Living in Change - Sector Issues, Priorities, Needs - Natural Resource Management

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Living in Change - Sector Issues, Priorities,
Needs- Natural Resource Management

• Dr Libby Mattiske
• August 2005

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Natural Resource Management

• Sector Issues
• literature
• past impacts of climatic changes
• geological time frame
• since European settlement
• recent decades
• patterns in current systems

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Natural Resource Management

• Sector Issues - Case Studies
• Key role of climate
• Flora Species
• Plant Communities
• Fauna Species
• Natural Resources

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Case Study
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Natural Resource Management

• Sector Issues - Case Study
• Data Collected - Transect Studies
• Water tables in the period from the 1960 to 2005
  have changed in the order of 3 to 7 metres.
• Tick Flat, Neaves, West Gironde, Lake Joondalup

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Case Study
Tick Flat Yeal Swamp Ridges Yanchep Lake
Nowergup Lake Joodalup
Neaves
West Gironde
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Natural Resource Management
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Natural Resource Management

• Sector Issues - Case Study
• A shift towards the xeric end of the continuum
  (with both local declines in the trees that
  tolerate moister soil conditions and an increase
  in some species that tolerate drier soil
  conditions).
• A general loss of condition of tree species,
  although this has been offset by the
  establishment of seedlings on some sites.
• Loss of some wetland species and communities.
• Recent loss of some drier site species.
• Dynamic nature of communities in both temporal
  and spatial context.
• Rate of decline and rate of changes.

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Natural Resource Management

• Sector Issues - Lessons Learnt
• The structure and composition of vegetation on
  the Gnangara Mound reflects underlying
  determining factors such as landforms, soils,
  climate and surface soil moisture availability.
• As the site becomes drier in a regional context
  the overstorey becomes more open - so if recent
  annual rainfall trends continue, it is likely
  that
• the overstorey will become more open
• there will be a continuing shift towards species
  that tolerate drier site conditions
• loss of species and vegetation communities that
  tolerate wetter and moister sites

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Natural Resource Management

• Priorities
• Do we really place sufficient value on these
  natural resources?
• Do we understand implications of potential
  changes?
• Degree and rate of change - positives and
  negatives
• Major gaps in understanding
• At a landscape level - changes will occur
• Do we understand the implications for Industries
  dependent on these values? (Wildflowers,
  Beekeepers, Forestry, Water Catchments, Tourism,
  Ecosystem Services)
• Do we understand the implications for wider
  community - social consequences of changing
  landscapes

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Natural Resource Management

• Needs
• Increase value of natural resources?
• Overcome structural problems in funding and human
  resources in NRM (Federal, State and Regional
  groups).
• Increase skills and capacity of NRM teams and
  researchers.
• Underpin research organisations with long-term
  commitment (rather than short term), including
  adequate resources, succession planning (as
  studies take many years).
• Increase research into studying implications of
  change
• Degree and rate of change - positives and
  negatives - integrate component into research
  programs
• Integrate databases to maximise return for effort
• Undertake a major review of implications for
  Industries dependent on these natural resource
  values? (Wildflowers, Beekeepers, Forestry, Water
  Production, Tourism, Ecosystem Services)