NatureLinks: a critical response to climate change impacts on biodiversity in South Australia

Abstract

An enhanced Greenhouse Effect and associated climate change impacts are becoming significant issues for environmental management in regions that experience Mediterranean climates such as South Australia. Although the specific impacts of future climate change are uncertain, the projected change can no longer be considered as an issue separate from other biodiversity conservation activities, which will increasingly need to integrate climate change projections and impacts into planning and management. By emphasising the importance of long-term, landscape level planning for biodiversity conservation in South Australia, the NatureLinks strategy builds resilience and flexibility in conservation systems. The different elements of the approach respond directly to a range of emerging conservation challenges relating to climate change namely: connection of habitat to overcome fragmentation in the landscape; maintenance of ecological integrity to minimise impacts of changing disturbance regimes; improved linkages between biodiversity conservation and other natural resource management activities to minimise external pressures on intact ecosystems; and community engagement to ensure ownership of the new levels of environmental risk amongst managers of both natural and anthropogenic landscapes.