Clearing of native vegetation was listed as a KEY THREATENING PROCESS on Schedule 3 of the Threatened Species Conservation Act 1995 [21 September 2001].
Native vegetation is made up of plant communities, comprising primarily indigenous species and includes canopy trees (where present), understorey, ground cover and below ground biomass (roots, bulbs and the seed bank). For the purposes of this determination native vegetation does not include marine vegetation within the meaning of the Fisheries Management Act 1994.
Clearing, as defined by the determination, refers to the destruction of a sufficient proportion of one or more strata (layers) within a stand or stands of native vegetation. There are numerous impacts as a result of clearing native vegetation, including:
- destruction of habitat causing a loss of biological diversity, and may result in total extinction of species or loss of local genotypes;
- fragmentation of populations resulting in limited gene flow between small isolated populations, reduced potential to adapt to environmental change and loss or severe modification of the interactions between species;
- riparian zone degradation, such as bank erosion leading to sedimentation that affects aquatic communities;
- disturbed habitat which may permit the establishment and spread of exotic species which may displace native species; and
- loss of leaf litter, removing habitat for a wide variety of vertebrates and invertebrates.
There are numerous threatened species, populations and ecological communities adversely affected by the clearing of native vegetation. For a complete list of these threatened species, populations and ecological communities please see the final determination [web link].
Land Clearing is listed as a key threatening process under the Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999.
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