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Australia State of the Environment Report

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Topics

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

Topics

A topic is a specific issue or subject discussed in the report. Each theme discusses these topics in detail.

From this page you can use the filters below to refine a list of topics of interest to you, or, list all topics available in the SoE report.

Land

Soil: Salinity and acidification

Understanding the current state and condition of Australian soils requires an appreciation of their diversity and their ability to support different forms of land use.
2016
  • Read more about Soil: Salinity and acidification
  • See Assessment Summaries
Relates to
Land
State and trends
Murray DarlingEast CoastGreater Sydney
Land

Soil: Understanding

Understanding the current state and condition of Australian soils requires an appreciation of their diversity and their ability to support different forms of land use.
2016
  • Read more about Soil: Understanding
Relates to
Land
State and trends
South Australian GulfTasmania
Biodiversity

Spatial distribution of pressures

There has been no updated overall synthesis of the spatial distribution of pressures affecting biodiversity in the past 5 years. A 2015 publication (Lee et al.
2016
  • Read more about Spatial distribution of pressures
Relates to
Biodiversity
Pressures
Marine environment

State and trends of indicators of marine ecosystem health: Ecologial processes

Physical, biogeochemical, biological and ecological processes are an important component of marine ecosystem function.
2016
  • Read more about State and trends of indicators of marine ecosystem health: Ecologial processes
  • See Assessment Summaries
Relates to
Marine environment
State and trends
TasmaniaMarine Temperate EastMarine South WestGreat Barrier ReefMarine NorthMarine North WestMarine South East
Marine environment

State and trends of indicators of marine ecosystem health: Physical, biogeochemical and biological processes

Physical, biogeochemical, biological and ecological processes are an important component of marine ecosystem function.
2016
  • Read more about State and trends of indicators of marine ecosystem health: Physical, biogeochemical and biological processes
Relates to
Marine environment
State and trends
Marine Temperate EastMarine South WestGreat Barrier ReefEast CoastMarine NorthMarine North WestMarine South EastMarine Coral Sea
Marine environment

State and trends of marine biodiversity: Quality of habitats and communities

Eighteen habitats and communities, ranging from the nearshore to the abyss, and from the seabed to the water column, were assessed for their current state and recent trends.
2016
  • Read more about State and trends of marine biodiversity: Quality of habitats and communities
Relates to
Marine environment
State and trends
TasmaniaMarine Temperate EastMarine South WestGreat Barrier ReefEast CoastMarine NorthMarine North WestMarine South EastMarine Coral SeaIndian Ocean
Marine environment

State and trends of marine biodiversity: Species Groups

Fourteen species groups for which information and data were available were assessed for SoE 2016.
2016
  • Read more about State and trends of marine biodiversity: Species Groups
  • See Assessment Summaries
Relates to
Marine environment
State and trends
Marine Temperate EastMarine South WestGreat Barrier ReefMarine NorthMarine North WestMarine South EastMarine Coral SeaIndian Ocean
Ambient air quality

Sulfur dioxide

Sulfur dioxide is not discussed in SoE 2016, because there has been little change since SoE 2011. Values in the capital cities are well below the Air NEPM standards.
2016
  • Read more about Sulfur dioxide
Relates to
Ambient air quality
State and trends
South Australian GulfGulf of Carpentaria
Marine environment

Sustainability and sector management

Australia is a world leader in the understanding of climate systems and climate change as a result of strong collaborations and partnerships between research institutes and agencies, both nationally and internationally.
2016
  • Read more about Sustainability and sector management
  • See Assessment Summaries
Relates to
Marine environment
Effectiveness of management
TasmaniaGreat Barrier Reef
Marine environment

Sustained ocean monitoring

Responding to a changing and increasingly modified environment, especially one where directing or modifying the trajectory of change is planned, requires sufficient monitoring on relevant temporal and spatial scales, and an adaptive approach to management.
2016
  • Read more about Sustained ocean monitoring
Relates to
Marine environment
Outlook
Great Barrier Reef
Climate

Temperature

Australia’s climate has warmed since national temperature records began in 1910, with mean surface air temperature showing around a 1 °C warming since then (Figure ATM17).
2016
  • Read more about Temperature
Relates to
Climate
State and trends
Biodiversity

Terrestrial ecosystems and communities

The Interim Biogeographic Regionalisation for Australia (IBRA; Figure BIO8) classifies Australia’s landscapes into 89 
2016
  • Read more about Terrestrial ecosystems and communities
  • See Assessment Summaries
Relates to
Biodiversity
State and trends
Murray DarlingTasmaniaGreat Barrier ReefAustralian Capital Territory
Biodiversity

Terrestrial plant and animal species: Birds

As at December 2015, a total of 480 fauna species (terrestrial and aquatic) were listed under the EPBC Act, including 55 that are listed as extinct or extinct in the wild.
2016
  • Read more about Terrestrial plant and animal species: Birds
Relates to
Biodiversity
State and trends
Tasmania
Biodiversity

Terrestrial plant and animal species: Invertebrates

As at December 2015, a total of 480 fauna species (terrestrial and aquatic) were listed under the EPBC Act, including 55 that are listed as extinct or extinct in the wild.
2016
  • Read more about Terrestrial plant and animal species: Invertebrates
Relates to
Biodiversity
State and trends
Tasmania
Biodiversity

Terrestrial plant and animal species: Mammals

As at December 2015, a total of 480 fauna species (terrestrial and aquatic) were listed under the EPBC Act, including 55 that are listed as extinct or extinct in the wild.
2016
  • Read more about Terrestrial plant and animal species: Mammals
Relates to
Biodiversity
State and trends
Great Barrier Reef
Biodiversity

