Working to halt the decline in Australia's biodiversity. Building better understanding of our species and ecosystems for better management.
CSIRO's Biodiversity Book
Authored by CSIRO scientists, Biodiversity: Science and Solutions for Australia provides access to the latest scientific knowledge on Australia’s biodiversity in an engaging and clear format. Available for free download in multiple formats.
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About the book
An introduction to the book including it's aims, intended readership and options for downloading a copy of the book or one or more of the chapters.
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Chapter 1. What is biodiversity, and why is it important?
Find out about the value of biodiversity to human societies and how human values can inform management of Australia’s biodiversity.
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Chapter 2. Australia's biodiversity: major features
Find out about the major factors that have shaped Australia's unique biodiversity and how new technologies are revealing some surprises in the evolutionary story.
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Chapter 3. Australia's biodiversity: status and trends
Evidence from monitoring shows that Australia's biodiversity is declining and pressure on biodiversity is increasing.
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Chapter 4. Tools for managing and restoring biodiversity
Land managers in Australia are using an array of different measures to manage threats to biodiversity.
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Chapter 5. Managing Australia's protected areas
Sustaining Australia’s biodiversity across a network of protected areas, complemented by whole of landscape conservation management, is one of our greatest environmental challenges.
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Chapter 6. Indigenous perspectives on biodiversity
Indigenous concepts that connect people to their Country and to living things through a web of relationships are akin to the meaning of the English term biodiversity.
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Chapter 7. Farming, pastoralism and forestry
The abundance of many species of Australian plants and animals has been greatly changed by modern agricultural and forestry practices.
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Chapter 8. Cities and towns
Urban biodiversity matters. It connects city dwellers with the natural environment, enhances recreational spaces and serves practical functions like cooling the air and reducing stormwater run-off.
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Chapter 9. Seas and coasts
Science is helping to address the two big challenges of understanding the biodiversity in our oceans and agreeing on goals for its management.
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Chapter 10. Inland waters
Australia’s inland waters support a rich diversity of life, impacted by boom-and-bust extremes in water availability and vulnerable to extraction of water for human uses.
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Chapter 11. Mining and biodiversity
The wealth that mining creates gives the industry the opportunity to manage its impacts and have a positive effect on biodiversity.
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Chapter 12. Conclusions
There are grounds for optimism in the face of the challenges to managing Australia's biodiversity, yet also a need for a greater effort to halt the decline.
Threats to biodiversity
There are numerous threats to Australia's biodiversity including invasive species, poor fire management, habitat destruction and degradation, and climate change. Our research is helping to understand the impact of these threats so they can be better managed.
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Invasive species
Invasive species are having a dramatic impact on Australia's biodiversity.
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Implications of climate change for Australia's biodiversity Monitoring, measuring and conserving biodiversity
CSIRO's landmark Australia-wide assessment of the impacts of climate change on biodiversity and the National Reserve System will inform future management of Australia's protected areas.