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Indicator: BD-19 Extent and comprehensiveness of terrestrial protected areas

Data

Australian Terrestrial Protected Areas 1997-2004

1997		2000		2002		2004
Number	Area (ha)	Number	Area (ha)	Number	Area (ha)	Number	Area (ha)
5 645	59 752 783	5 251	61 438 611	6 755	77 461 951	7 720	80 895 099

Source: Department of the Environment and Heritage 2005, The Collaborative Australian Protected Areas Database (CAPAD), viewed 12 Jul 2005, http://www.environment.gov.au/parks/nrs/science/capad/index.html

IUCN Guidelines for Protected Area Management Categories

Category IA

Strict Nature Reserve: Protected Area managed mainly for science

Area of land and/or sea possessing some outstanding or representative ecosystems, geological or physiological features and/or species, available primarily for scientific research and/or environmental monitoring.

*Heritage Agreement Areas

Category IB

Wilderness Area: Protected Area managed mainly for wilderness protection

Large area of unmodified or slightly modified land and/or sea, retaining its natural character and influence, without permanent or significant habitation, which is protected and managed so as to preserve its natural condition.

Category II

National Park: Protected Area managed mainly for ecosystem conservation and recreation

Natural area of land and/or sea, designated to (a) protect the ecological integrity of one or more ecosystems for this and future generations, (b) exclude exploitation or occupation inimical to the purposes of designation of the area and (c) provide a foundation for spiritual, scientific, educational, recreational and visitor opportunities, all of which must be environmentally and culturally compatible.

Category III

Natural Monument: Protected Area managed for conservation of specific natural features

Area containing one or more specific natural or natural/cultural feature which is of outstanding value because of its inherent rarity, representative or aesthetic qualities or cultural significance.

Category IV

Habitat/Species Management Area: Protected Area managed mainly for conservation through management intervention

Area of land and/or sea subject to active intervention for management purposes so as to ensure the maintenance of habitats and/or to meet the requirements of specific species.

Category V

Protected Landscape/Seascape: Protected Areas managed mainly for landscape/seascape conservation and recreation

Area of land, with coast and seas as appropriate, where the interaction of people and nature over time has produced an area of distinct character with significant aesthetic, cultural and/or ecological value, and often with high biological diversity.

Safeguarding the integrity of this traditional interaction is vital to the protection, maintenance and evolution of such an area.

Category VI

Managed Resource Protected Areas: Protected Area managed mainly for the sustainable use of natural ecosystems

Area containing predominantly unmodified natural systems, managed to ensure long-term protection and maintenance of biological diversity, while providing at the same time a sustainable flow of natural products and services to meet community needs.

Areas of estimated pre-1750 and remaining (2001-04)* vegetation in Australia (km)
percentage of remaining vegetation in reserves

Major Vegetation Group	Area remaining (km²)	Area in reserves (km²)	Percentage of remaining vegetation in reserves
Rainforest and vine thickets	35 200	19 149	54.4
Eucalyptus tall open forest	35 344	11 876	33.6
Eucalyptus open forest	272 121	61 771	22.7
Eucalyptus low open forest	3 952	1 387	35.1
Eucalyptus woodlands	892 920	72 327	8.1
Acacia forests and woodlands	408 632	35 960	8.8
Callitris forests and woodlands	32 296	1 970	6.1
Casuarina forests and woodlands	149 262	27 613	18.5
Melaleuca forests and woodlands	99 561	10 056	10.1
Other forests and woodlands	72 414	7 169	9.9
Eucalyptus open woodlands	458 905	28 452	6.2
Tropical eucalypt woodlands/grasslands	112 481	14 398	12.8
Acacia open woodlands	314 040	23 867	7.6
Mallee woodlands and shrublands	271 529	99 923	36.8
Low closed forest and tall closed shrublands	16 278	4 965	30.5
Acacia shrublands	851 274	85 127	10.0
Other shrublands	123 464	23 088	18.7
Heath	8 071	3 559	44.1
Tussock grasslands	525 888	15 777	3.0
Hummock grasslands	1 367 973	135 429	9.9
Other grasslands, herblands, sedgelands and rushlands	64 810	11 147	17.2
Chenopod shrublands, samphire shrubs and forblands	436 801	55 037	12.6
Mangroves	9 325	3 087	33.1
Total	6 562 541	753 133	11.5

