Assessments

Plants in low-density human population areas are impacted by extensive and persistent pressures, including competition from invasive plants, climate change and extreme events. Overall, their condition has remained poor but stable over the past 5 years; however, there are areas of very high impact, and subsequently very poor condition, due to transforming processes, including habitat conversion, extreme weather and fire events.

Plants in these areas are subject to ongoing, significant and extensive impacts, and persist in ecosystems with substantial loss of ecological function. Impacts such as extreme events, clearing, urban expansion, invasive plants and animals, pathogens and plant disease, and other human activities are persistent and increasing in some areas. Many threatened and at-risk plant species occur in these areas.

Mammals are subject to ongoing population declines and increases in the numbers of threatened species, including those at high risk of extinction. The impact of invasive predators is immense, extensive and persistent. Some targeted species are improving slightly in areas where the pressure from predators is decreased or removed.

There is strong evidence of population declines in threatened bird species, waterbirds and migratory birds. Various extensive and persistent impacts contribute to declines, including climate change (particularly drought) and extreme events, habitat degradation, and invasive predators. Bird species in southern Australia, and those found only on islands, experience multiple pressures, leading to high ongoing risk of decline.

Reptiles experience high levels of ongoing pressure from invasive predators, compounded by pressure from habitat modification, climate change (particularly drought) and disease. Species at risk of extinction are increasing and are found in all areas of Australia, including islands. Reptile monitoring is exceptionally poor.

The number of known threatened amphibian species, including those that are Critically Endangered in Australia, is increasing. Disease is a persistent pressure in eastern Australia. Drought and fire are increasing pressures. However, most of the threatened species are restricted to the south-east, wet tropics and south-west of Australia, and there is little evidence of declines in amphibians across the remainder of the continent.

Fish in northern (except the wet tropics) and central Australia persist in areas that are in relatively good condition with low levels of most pressures, notwithstanding areas of localised poorer condition with significant impacts from human activity. However, very limited information is available on the state and trend of most fish species, including threatened species.

Fish in southern, eastern and south-western Australia persist in areas that are in relatively poorer condition and are subject to multiple pressures, including from resource use, invasive species, climate change and extreme events. Limited information is available on the state and trend of most fish species, including threatened species.

The very limited information available on the vast majority of invertebrate species makes an assessment difficult. However, the pressures on invertebrates over much of Australia are substantial and persistent, including climate change, weed invasion, fire, habitat modification and loss, and other human activities.

Subterranean invertebrates, including troglofauna, are likely to be subject to localised impacts, particularly from activities such as contamination, mineral exploration, resource excavation and groundwater drawdown. Overall, their state is considered to be good. However, very little is understood about the ecology, population abundance and trends of these cryptic species.

Root mat communities are considered to be in very poor condition, and several have been listed as Endangered over the reporting period. Impacts are mostly associated with a drying climate combined with groundwater abstraction for human activities, contamination and damage to roots – and these pressures are increasing. Little information is available except for those communities that have been extensively assessed for listing.

Although very little information is available, it is likely that fungi and other microorganisms that persist in highly modified ecosystems are in relatively poor condition. Pressures on fungi and other microorganisms in these areas are likely to be increasing, including the pressure from changing fire regimes, extreme fires and human activities resulting in disturbance to vegetation and soils. Very little is understood about population state and trends for the vast majority of organisms.

Where natural ecosystems remain largely intact and pressures from human activities are minimised, fungi and microorganisms are likely to be in relatively good condition, notwithstanding some localised higher impacts. Very little is understood about population state and trends for the vast majority of organisms.

Pressures on aquatic ecosystems in northern and central Australia are largely associated with feral animals and invasive weeds. Some localised areas experience significant very high impacts; however, in most places, impacts tend not to persist because of the episodic nature of rainfall and flow events. Aquatic ecosystems in these areas generally maintain minimum expected function, although there is reduced function, or even persistent transformation, in some localised areas.

Pressures on aquatic ecosystems in southern, eastern and south-western Australia are persistent and extensive, resulting in very poor condition and reduced ecological function. Drought and fires over the past 5 years have compounded pressures from invasive species and human activities. River regulation and water abstraction place significant pressure on aquatic ecosystems in this area of Australia.

Pressure from climate change is increasingly recognised as a key threat to terrestrial ecosystems and species, and is projected to become more important in driving changes in terrestrial biodiversity into the future.

The pressure from climate change on aquatic environments in southern and eastern Australia continues to have very high impact, with major effects on quantity and quality of surface water, recharge of groundwater resources, wetland environments, and Indigenous water values and cultural flows. The resilience of species and ecosystems in these environments is increasingly compromised as climate continues to change, and they are affected by extreme climate events and other pressures.

Climate change is not a strong pressure on aquatic environments over large parts of northern and central Australia, although there may be localised high impacts.

