BIODIVERSITY HOTSPOTS: South-West Australia and around the globe.

© Densey Clyne/Auscape Nearly 80 percent of the plant species in Southwest Australia are found no where else in the world,  including many of the brightly-colored members of the genus Banksia. Banksia coccinea is pictured here.

Last year I read a great deal about the South West corner of this continent... It made me very keen to go and see for myself some of what I was reading... like the fact that 80% of species are said to be found nowhere else in the world. I came across a wonderful book called 'Australian Seeds' which I posted on last year... and so many threads worth following up on. 
When researching on this Australian Biodiversity hotspot today I found this overview at Conservation International.

The forest, woodlands, shrublands, and heath of Southwest Australia are characterized by high endemism among plants and reptiles. Its unique vertebrate species include the numbat, honey possum, and the red-capped parrot. The western swamp turtle, which hibernates for nearly eight months of the year in response to dry conditions and hot temperatures, may be the most threatened freshwater turtle species in the world, although a successful conservation program has allowed its numbers to increase. The primary cause of habitat loss in Southwest Australia has been agricultural expansion, which is accentuated by extensive fertilizer use. A major threat for the native fauna has been the introduction of ivasive alien species like foxes and cats.

 

Hotspot Original Extent (km 2) 356,717 Hotspot Vegetation Remaining (km 2) 107,015 Endemic Plant Species 2,948 Endemic Threatened Birds 3 Endemic Threatened Mammals 6 Endemic Threatened Amphibians 3 Extinct Species† 2 Human Population Density (people/km 2) 5 Area Protected (km 2) 38,379 Area Protected (km 2) in Categories I-IV* 38,258 †Recorded extinctions since 1500. *Categories I-IV afford higher levels of protection.OVERVIEW The Southwest Australia Hotspot occupies some 356,717 km² on the southwestern tip of Australia, in the state of Western Australia. As defined, this hotspot comprises the Southwest Botanical Province, but excludes the neighboring Southwestern Interzone. As this hotspot is one of five Mediterranean-type ecosystems in the world, most rain falls during the winter months and the summers are characteristically dry. A broad coastal plain 20-120 kilometers wide grades into gently undulating uplands, with weathered granite, gneiss and lateritic formations. Further inland, rainfall decreases and the length of the dry season increases. Native plants are well adapted to the nutrient-poor sandy and lateritic soils, which also support broadacre cropping and sheep grazing. Vegetation in the province is mainly woody, comprising forests, woodlands, shrublands, and heaths, but no grasslands. Principal vegetation types in this region are Eucalyptus woodlands, and the Eucalyptus-dominated “mallee” shrubland. Kwongan is a term adapted from the Aboriginal Noongar language to cover the various Western Australian types of shrubland, comparable with the maquis, chaparral, and fynbos of other countries with Mediterranean-type systems. The principal structural types of Kwongan are thicket, scrub-heath, and heath, which together comprise about 30 percent of the original vegetation. A number of vegetation units are endemic, including some types of eucalyptus forests and some forms of kwongan. The Southwest Australia Hotspot occupies some 356,717 km² on the southwestern tip of Australia, in the state of Western Australia. As defined, this hotspot comprises the Southwest Botanical Province, but excludes the neighboring Southwestern Interzone. As this hotspot is one of five Mediterranean-type ecosystems in the world, most rain falls during the winter months and the summers are characteristically dry. A broad coastal plain 20-120 kilometers wide grades into gently undulating uplands, with weathered granite, gneiss and lateritic formations. Further inland, rainfall decreases and the length of the dry season increases. Native plants are well adapted to the nutrient-poor sandy and lateritic soils, which also support broadacre cropping and sheep grazing. Vegetation in the province is mainly woody, comprising forests, woodlands, shrublands, and heaths, but no grasslands. Principal vegetation types in this region are woodlands, and the -dominated “mallee” shrubland. is a term adapted from the Aboriginal Noongar language to cover the various Western Australian types of shrubland, comparable with the maquis, chaparral, and fynbos of other countries with Mediterranean-type systems. The principal structural types of Kwongan are thicket, scrub-heath, and heath, which together comprise about 30 percent of the original vegetation. A number of vegetation units are endemic, including some types of eucalyptus forests and some forms of kwongan. Overview | Unique Biodiversity | Human Impacts | Conservation Action

Home to majestic trees that seem to stretch forever
and wildlife such as kangaroos, the South West region
 is popular with nature enthusiasts including hikers.

