Biodiversity
Page 240
The Biodiversity Management Plan 2009 - 2014 was endorsed by Council in
July 2009. The purpose of the Biodiversity Management Plan is to develop
strategies to enhance biodiversity in the Council area, by sustaining current
biodiversity values and providing opportunities for migration of plants and
animals to support ecosystem functions for the longer term.
The Biodiversity Management Plan's main function is to provide Council's
officers with a program to manage biodiversity at a Council-wide level. Each
strategy in the action plan specifies key actions, responsible personnel, and
timelines.
The five objectives of the Biodiversity Management Plan are:-
•
To progressively map, monitor and analyse open landscape habitats in the
City using a standard and consistent methodology.
•
To manage Council's public open space to minimise the degradation of
biodiversity.
•
To restore and rehabilitate landscapes in the City to enhance biodiversity
value
•
To enable landscapes and ecosystems to be resilient to climate change,
and be able to adapt to its impacts
•
To ensure that education and promotion of local natural assets is
incorporated into Council's biodiversity planning.
Biodiversity - State & Pressures
Climate Change
Natural ecosystems are likely to be particularly vulnerable to climate change.
Terrestrial biodiversity is in decline due to the past clearance of habitat and
other processes, such as the invasion of pest plant and animal species - climate
change impacts are likely to intensify these existing pressures (‘multiplier
effect’)
Climate change predictions for South Australia indicate that further projected
changes by 2030 and 2070 include:-
•
Increase in annual average temperatures, with some seasonal variations
in the strength of changes. By 2030 the Adelaide region is projected to
warm by between 0.6 to 1.3ºC. By 2070 an increase of between 1 to
2.1ºC is anticipated if global emissions are significantly reduced or,
alternatively, an increase of between 1.9 to 4.0 degrees is expected if
global emissions continue at present levels.
•
Decreases in average annual rainfalls for the Adelaide region. Exact
projections are difficult for a number of reasons but a decrease of between
5 to 10 per cent by 2030 and a decrease of between 15 to 30 per cent by
2070, are estimated by the CSIRO.
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(Source: CSIRO, Climate Change in Australia, Technical Report, City Summaries, 2010).
