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River conservation in a changing world: invertebrate diversity and spatial prioritisation in south-eastern coastal Australia

journal contribution
posted on 2023-05-17, 08:59 authored by Turak, E, Marchant, R, Leon BarmutaLeon Barmuta, Davis, J, Choy, S, Metzeling, L
Concentration of human populations with likely impacts of climate change present major challenges for river conservation in the south-eastern coastal region of Australia. Quantitative methods for spatial prioritisation of conservation actions can play a major role in meeting these challenges. We examined how these methods may be applied to help plan for potential impacts of climate change in the region, using macroinvertebrate assemblages as surrogates of river biodiversity. Environmental gradients explaining broad-scale patterns in the composition of macroinvertebrate assemblages are well represented in protected areas; however, their effectiveness for conserving river biodiversity with climate change depends on linking management inside and outside protected areas. Projected increases in temperature and sea level may be used to prioritise conservation to counter likely major impacts in high-altitude zones and the coastal fringes, whereas elsewhere, considerable uncertainty remains in the absence of better downscaled projections of rainfall. Applying such spatial prioritisations using biodiversity surrogates could help river-focussed conservation around the world.

History

Publication title

Marine and Freshwater Research

Volume

62

Pagination

300-311

ISSN

1323-1650

Department/School

School of Natural Sciences

Publisher

CSIRO Publishing

Place of publication

150 Oxford St, Collingwood, VIC. Australia

Rights statement

Copyright © 2011 CSIRO

Repository Status

  • Restricted

Socio-economic Objectives

Fresh, ground and surface water biodiversity

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