Environment Australia, 2001
Biodiversity is the variety of all living things - from dugongs to daisies, toadstools to termites. You can think of it as a giant web, where every living thing relies on other living things to survive. When a part of this wonderful web of life is destroyed, just like a game of dominos, the whole lot can fall down.
For example, if people collect hollow logs to use as firewood, the birds and animals nesting inside can die because their homes are taken away. And when there are no birds, insects like locusts can multiply and cause great damage, such as eating farmers' crops.
Our threatened species of animals, birds and plants are part of biodiversity. When an animal or plant is threatened, it's in danger of becoming extinct. When it becomes extinct, like the paradise parrot or the Tasmanian Tiger, it's gone forever. Extinction is forever.
- A habitat is where animals live and contains all they need to survive - space, light, water, food, shelter and a place to breed
- Animals or plants become threatened when too much of their habitat is destroyed or changed
- People have a lot of power to destroy and change habitats
- Introduced animals and weeds cause many problems even when the habitat is not destroyed
- Over 40 types of animals and nearly 70 types of plants are now extinct in Australia.
- Get involved in National Threatened Species Day in September each year
- Put up a National Threatened Species Day poster in your home or school - call 1800 803 772 for a copy
- Visit your closest National Park, which often have special guided tours for young people
- Talk to the rangers and find out if there are any threatened species and how they're being protected
- Ask your local wildlife agency office if any threatened species live in your area and what sort of habitat they need - you may be able to help them by providing conditions they like
- If you live on a farm, or have friends who live on farms, keep ungrazed patches of bush as wildlife habitats and leave alone standing and fallen dead trees, especially those with hollows that provide homes for heaps of animals and birds
- Ask your parents if you can plant native plants instead of non-native ones in your garden. Native grasses, flowers, shrubs and trees are more likely to attract native birds, butterflies and other insects, and maybe even some threatened species
- If you have a cat, make sure it doesn't catch native birds and animals. Attach three small bells to its collar, and keep the cat indoors at night. Take your cat to a vet to have it desexed so it won't have unwanted kittens.
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