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Austral Ecology - 2024 - Pearl - Conserving diversity distinctiveness and connectivity in the Sunshine Coast heathlands 953.48 kB
Published VersionCC BY-NC-ND V4.0, Open Access
Journal article
Conserving diversity, distinctiveness and connectivity in the Sunshine Coast heathlands, Queensland, Australia
Austral Ecology, Vol.49(3), pp.1-25
2024
Appears in UniSC Supported Open Access Outputs
Abstract
Australia is committed to global area-based conservation targets whilst ensuring its National Reserve system is representative of ecosystem types. However, concern remains for the increasing habitat loss and fragmentation, and the possible impacts of loss of connectivity between remnant vegetation. This study uses a range of diversity metrics to examine the biodiversity conservation status of the Sunshine Coast heathlands, in the South Eastern Queensland bioregion. The pre-clearing and remnant extent, and the protection status of the nine heath Regional Ecosystems were calculated. Fragmentation and connectivity were examined by comparing heath patch sizes, and by calculating the distance between patches, from pre-clearing estimates, until 2019. Diversity metrics for the Regional Ecosystems, including phylogenetic metrics, were tested for correlation with habitat extent, patch size, patch number and distance between patches. Of the pre-clearing extent, 62% of Sunshine Coast heathlands remain and 46% is protected in National Parks. Levels of protection in National Parks vary across the Local Government Areas, and between Regional Ecosystems, and the priority Regional Ecosystems for further protection were identified. There has been habitat loss resulting in reduced patch sizes, and fragmentation due to urbanization, but the number of patches of heath remains intact, and connectivity in terms of distance between patches remains stable. Phylogenetic dispersion, but not diversity, was correlated with the extent of heath and the number of patches. This highlights the opportunity to maintain biodiversity in these heathlands, with the value of small patches of heath identified as key to maintaining connectivity in the coastal lowlands, distinctiveness in the montane heaths and dunes, and overall phylogenetic dispersion. This study has shown how a variety of diversity metrics and landscape analyses can inform on priority areas for biodiversity conservation in the heathlands of an increasingly urbanized region.
Details
- Title
- Conserving diversity, distinctiveness and connectivity in the Sunshine Coast heathlands, Queensland, Australia
- Authors
- Hilary Pearl (Corresponding Author) - University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, School of Science, Technology and EngineeringTim Ryan - Queensland HerbariumMarion Howard - University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, School of Science, Technology and EngineeringYoko Shimizu - University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, School of Science and Engineering - LegacyAlison Shapcott - University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, Centre for Bioinnovation
- Publication details
- Austral Ecology, Vol.49(3), pp.1-25
- Publisher
- John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
- Date published
- 2024
- DOI
- 10.1111/aec.13504
- ISSN
- 1442-9993; 1442-9985
- Copyright note
- © 2024 The Authors. Austral Ecology published by John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd on behalf of Ecological Society of Australia. This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs License, which permits use and distribution in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited, the use is non-commercial and no modifications or adaptations are made.
- Data Availability
- Further data are available in the Appendices S1–S5. The GenBank and BOLD accession numbers for the heath species are listed by Pearl et al. (2022). Further data that support this study will be shared upon reasonable request to the corresponding author.
- Organisation Unit
- School of Science and Engineering - Legacy; School of Science, Technology and Engineering; Centre for Bioinnovation
- Language
- English
- Record Identifier
- 991008898902621
- Output Type
- Journal article
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