 Map from ANU E Press article: ‘Plants That Perform For You’?
From Floral Aesthetics to Floraesthesis in the Southwest of Western Australia

John C. Ryan

From the Symbiotica-Adapatation website:

Gregory Pryor - BLACK SOLANDER:  Black Solander was an attempt to take a snapshot of the entire census of Western Australian plants. The biodiversity hot spot of Western Australia (particularly the south-west) hosts over 12,000 species (and still counting). The systematic identification of these plants simultaneously achieves two things: It continually expands the number of new species found in this remarkable region of the world and at the same time catalogues the rapid demise of other species through various man made causes. This exhibition proposes the idea of a herbarium as a mausoleum. Instead of specimens however,  10,500  small ink drawings were painted from the dead plants in the Western Australian Herbarium. And contrary to the traditional practice of botanical illustration, the use of black ink on black sugar paper  blurred specificity and suggested a more shadowy archive. The artist  faithfully echoed all elements of a specimen sheet: naming, dating, mounting devices, collection stamps and the dark, ghostly silhouette of the plant. Through this process the plants were reinvented, and the collection was reborn in another context.

Black solander, 2005, ink, graphite and spirit based ink on sugar paper.

                                                                       Pryor is represented by Lister Gallery

Gregory Pryor: Black Solander, 2005

Read more here:

Black Death: Species Extinction in WA

Author & Artist: Mr Gregory Pryor, feature

THE BIODIVERSITY HOTSPOTS - THE following text is from the Australian Government Department of Sustainability,  Environment,  Water,  population  and communities.
Read more here.

What is an international biodiversity hotspot and how were they identified?

Conservation International, a nonprofit environmental organisation based in Washington DC, has identified 25 international biodiversity hotspots, including the southwest of Australia.

These international hotspot areas were assessed according to their plant diversity, and had to contain at least 1500 endemic plant species to qualify. All of the regions identified had lost more than 70% of their original habitat.

• Conservation International web site 

Where are the international biodiversity hotspots?

25 international biodiversity hotspots have been identified. Hotspots have been identified in:

• North and Central America (3 hotspots)
• South America (5 hotspots)
• Europe and Central Asia (2 hotspots)
• Africa (5 hotspots)
• Mainland Asia (3 hotspots)
• Asia-Pacific (7 hotspots - including Southwest Australia)

• More information about the international hotspots is on the Hotspots by Region  page of the Conservation International web site

Related Links worth visiting:

Stop the Clock 

Species Discoveries 

Biodiversity hotspots 

Protecting Forests 

Oceans & Seascapes 

First Sown

First sown

by Marge Piercy

Peas are the first thing we plant
always. We lie full length
on the cold black earth and poke
holes in it for the wrinkled
old men of the seeds.

Nothing will happen for weeks.
Rain will soak them, a white
tablecloth of snow will cover
them and be whisked off.
The moon will sing to them:

open, loosen, let the pale
shoots break out. No,
they are pebbles, they sit
in the earth like false teeth.
They ignore the sweet sun.

Then one unlikely day
the soil cracks along miniature
faults and soon baby leaves
stick out their double heads
and we know we shall have peas.

"First sown" by Marge Piercy, from The Hunger Moon: New & Selected Poems, 1980-2010. © Alfred A. Knopf, 2011. Reprinted without any real permission but with enduring gratitude and respect.

So what has a tree done for me lately?

