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Historic Content you are reading content from a previous reporting year.

Showing 30 of 47 results

Pest species and pathogens

2016
Biodiversity
Pressures
Report Content

2016 Biodiversity Pressures Murray Darling Tasmania Australian Capital Territory Pest plants, pest animals and pathogens have been identified by...

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Invasive species are a potent, persistent and widespread threat to Australia’s environment

2016
Pressures
Report Content

2016 Pressures Invasive species are animals, plants, parasites or disease-causing organisms that establish themselves outside their natural range and become pests. Although native species can also become invasive if transferred outside their natural...

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Pressures affecting biodiversity

2016, 2011
Biodiversity
Pressures
Assessment summary

Biodiversity Pressures Pressures facing aquatic ecosystemsChanged hydrologyAltered fire regimesPest species and pathogensPressures from livestock productionUrban developmentPollutionGlobal climate change and climate...

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Pressures affecting biodiversity 2016

2016
Biodiversity
Pressures
At a glance

At a glanceThe pressures affecting biodiversity remain largely consistent with those identified in the 1996, 2001, 2006 and 2011 state of the environment reports. The most significant current pressures are clearing, fragmentation and declining quality of habitat; invasive species; climate...

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Pressures affecting the Antarctic terrestrial environment

2016, 2011
Antarctic environment
Pressures
Assessment summary

Antarctic environment Pressures Pressures on the terrestrial environment Antarctica Year...

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Regional and landscape-scale pressures: Invasive species

2016
Land
Pressures
Report Content

2016 Land Pressures South East Coast South West Coast North East Coast Tasmania Greater Brisbane...

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Availability of information

2016
Biodiversity
Pressures
Report Content

2016 Biodiversity Pressures No consistent national-level data are available on the impact of pressures on all aspects of biodiversity in the past 5 years. The Australian Government released a Threatened Species...

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Box ANT6 Rapid collapse of an alpine ecosystem through dieback

2016
Antarctic environment
Case Study

Old-growth cushion plants and mosses on subantarctic Macquarie Island are being decimated by recent climate change, with rapid, progressive and widespread death across the island. Endemic Macquarie cushions (Azorella macquariensis), estimated to be hundreds of years old in some...

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Box LAN15 Developing the north

2016
Land
Outlook
Case Study

Strong engagement with Indigenous communities in developing northern Australia (Australian Government 2015c) is crucial, in light of the increasing number of formal agreements and rights these communities are establishing on land and water; their presence on, and connection and...

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Terrestrial plant and animal species: Reptiles and amphibians

2016
Biodiversity
State and trends
Report Content

2016 Biodiversity State and trends Reptiles and amphibians As was the case in SoE 2011, there has been little improvement in the status of listed reptile and amphibian taxa at the national level. However, some species...

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Resilience of biodiversity 2016

2016
Biodiversity
Resilience
At a glance

At a glanceResilience is a key underpinning principle of Australia’s Biodiversity Conservation Strategy 2010–2030, as well as state and territory, and regional biodiversity strategies. The definition of resilience in biodiversity strategies and policies is still relatively ambiguous, and...

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Evidence of past resilience

2016
Biodiversity
Resilience
Report Content

2016 Biodiversity Resilience Much of Australia’s biodiversity is renowned for its ability to deal with massive ecosystem shocks (e.g. fire, extended periods of dry or wet, extreme weather events such as cyclones)....

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Jurisdictional reporting on pressures

2016
Biodiversity
Pressures
Report Content

2016 Biodiversity Pressures Tasmania Greater Darwin Australian Capital Territory Each state and territory in Australia has highlighted a range of...

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Outlook for the land environment 2016

2016
Land
Outlook
At a glance

At a glanceThe outlook for Australia’s land environment is shaped by the legacy of our former activities, the current and future pressures on the land environment, and how we respond to these pressures. The many consequences of climate change provide the greatest challenges. The challenges...

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Box LAN4 Extinctions due to myrtle rust

2016
Land
Pressures
Case Study

The pathogenic fungus myrtle rust (Puccinia psidii; also known as Eucalyptus rust or guava rust) infects a wide range of hosts in the plant family Myrtaceae, which includes many Australian natives (e.g. gum trees—Eucalyptus, bottlebrush—Callistemon, and tea trees—Melaleuca) (...

