline due to conversion for pivot irrigation and cropping.
• Inappropriate timber and flora harvesting
• Changed fire regimes and inappropriate use of fire
• Secondary salinity (salinity induced by human activities)
• Ongoing habitat loss and modification is partly due to a lack of adequate planning to address fragmentation of habitat, particularly on private land.
• Lack of knowledge or lack of capability to undertake appropriate property management planning may contribute.

The major causes of Threatened Species, Populations and Ecological Communities include:

• Inappropriate or illegal harvesting of flora
• Introduced species out-competing and/or killing native species.
• Pest Plants, Animals and Disease. Pest plants and animals impact on the environment by modifying habitat and by hunting or out-competing native species. In addition, pest plants and animals degrade the pastoral industry by reducing the productive capacity of the land. Weeds displace and degrade native vegetation and fauna values, reduce farm and forest production and contribute significantly to land and water degradation. The root rot fungus Phytophthora cinnamomi is a problem in some parts of the Region, mainly in coastal heaths, heathy woodlands and buttongrass moorlands. Other diseases affecting native flora include myrtle wilt, Eucalypt crown dieback, and root rot caused by Armillaria spp. Fungi, while threats to fauna include frog disease.
  Two new State-wide threats, foxes and the occurrence of the Tasmanian Devil Facial Tumour Disease, represent major challenges to wildlife in the Region. The establishment of foxes in Tasmania could lead to the extinction of some small and medium-sized mammals.