WORLD ENVIRONMENT DAY

FORESTS: NATURE AT YOUR SERVICE | 05 JUNE

                                        HOST COUNTRY

            India named Global Host of World Environment Day 2011                                                           

This is a great page: TREE OF THE DAY from the World Environment Day site ...

INDIA

The Neem Tree

Natures drugstore!

The Neem tree is truly an agro-scientific celebrity and has been declared the “Tree of the 21st century” by the United Nations. The benefits of this tree are numerous. Did you know that the Neem tree, for example, is variously know as 'Natures Drugstore' (or 'Village Pharmacy' in India) - because of its status as a cure-all tree?

The Neem tree has antibacterial, antifungal, antiviral, antihistamine and antiseptic characteristics, and can also be used to treat boils, pimples, eye diseases, hepatitis, leprosy, rheumatism, scrofula, ringworm and ulcers. It is practically a locally grown pharmacy all in a single tree.

You can even use the leaf teas to treat malaria.  To top it off, you can use the twigs of the tree as a toothbrush and to prevent periodontal diseases.

Read more »

A TREE A DAY

Baobab

Silk Cotton Tree

Long Pod Cassia

Marula

Myrrha

Oil Palm

Narrow Leaved Tea-Tree

Macadamia

Eucalypt

Maiden Hair

Himalayan Pine

Willow

The Yew Tree

The Neem Tree

Horseradish Tree

The Fig Tree

Bael Fruit

Indian Frankincense

The Babul Tree

Sugar Palm

Camphora Tree

Siam Benzoin

Ginger Thomas

Papaya

Big Leaf Mahogany

Monkey Puzzle Tree

Lipstick Tree

Red Cinchona

Bristelcone Pine

Giant Sequoia

True Mangroves

The Coconut Palm

Forests: Nature At Your Service

Forests cover one third of the earth’s land mass, performing vital functions and services around the world which make our planet alive with possibilities.  In fact, 1.6 billion people depend on forests for their livelihoods.  They play a key role in our battle against climate change, releasing oxygen into the atmosphere while storing carbon dioxide. 

Forests feed our rivers and are essential to supplying the water for nearly 50% of our largest cities.  They create and maintain soil fertility; they help to regulate the often devastating impact of storms, floods and fires. 

Splendid and inspiring, forests are the most biologically diverse ecosystems on land, and are home to more than half of the terrestrial species of animals, plants and insects. 

Forests also provide shelter, jobs, security and cultural relevance for forest-dependent populations.  They are the green lungs of the earth, vital to the survival of people everywhere -- all seven billion of us.

Forests embody so much of what is good and strong in our lives. Yet despite all of these priceless ecological, economic, social and health benefits, we are destroying the very forests we need to live and breathe. 

Global deforestation continues at an alarming rate -- every year, 13 million hectares of forest are destroyed.  That’s equal to the size of Portugal.  

Short-term investments for immediate gains (e.g., logging) compound these losses.  People who depend on forests for their livelihoods are struggling to survive.  Many precious species face extinction.  Biodiversity is being obliterated.  What’s more, economists around the world have proven that by not integrating the values of forests into their budgets, countries and businesses are paying a high price.  One that ultimately impoverishes us all as harm to our forest life-support system continues each and every single day.

But this trend is not irreversible.  It’s not too late to transform life as we know it into a greener future where forests are at the heart of our sustainable development and green economies.

Conserving forests and expanding them need to be recognized as a business opportunity.  When we add it up, an investment of US$30 billion fighting deforestation and degradation could provide a return of US$2.5 trillion in new products and services. 

Furthermore, targeted investments in forestry could generate up to 10 million new jobs around the world.  Already, many leaders are glimpsing the potential for renewable energy and nature-based assets, but for transformation to happen, forests need to become a universal political priority.

The services forests provide are essentially to every aspect of our quality of life. And the answer to sustainable forest management, moving towards a green economy, lies in our hands. 

Doesn’t knowing this make it so much easier to see the forest from the trees!