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Regional and landscape-scale pressures affecting the land environment

2016, 2011
Land
Pressures
Assessment summary

Land Pressures Regional and landscape-scale pressures: BushfireRegional and landscape-scale pressures: Invasive speciesRegional and landscape-scale pressures: Land clearingClimate change–induced pressuresContemporary land-use...

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Biodiversity: Ecological processes

2016
Coasts
State and trends
Report Content

2016 Coasts State and trends Tasmania Greater Brisbane Great Barrier Reef East Coast Connectivity Connectivity among...

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Risks to the Antarctic environment 2016

2016
Antarctic environment
Risks
At a glance

At a glanceAs for other regions, distant human activities can contribute to the key risks to the Antarctic environment, including global population, economic pressures and the effects of climate change. Management can mitigate many of the population and economic impacts, and climate change...

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Risks to Australia’s climate 2016

2016
Climate
Risks
At a glance

At a glanceAn understanding of the risks associated with Australia’s climate will lead to improved action plans to adapt to the changes predicted to occur. Our climate is a dynamic system; therefore, the risks need to be re-evaluated frequently. Recent climate change projections for...

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Pressures on natural heritage

2016
Heritage
Pressures
Report Content

2016 Heritage Pressures Lake Eyre Our terrestrial and marine natural heritage is susceptible to the general pressures arising from climate change outlined above, as well as some of the...

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Effectiveness of biodiversity management

2016, 2011
Biodiversity
Effectiveness of management
Assessment summary

Biodiversity Effectiveness of management Management statusNew technologies, solutions and innovationsAssessing the effectiveness of biodiversity managementManagement initiatives and investmentsManagement capacityManagement...

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Coastal land

2016
Coasts
Pressures
Report Content

2016 Coasts Pressures Great Barrier Reef Antarctica Terrestrial pollution Terrestrial pollution occurs when solid or liquid waste is deposited on land or underground,...

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The living environment: Marine and terrestrial

2016
Antarctic environment
State and trends
Report Content

2016 Antarctic environment State and trends Antarctica Given its extreme conditions, the Antarctic has a surprising diversity of ecosystems. Antarctica is the coldest, windiest, driest and...

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The living environment: Vertebrate populations

2016
Antarctic environment
State and trends
Report Content

2016 Antarctic environment State and trends Antarctica Vertebrate populations Antarctic vertebrates encompass a variety of flying seabirds and penguins, several seals and whales, and numerous...

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Climate change–induced pressures

2016
Land
Pressures
Report Content

2016 Land Pressures South East Coast Murray Darling North East Coast Tasmania Lake Eyre Our...

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Pressures affecting heritage values

2016, 2011
Heritage
Pressures
Assessment summary

Heritage Pressures Climate changePopulation growthEconomic growthPressures on natural heritagePressures on Indigenous heritagePressures on historic heritage...

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Condition and Integrity: Listing Jurisdictions

2016
Heritage
State and trends
Report Content

2016 Heritage State and trends South Coast South East Coast South Australian Gulf North East Coast Tasmania...

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Management status

2016
Biodiversity
Effectiveness of management
Report Content

2016 Biodiversity Effectiveness of management Murray Darling Tasmania National Reserve System and National Representative System of Marine Protected Areas Australia has...

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Sustainability and sector management

2016
Marine environment
Effectiveness of management
Report Content

2016 Marine environment Effectiveness of management Tasmania Great Barrier Reef Managing for externalities Climate variability and longer-term change Australia is a...

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Invasive species and pathogens

2011
Biodiversity
Pressures
Report Content

2011 Biodiversity Pressures North East Coast   Invasive species are one of the two most frequently cited pressures for EPBC-listed species (the other being fragmentation of habitat).15 Invasive...

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Australia State of the Environment 2016 has been prepared by independent experts using the best available information to support assessments of environmental condition, pressures, management effectiveness, resilience, risks and outlook.

This site is a major undertaking to improve the usability of SoE information. We are grateful for the support of users in our ongoing efforts to improve SoE reporting.  Please report problems with the site via our feedback page.

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We, the authors, acknowledge the traditional owners of Country throughout Australia and their continuing connection to land, sea and community; we pay respect to them and their cultures and to their elders both past and present.

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