What is biodiversity
Biodiversity is the variety of all life forms on earth—the different plants, animals and micro-organisms, their genes, and the terrestrial, marine and freshwater ecosystems of which they are a part.
This diversity exists at different scales: regional diversity, ecosystem diversity, species diversity and genetic diversity. Biodiversity is not static, but constantly changing. It is increased by genetic change and evolutionary processes and reduced by processes such as habitat degradation, population decline and extinction.
Queensland’s is considered a global biodiversity hotspot. Queensland is home to 85% of Australia’s native mammals, 72% of Australia’s native birds, just over 50% of Australia’s native reptiles and frog species, plus over 14,000 native plant species, many of them unique to the state.
Queensland is also home to a wide variety of ecosystems including the Great Barrier Reef, savannah woodlands, deserts and some of the most ancient tropical rain forests in the world. Queensland has hundreds of thousands of wetlands, and boasts the highest diversity of wetland types of any state or territory in Australia
Why biodiversity matters
Biodiversity underpins our environment, health, wellbeing, culture, lifestyle, and economy. Biodiversity provides a range of ecosystem services that supports many key industries including tourism, agriculture, forestry, fisheries, health and infrastructureHealthy and well-functioning terrestrial, freshwater, marine and estuarine ecosystems are important for a productive and healthy environment. Intact and well-connected ecosystems provide habitat for native plants and animals, including humans, support resilient landscapes, and provide ecosystem services such as clean water for drinking and fertile soils and oceans for production.Aboriginal peoples and Torres Strait Islander peoples have an unbroken traditional and cultural association with Queensland’s land, waters and biodiversity. Their deep relationship and responsibility to look after Country is captured in the cultural knowledge systems, songlines and stories passed down from generation to generation, which is integral to identity, lore and culture.
Traditional Owners stress the importance of conserving biocultural diversity—not only the plants and animals of a place but the people, knowledge, stories, songs and traditions that evolved there.
Biodiversity supports Queenslanders’ health and wellbeing. In addition to providing clean air and water, spending time in natural environments can provide mental and physical health benefits including reduced blood pressure, lowered mortality from cardiovascular disease, improved mood, and lowered levels of stress and depression.
Ecological, economic and social values of biodiversity are all vital to economic growth, job creation and technical development.
Domestic and international visitors come to Queensland to enjoy nature-based tourism activities such as visiting national parks, bushwalking, whale watching and diving on the Great Barrier Reef. These and other activities contribute billions of dollars to the economy and support jobs for Queenslanders. Healthy biodiversity is critical to Queensland’s continued growth as a nature-based tourism destination.
Native plants and wildlife from reefs, rainforests, savannas and wetlands provide the basis for a world-class biodiscovery industry, which develops natural bioproducts such as natural pesticides and pharmaceuticals, supporting agriculture and health innovation.
Our food and agriculture sector depends on biodiversity to support crop pollination, soil health and stability, water cycling, and pest and disease suppression. Fishing and seafood industries are largely dependent on natural ecological systems for productivity.
Biodiversity plays a critical role in keeping our climate stable. Healthy wetlands, forests, grasslands, seagrass meadows and soils capture and store carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.
Intact ecosystems also protect humans, houses, crops, water supplies and vital infrastructure from the impacts of climate change and extreme weather, buffering against flooding and storm events, heatwaves and drought. This is important for sectors susceptible to extreme weather impacts, including agriculture, tourism, construction and infrastructure, and keeps people safe.
Biodiversity challenges across land and sea
The greatest threats to Queensland’s biodiversity are habitat loss, invasive species, diseases, inappropriate fire regimes, illegal wildlife trade, pollution and climate change.
Terrestrial biodiversity in Queensland is experiencing major threats such as land clearing and habitat fragmentation, including the continuing impacts of past clearing, grazing pressure, invasive plants and animals and changed fire regimes.
Freshwater biodiversity is experiencing much greater rates of decline than other environments and is threatened by pollution, over‑exploitation of water, modification of water flows and hydrology, habitat destruction and degradation, changing climate conditions and species invasion.
Marine and estuarine biodiversity has suffered as a result of pollution and sedimentation from industry and land-use practices, coastal development and habitat loss, marine pest invasion, dredging and spoil disposal, unsustainable fishing and recreational impacts, and climate impacts.
Nature-based solutions
Nature-based solutions can use the many values and benefits of biodiversity to further support Queenslanders.
Nature-based solutions are defined as “actions to protect, conserve, restore, sustainably use and manage natural or modified terrestrial, freshwater, coastal and marine ecosystems which address social, economic and environmental challenges effectively and adaptively, while simultaneously providing human well-being, ecosystem services, resilience and biodiversity benefits”.
Nature-based solutions can address challenges including climate change, disaster risk reduction, food and water security, environmental degradation and human health.
Ecosystems services
Aside from the intrinsic value of biodiversity, natural systems deliver services across a huge spectrum that we access on a daily basis and depend on.
Provisioning services
- food, fibre and fuel
- genetic resources
- biochemicals
- drugs and medicines
- insecticides and herbicides
- industrial enzymes
- products with application to bioremediation.
- freshwater.
Cultural services
- Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander values
- recreation and aesthetic values
- spiritual and religious values
- knowledge system
- education and inspiration
- sense of place.
Supporting services
- primary production
- provision of habitat
- nutrient cycling
- soil formation and retention
- production of atmospheric oxygen
- water cycling.
Regulating services
- invasion resistance
- herbivory
- pollination
- seed dispersal
- climate regulation
- pest regulation
- disease regulation
- natural hazard protection
- erosion regulation
- water purification.