Biodiversity Overview
Preserving Tasmania’s Biodiversity and Ecosystems
The Biodiversity Theme covers the wide variety of life in Tasmania, including plants, animals, fungi, microorganisms, and their ecosystems, with a focus on native natural assets. Healthy ecosystems can maintain their biodiversity and ecological processes, supporting various ecosystem services. In contrast, poorly functioning ecosystems lose biodiversity, soil, water, and nutrients, leading to species extinction. By protecting biodiversity-rich areas, we preserve the diversity of genes, species, and ecosystems, ensuring resilience and the ability to adapt to change.
Tasmania’s ecosystems provide essential services like clean water, air, shelter, and food. Many agencies and individuals collaborate to protect valuable habitats for threatened species, important biodiversity areas, and ecological communities. Tasmania’s NRM organisations work with partners to achieve strategic goals, with community involvement in monitoring, research, and restoration efforts. The Biodiversity, Land, and Water Themes overlap, with efforts in farming, resilient landscapes, and protecting aquatic habitats all contributing to the health of Tasmania’s biodiversity.
Threatened and Important Species
Important biodiversity areas are significant for their rich diversity of biota and include formally recognised sites like World Heritage Areas, important reserves, biodiversity hotspots, and Key Biodiversity Areas.
Threatened and Important Ecological Communities
Threatened ecological communities include those listed under the EPBC Act and NC Act, along with regionally or locally important and emerging priority ecological communities.
Important biodiversity areas
Threatened species include those listed under the EPBC Act and TSP Act, while important species also encompass regionally or locally significant species, as well as emerging threatened species.
Current NRM Biodiversity Projects & Initiatives
Swift Parrot Nest Box Monitoring at Kelcey Tier Reserve
About the project The Swift Parrot (Lathamus discolor) is a critically endangered bird under the EPBC Act, with population estimates ranging from 300 – 700 birds remaining. This statewide project investigates habitat quality including the relationship between...
Improving Felixer cat control technology for use in Tasmanian Devil habitat
About the project Felixer grooming traps are an important new tool to manage feral cats, but they can not currently be used on mainland Tasmania. This project works towards the potential removal of restrictions, by training the Artificial Intelligence technology to...
Giant Freshwater Crayfish Recovery – Part 2
About the project Building on previous work by Cradle Coast NRM, this project focuses on six priority areas critical to the ongoing survival of Tasmania’s iconic, endemic Giant Freshwater Crayfish (Astacopsis gouldi). The project protects known populations and...
Community action for King Island Scrubtit and King Island Brown Thornbill protection
About the project This project implements actions across King Island to protect the habitat of two priority critically endangered species, the King Island Brown Thornbill and King Island Scrubtit. Building the capacity of landholders and community groups on King...
Implementing the Tasmanian Cat Management Plan (TCMP)
About the project The Tasmanian Cat Management Project focuses on engagement with the Tasmanian community to promote responsible cat ownership including desexing, microchipping, and containing pet cats indoors. The program aims to facilitate responsible cat...