Terrestrial plant and animal species: Plant species and fungi

As at December 2015, a total of 480 fauna species (terrestrial and aquatic) were listed under the EPBC Act, including 55 that are listed as extinct or extinct in the wild.
2016
  • Read more about Terrestrial plant and animal species: Plant species and fungi
Relates to
Biodiversity
State and trends
TasmaniaAustralian Capital Territory
Biodiversity

Terrestrial plant and animal species: Reptiles and amphibians

As at December 2015, a total of 480 fauna species (terrestrial and aquatic) were listed under the EPBC Act, including 55 that are listed as extinct or extinct in the wild.
2016
  • Read more about Terrestrial plant and animal species: Reptiles and amphibians
Relates to
Biodiversity
State and trends
Biodiversity

Terrestrial plant and animal species: Threatened species lists

As at December 2015, a total of 480 fauna species (terrestrial and aquatic) were listed under the EPBC Act, including 55 that are listed as extinct or extinct in the wild.
2016
  • Read more about Terrestrial plant and animal species: Threatened species lists
  • See Assessment Summaries
Relates to
Biodiversity
State and trends
TasmaniaAustralian Capital Territory
Antarctic environment

The living environment: Marine and terrestrial

Given its extreme conditions, the Antarctic has a surprising diversity of ecosystems. Antarctica is the coldest, windiest, driest and highest continent. Only about 0.18 per cent of the continent is ice-free.
2016
  • Read more about The living environment: Marine and terrestrial
  • See Assessment Summaries
Relates to
Antarctic environment
State and trends
Antarctica
Antarctic environment

The living environment: Vertebrate populations

Given its extreme conditions, the Antarctic has a surprising diversity of ecosystems. Antarctica is the coldest, windiest, driest and highest continent. Only about 0.18 per cent of the continent is ice-free.
2016
  • Read more about The living environment: Vertebrate populations
  • See Assessment Summaries
Relates to
Antarctic environment
State and trends
Antarctica
Antarctic environment

The natural environment

The Antarctic environment comprises diverse habitats and ecosystems that include: ice-covered areas; ice-free vegetated areas and rocks; saltwater and freshwater lakes and streams; intertidal areas; sea ice; and mid-water, deepwater and benthic regions...
2016
  • Read more about The natural environment
Relates to
Antarctic environment
Introduction
Antarctica
Antarctic environment

The physical environment: The atmosphere—climate and weather patterns

The physical environment includes both the nonliving factors that characterise an ecosystem (e.g. weather patterns, ice coverage, the atmosphere) and the processes that drive them (e.g. weathering of rocks, anthropogenic emissions that deplete ozone in the atmosphere).
2016
  • Read more about The physical environment: The atmosphere—climate and weather patterns
  • See Assessment Summaries
Relates to
Antarctic environment
State and trends
Antarctica
Antarctic environment

The physical environment: The cryosphere

The physical environment includes both the nonliving factors that characterise an ecosystem (e.g. weather patterns, ice coverage, the atmosphere) and the processes that drive them (e.g. weathering of rocks, anthropogenic emissions that deplete ozone in the atmosphere).
2016
  • Read more about The physical environment: The cryosphere
  • See Assessment Summaries
Relates to
Antarctic environment
State and trends
Antarctica
Antarctic environment

The physical environment: The Southern Ocean

The Southern Ocean is changing in ways that are likely to affect regional and global climate, and marine productivity (Rhein et al. 2013).
2016
  • Read more about The physical environment: The Southern Ocean
  • See Assessment Summaries
Relates to
Antarctic environment
State and trends
Antarctica
Marine environment

Toxins, pesticides and herbicides

The group of chemicals typically regarded as pollutants encompasses a large array of compounds, and is generally divided into chemical compounds and metals.
2016
  • Read more about Toxins, pesticides and herbicides
  • See Assessment Summaries
Relates to
Marine environment
Pressures
Great Barrier Reef
Marine environment

Traditional use of marine resources

Traditional use of marine resources is defined here as activities (fishing, collecting, hunting and gathering) by the 2 Indigenous or traditional owner groups of Australia: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
2016
  • Read more about Traditional use of marine resources
  • See Assessment Summaries
Relates to
Marine environment
Pressures
Marine North
Climate

Trends in emissions

Between 1990 and 2015, Australia’s national GHG inventory suggested that emissions decreased 0.1 per cent (Figure ATM10).
2016
  • Read more about Trends in emissions
  • See Assessment Summaries
Relates to
Climate
Pressures
Greater MelbourneGreater Sydney
Marine environment

Triage responses to changes resulting from pressures

Research and management initiatives ultimately require prioritisation, because investment is finite for both funds and available effort. Evaluation of prioritisation and planning processes is limited.
2016
  • Read more about Triage responses to changes resulting from pressures
  • See Assessment Summaries
Relates to
Marine environment
Effectiveness of management
Heritage

Types of heritage

Natural heritage places are definable locations or areas of land and sea that can be identified and defined as heritage values by applying assessment criteria such as those used to assess places for the National Heritage List.
2016
  • Read more about Types of heritage
Relates to
Heritage
Introduction
South Australian GulfMurray DarlingGreater MelbourneGreater Sydney
Heritage

Understanding

Effectiveness of heritage management is constrained by the broader environmental and socio-economic context of heritage values, and the current and emerging threats to those values.
2016
  • Read more about Understanding
  • See Assessment Summaries
Relates to
Heritage
Effectiveness of management
Murray DarlingNorth East CoastGreater SydneyGulf of Carpentaria

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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.

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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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