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
Giant Freshwater Crayfish Recovery – Part 2
This project builds upon our previously funded Giant Freshwater Crayfish Recovery Project (Part 1). Part 2 will focus on six priority areas critical to the ongoing survival of Tasmania’s iconic, endemic Giant Freshwater Crayfish (Astacopsis gouldi). Project actions...
Emergency Preparedness and Response Project
The Cradle Coast region is facing increasing challenges from natural disasters and extreme weather events, ranging from bushfires to flash floods, and emergency biosecurity incursions. These events not only threaten human lives, property, and food supply but also have...
Community action for King Island Scrubtit and King Island Brown Thornbill protection
This project will implement actions across King Island to protect the habitat of two priority, critically endangered species, the King Island Brown Thornbill and King Island Scrubtit. Project actions will build the capacity of landholders and community groups on King...
Creating a Hooded Plover Stronghold on Three Hummock Island
This project is working to create a stronghold for the Hooded Plover (Thinornis rubricollis), a priority threatened species, on Three Hummock Island. Activities are designed to reduce the key threat to Hooded Plovers, namely pest animal (feral cat) predation. The...
Implementing the Tasmanian Cat Management Plan (TCMP)
Tasmanian Cat Management Project is an initiative to support the implementation of the Tasmanian Cat Management Plan and improve domestic and stray cat management across Tasmania. Key to the project is a network of three regional cat management coordinators hosted at...