* except for the NSW component, where most data are from 1997

Source: Department of the Environment and Heritage 2006, National Vegetation Information System (NVIS) Stage 1, Version 3.0 Major Vegetation Groups, viewed 30 May 2006, http://www.deh.gov.au/erin/nvis/mvg/index.html

Source: Department of the Environment and Heritage 2006, National Reserve System Programme Priority Review 2006 (in prep.), DEH, Canberra.

What the data mean

Australia’s National Parks and other protected areas extend across 10.5% of the terrestrial area of Australia. From 1997 to 2004, Australia’s protected areas increased by approximately 21 million hectares. This increase consisted of eight million hectares in parks and reserves (IUCN reserve categories I-IV) and 13 million hectares in other protected areas (IUCN categories V-VI) principally being Indigenous Protected Areas in Western Australia and South Australia. Of the major vegetation groups, rainforest is most protected by reservation, with 54% of rainforests in reserves. Tussock grassland is least represented in reserves, at 3%.

Data Limitations

The data shows extent but not comprehensiveness

There are several Major Vegetation Groups missing from the CAPAD analysis:

• Inland aquatic - Freshwater, salt lakes, lagoons
• Cleared, non-native vegetation, buildings
• Unclassified Native vegetation
• Naturally bare - sand, rock, claypan, mudflat
• Sea and estuaries
• Regrowth, modified native vegetation

Not all terrestrial protected areas have MVG coverage (especially along the coast).

Issues for which this is an indicator and why

Biodiversity — Landscapes - Government action on landscape protection 

Australia has adopted the World Conservation Union’s definition of a protected area, which includes six categories of reserves. The primary objective of a protected area is conservation of biological diversity. Effective protection generally means that the area is protected by legislation in the case of public land or by a covenant or conservation agreement for privately owned or indigenous land.

Governments of Australia have established a comprehensive, adequate and representative system of protected areas and developed guidelines for their selection, establishment and management.

The Collaborative Australian Protected Areas Dataset is being developed for all terrestrial and marine protected areas. The data set is compiled from data supplied by the relevant Australian state and territory government conservation and resource management agencies.

Extent provides a direct measure of the area under protection and comprehensiveness gives some idea of the range of species protected within these areas.

Other indicators for this issue:

• BD-17 Institutional response to loss of native vegetation 
• BD-24 Government investments to protect biodiversity for public good purposes 
• NCH-01 Process of listing, area and distribution of identified natural heritage places 
• NCH-05 Physical condition and integrity of a sample of natural heritage places 
• NCH-09 Funding provided to heritage and other agencies for natural heritage places 
• NCH-13 Changes in heritage legislation 
• CO-34 Number and extent of Marine Protected Areas 
• LD-27 Area and proportion of agricultural land under various aspects of "best practice" 
• LD-28 Percentage and area of farms with planted trees 
• LD-29 Area and proportion of forest under "best practice" 
• LD-30 National area under plantation forestry 
• LD-38 Regions with investments having a major focus on salinity 
• AAT-13 Number and area of protected areas 

Land — Societal responses - Protected terrestrial areas 

Mechanisms for protection are legislation in the case of public land or by a covenant or conservation agreement for privately owned or indigenous land.

Extent provides a direct measure of the area under protection and comprehensiveness gives some idea of the range of species protected within these areas.

Further Information

• The Collaborative Australian Protected Areas Database (CAPAD)
• State of the Parks Report
  DEH, State of the Parks Report 2002-2003
• Wet Tropics Library - State of the Wet Tropics Report 
• Wet Tropics Conservation Strategy: Daft for public comment, October 2003 
• National Reserve System, DEH - Effectiveness in delivering the output
• DEH Budget statement - Output 1.9 Parks and reserves
• Directions for the National Reserve System; A Partnership Approach