Changing fire regimes are a major pressure on Australian biodiversity, including threatened species. Climate change is resulting in more extreme fire weather conditions and changes in intensity, frequency and seasonality of fires. However, we are increasingly managing landscapes across Australia to limit the impact from wildfires through managed and prescribed burning, incorporating cultural burning practices.

A growing body of evidence supports the very high impact of extreme events on species and ecosystems. The increasing frequency and intensity of extreme events is likely to result in persistent, extensive and cumulative very high impacts into the future.

Extensive agricultural systems are subject to increasing pressure from climate change, fire and invasive species, particularly invasive grasses and feral animals. Many areas experienced drought in the past 5 years, which exacerbated pressures from invasive species – for example, around permanent water points.

The intensive land-use zone occurs over a smaller area of Australia (compared with the area covered by extensive agricultural systems) and is already highly modified. Many impacts are an ongoing legacy of land conversion in the past.

Extractive industries have very high but localised direct impacts on biodiversity that may be irreversible. Indirect impacts associated with mining infrastructure, transport and human activities, particularly in remote areas, may be extensive. Unique subterranean fauna are particularly at risk from mining activities that impact the quality and quantity of groundwater.

Clearing and habitat loss has very high legacy impacts on species and ecosystems. Current rates of primary, secondary and re-clearing impose significant ongoing widespread pressure across almost all areas of Australia.

Invasive species impose a persistent, extensive and sometimes irreversible impact on native species and ecosystems. They are the most cited threat to threatened species, have contributed to a significant number of extinctions of Australian endemic species and dominate national key threatening processes. There is no evidence that the impact of invasive species will lessen in the future.

The impacts from diseases and pathogens are contained to specific species in specific areas and are not yet pervasive across the entire continent. However, a small number of species and ecosystems experience very high impacts from diseases and pathogens over their entire range; some are only being rescued by methods of last resort such as relocation and establishment of insurance populations. There is high potential for ongoing future impacts from new or existing diseases and pathogens.

Measuring progress towards national targets associated with biodiversity has been an ongoing challenge for Australia. Very few quantitative assessments are available. Subjective assessments of performance against global targets in international agreements generally indicate that programs are in place and investments are being made, but outcomes are rarely measured or understood. Australia’s Strategy for Nature 2019–2030 replaced the Biodiversity Conservation Strategy 2010–2030, partly because a review showed that it was not possible to report on the level of achievement against targets. However, the new strategy also lacks detailed, specific and measurable targets.

The conservation estate in Australia has achieved area-based targets; however, targets for representation and adequacy of the estate for protection of species and ecosystems are not being met for many species. Growth in the conservation estate has been primarily in Indigenous Protected Areas in central and arid Australia. Financial and tenure insecurity, along with lower levels of investment in management, constrain the aspirations of Traditional Owners in management of their land for conservation over the long term.

The identification of threatened species has improved over the reporting period, with a range of IUCN assessments completed. The Common Assessment Method has led to better coordination and efficiency in assessments between the states and the Australian Government, and a range of research products have identified Red Hot Lists and urgent intervention lists of species threatened by extinction following the 2019–20 bushfires. Although technologies for resolving taxonomy are improving, a potential future decline in taxonomic expertise has been noted, which could lead to a deterioration in identification progress in the future.

The pressures on threatened species and ecosystems are relatively well understood; however, the outlook for recovery of many species is not positive. Recovery planning is failing to keep pace with the number of new listings, recovery actions are not resourced for most species and ecosystems, and many threatened species and ecosystems lack adequate protection in the National Reserve System. However, translocations, safe havens and refuges, and ex situ conservation are reducing the rate of decline of a small number of species, and recovery successes are evident where species benefit from adequate investment in recovery plans, recovery teams, communication, research and monitoring.

The past 5 years have seen an increase in the recognition of the cultural significance of species by governments, communities and land managers. However, there are limited statutory mechanisms for their protection unless they are also listed as threatened species. Listing advices and subsequent conservation advices and recovery planning are increasingly assessing cultural significance, but the practice is still patchy. A lack of a clear definition of culturally significant species hinders further applications.

The current level of monitoring of threatened species and communities is inadequate to inform their management and track state and trends. Although some species are monitored better than others (e.g. birds), many threatened species and communities are not monitored at all, and most are not monitored well across a range of metrics. There are very few examples of consolidated and coordinated national monitoring data for even the best-known species. Citizen science and remote monitoring technology are contributing to better data for some species.

The total magnitude of investment in biodiversity conservation is difficult to determine. Turnover in funding programs and limited monitoring of outcomes means long-term effectiveness of investments is also difficult to measure. However, a flexible investment approach remains vital to enable rapid deployment of funding to respond to opportunities or events such as the 2019–20 bushfires. Our assessments throughout this report indicate an increase in pressures and that the current level of investment is not sufficient to arrest resulting declines in biodiversity. Investments into the future will need to increase to keep pace with increasing pressures.