Southeast Queensland conservation priorities: how invasive plant species

threaten more than just our natural reserves.

Many of the biggest problems facing the world today centre around human impacts;
no corner of the globe remains wholly untouched by the unnatural processes that
we use to shape our world. Ecosystems rely on complex and diverse interactions to
perform functions that sustain life. The presence of large and intact areas of
vegetation is crucial for plants and animals to survive, particularly within our urban
matrix. Healthy ecosystems clean our air and our water, and they do it for free!
Invasive species management costs the Queensland government some where
around the $600 million mark every year.
Local areas can become inundated with invasive species that are composed of
introduced plants and animals. Due to this problem, significant amounts of funding
are allocated for the control of feral species in Queensland such as feral cats, foxes,
deer and rabbits that all threaten native species through predation or competition.
These generalist species can occupy a wide range of landscapes and require
demanding and costly control strategies. Invasive weed species threaten the
composition of native vegetation and therefore remains a highly prioritised topic for
local area management.

What are the problems facing protected areas?

When considering the problems of invasive weed species within Queensland
protected areas (in particular the contribution of weeds spread from recreational

trails), it has been identified that weeds are worse in highly trafficked, popular
areas, as well as those that were close to residential dwellings. In contrast, the less
disturbed sites with more difficult terrain were evidently far more intact.
The use of protected areas for nature-based activities like camping, hiking,
mountain biking and horse-riding can have a wide array of impacts, ranging from
dispersal of weed seeds through equipment and horse dung to trampling in informal
trails. These activities are set to increase in the coming decades with SEQ being the
fastest growing region in Australia.
Plants that jump the fence can cause huge problems in areas where there is a lack
of limiting factors. These factors such as no predators, no diseases, and changed
climates that favour increased reproduction allow for invasive plant populations to
boom. The evidence of dumping of garden wastes and non-native garden species
taking over in certain areas highlights that human activities within our protected
areas are actually a pretty big problem.
Invasive species: how these species are decimating biodiversity
Biotic homogenisation is the gradual process by which our native species are
replaced by invasive species that can exploit a wide range of habitats and generally
thrive under levels of disturbance in urban areas. How species respond to changes
within their habitat is considered widely in ecological research; our ability to
accurately predict how species are distributed comes down to the consideration of
factors like potential habitats for invasive weeds and a changing climate.
The change in vegetation within our protected areas that fringe the urban matrix
can see a change in species compositions. One example of this change can be
evidence by native birds; species like the Noisy miner are notorious for chasing
other species out of their territory, and in turn the native vegetation in the area can
suffer from lack of diversity of pollinators.
The complexity of problems involving invasive weeds includes issues that can
change the species composition of vegetation, but they can also encourage certain
species to thrive at the expense of others within the ecosystem creating winners

and losers. Therefore, it is not enough to simply understand the mechanisms

involved in the spread of species for conservation to be a success; we must also
address the ways in which human activities can hinder biological control
methodology and encourage individuals to aid in restoring protected landscapes.
So it would seem the most pressing issues facing the new generation of scientists
are (a) how to help people care about our planet in an active and sustainable way,
and (b) how to assist people in supporting protected areas, especially those sitting
right on their doorsteps.
How planting native species may be the answer
The planting of native species has been found to provide safe and diverse habitats
for native bird and mammal species. In addition to providing a diversity of habitats
for animal species, this practice can also support protected or endangered
vegetation that fringe suburban areas in two other ways. Firstly by reducing the spill
over of non-natives from backyards into natural reserves, and secondly by
increasing the immigration of native species into protected areas which supports
connectivity between fragments.
Why is encouraging social participation crucial to ongoing conservation?
I believe the answer lies in an overarching social response. If we can get the
individuals who use these areas or live in close proximity to them to genuinely care
about them, and foster their protection by changing their behaviours while enjoying
them, they may begin to identify with the reasoning behind conservation. If we can
encourage locals to plant native species that support and connect the existing
protected areas we may see regeneration as well as protection of our most valuable
landscapes.