Biodiversity Hotspot

Did you know that the South West of Western Australia is internationally recognised as a global hotspot for biodiversity mainly due to the diversity and richness of the plants and animals found here?

Close to 8,000 plant species are found in just the south west of WA, and 85% of these are found nowhere else in the world. But wait- that’s not all. Close to 300 species of birds, 60 species of mammals, 180 species of reptiles, 32 species of amphibians and 20 species of freshwater fish are also found, many of which are also found nowhere else in the world! Wow- how special and unique is that?

What is biodiversity?

Biodiversity is the variety of life which exists on Earth.

It is exists everywhere, in forests, mountains, deserts, lakes and wetlands, rivers and oceans; even in muddy puddles! But you don’t have to travel to these places to come into contact with it because it surrounds us wherever we are. It is in our homes and gardens, on the farm, where we work- even at school! Now don’t be alarmed but some of it likes to hang around on our bodies, on both the outside, like our skin and on the inside, like in our stomach and mouth.

Biodiversity includes not only the plants and animals that we see around (including ourselves), but also the many microscopic organisms that inhabit our environment, such as fungi, algae, bacteria and viruses.

Most of the Earth’s biodiversity consists of a large number of invertebrates (animals without backbones), fungi, bacteria and non-flowering plants. Vertebrate animals (those with a backbone) and flowering plants represent only a small portion of the total biodiversity that exists, probably less than 1% of all species on Earth.

Where does the word Biodiversity come from?

Bio = from the word biological, meaning the study of living things

Diversity = from the word meaning variety

The full term biological diversity used by scientists and others has been shortened to BIODIVERSITY.

Scientists often talk about biodiversity in 3 ways

1. Genetic diversity
   which is the variety of genes within a living organism. Humans have about 100,000 genes, bacteria have about 1,000; some plants have up to 400,000 genes. Genes are what makes humans different from an eagle or a banksia but they also vary between individuals within a species. Consider for a moment the species Homo sapiens, that’s we humans. We all belong to the same species but think about how different we all look (unless we happen to have identical brothers or sisters). This variation is called genetic diversity.
2. Species diversity
   refers to the variety of living species. It is estimated that there are up to 1 million species in Australia, most of which have not been named yet. For example Western Australia has three different species of black cockatoos, Carnaby’s Cockatoo, Baudin’s Cockatoo and the Red-tailed Cockatoo.
3. Ecosystem diversity
   refers to the variety of ecosystem types. An ecosystem includes both living things (plants, animals, fungi, algae, bacteria and viruses) and non-living things (rocks, air, and water). There are many different types of ecosystems in the South West of Western Australia, including banksia woodlands, wandoo woodlands, wetlands and jarrah forest.

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Why is biodiversity important?

Many people who care about the environment feel very strongly that other living things have a right to live alongside people. To them, other living things have a right to exist for themselves and do not need to benefit humans directly.

Other people, particularly environmental scientists, see that protecting the Earth’s biodiversity is also helping to protect humanity’s survival on Earth. When the environment becomes badly degraded or damaged, all living things, including humans, will also suffer.

Biodiversity provides us with many things including food, clothing, medicines and many different products we use in our daily lives. It also provides us with places to go for holidays to relax, do a spot of fishing, snorkelling, and surfing or bush walking. It is what makes planet Earth so special!

But the biodiversity in Western Australia and in fact on planet Earth is under threat and it needs your help.

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What is causing it to be under threat?

Some of the major threats are:

Loss of habitat

Over the past 200 years widespread clearing of bushland has occurred across the State to make way for cities and towns, as well as farms for the production of food and the mining industry for the extraction of resources. Once destroyed, it is almost impossible to put back all of the biodiversity that has been removed.

Habitat modification and fragmentation

Many ecosystems have been fragmented (broken up) and reduced in size. Some times the remaining pieces of bushland (remnants) are too small to provide for the needs of all of the species which once lived in this habitat. This means that some die out because of a lack of food, suitable places to live, or are unable to find a mate to keep the population going. Others may find another patch of suitable habitat close by. However, if this is not possible, then the various plants and animals become isolated from each other. So, when a disaster occurs, such as a fire going through one of these remnants, the various populations of animals and plants may be wiped out if there is no suitable habitat nearby to escape to.

Introduced species

Weeds and introduced animals pose a great threat to biodiversity. Introduced weeds invade bushland and compete with the local plants for space, nutrients, water and sunlight. Introduced animals, such as the fox and feral cat, prey on local native animals. Birds, such as the rainbow lorikeet and the kookaburra compete with local species for food, shelter and breeding sites. Introduced honey bees are out-competing many native species by taking over valuable tree hollows.

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