Myrtle rust: a local biosecurity issue

The following notes are taken from the Queensland Government Website for Environment and Resource Management... go to the about us page if you wish to read the overview of topics covered by this department.
Property, titles and valuations
National parks, marine parks and forests
Water
Climate Change
Environmental management
Biodiversity
Wildlife and ecosystems
Indigenous interests
Vegetation management
Land management
Coastal zone
Heritage conservation
Mapping and surveying
Science and research

An issue that is currently gaining attention is a serious fungal disease presenting in areas of Queensland since December ... serious enough to warrant a comprehensive program of management to have been set in place. Here are some notes from the website... with more reading at that site here.
Significant impact may arise:
         "Myrtle rust may potentially have a significant impact on Queensland’s biodiversity, the DERM estate (national parks, State forests and native hardwood plantation areas) and commercial industries using myrtaceous plants, including the cut flower, nursery, garden, native forest timber and bee keeping."

Myrtle rust

What is myrtle rust?

Myrtle rust is a serious fungal disease, caused by Uredo rangelii or Puccinia psidii, which belongs to the eucalyptus or guava rust complex of rust fungi. It requires a living host and affects plants in the Myrtaceae family. It is spread by wind, human activity and animals.

The disease is native to South America but was first detected in New South Wales in April 2010. By December, it was present in some areas of Queensland.

While the fungus and the spores are believed to be non-toxic to wildlife, it is likely to make foliage and fruits less palatable as well as affecting their nutritional values.

Myrtle rust poses no known threat to humans. However, visitors to national parks can help reduce its spread.

Affected species

The Myrtaceae family of plants dominate most Australian forests and woodlands, and are the second largest plant family in Queensland with 601 native species. This family includes eucalypts, bloodwoods, bottlebrushes, paperparks, tea trees, lilly pillies and water gums.

Information is being gathered on myrtle rust’s host species range and disease distribution in Queensland environmental conditions. Laboratory host testing of a range of important commercial and ecological Australian species is also being undertaken by the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) and other research agencies.

View the full list of known plants affected by myrtle rust.

Recognising myrtle rust

Myrtle rust on Rhodamnia spp. foliage. Image courtesy Biosecurity Queensland

Myrtle rust on Rhodamnia spp. foliage. Image courtesy Biosecurity Queensland

Symptoms appear as spots or lesions that are brown to grey, often with red-purple haloes, that go the whole way through the leaf.

Approximately 10–12 days after infection, masses of bright yellow or orange-yellow spores (powdery specks) appear on the lesion surface.

Lesions can form on actively growing leaves, shoots, fruits and flowers, damaging them and reducing growth and vigour. Over time, some species may die from myrtle rust.

Review the myrtle rust photo gallery.

About the work of Biosecurity Queensland

Biosecurity Queensland was launched on 1 March 2007. Since that time, it has developed a strategic plan for biosecurity for all of Queensland.

Bringing together the biosecurity resources and functions of the former Queensland Primary Industries and Fisheries (DPI&F), Department of Natural Resources and Water (NRW) and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Biosecurity Queensland is now the agency responsible for protecting Queensland's primary industries, environment and way of life.

The main areas of Biosecurity Queensland are:

• animal biosecurity
• plant biosecurity
• invasive plants and animals, such as weeds and pest animals
• biosecurity science, including diagnostics and research stations
• animal welfare and keeping
• product integrity (chemical use and food safety)
• the Biosecurity Queensland Control Centre (exotic tramp ants and Asian honey bee).

This is the first time anywhere in Australia that all biosecurity capabilities have been brought together under the one agency.

One of the driving factors in establishing Biosecurity Queensland was bringing together the right expertise and capabilities into the one central agency. As a result, Biosecurity Queensland has been able to work more collaboratively and with a more integrated approach to risk management.

A strong focus has also been invested in developing stronger relationships with industry. Industry and all key stakeholders helped develop the Biosecurity strategy for Queensland.

To find out more about the work that Biosecurity Queensland is doing behind the scenes to protect the primary industries sector, visit Biosecurity Queensland.