Week 8: Evidence-based conservation and environmental legislation

Question 1

Ramsar convention

Answer 1

Australia adopted in 1971
Australia has 66 wetlands of international importance
Sites can be ecological, botanical, zoological or hydrological
Management plans must outline the ecosystem components, processes, benefits and services that characterise the wetland

Question 2

treaty protecting migratory birds convention

Answer 2

Limits trade and use of species
Protecting and conserving important habitats
Knowledge exchange
Building cooperative relationships

Question 3

environmental protection and biodiversity conservation act 1999

Answer 3

Currently under review
Objectives:
Protect the environment
Conserve australian biodiversity
A national process of assessment and approvals
Protect and manage important natural and cultural places
Promote ecologically sustainable development
Control international movement of plants and animals
Recognise the role of indigenous people and promote use of Indigenous knowledge
Matters of national significance:
World heritage sites
National heritage places
Wetlands of international importance
Threatened species and ecological communities
Migratory species
Commonwealth marine areas
Great barrier reef
Nuclear actions
Water resources - coal seam gas and coal mining
Environmental assessment process:
Requires assessment of impact when proposal may impact a matter of international significance
5 levels of assessment based on project
State and federal both have a role
Criticisms: Samuels Independent Review 1999
Ministerial discretion introduces conflict of interest - should be an independent process
Doesn’t account for cumulative impacts across developments
Burden of proof should be that developers have to prove no impact and followed up to ensure compliance
Doesn’t address critical threats like climate change and clearing
Recovery plans not completed in a timely manner and are not sufficiently funded or implemented
Species have still gone extinct

Question 4

state legislation

Answer 4

Flora and fauna guarantee act 1988
Planning and environment act 1987 - regulates clearing of native vegetation
Catchment and land protection act 1994
Wild life act 1975

Question 5

why is scientific literature often not used?

Answer 5

Can’t access literature
Don’t have time to read papers
Challenging to interpret
Too much information
Results can be conflicting
Researchers don’t make management recommendations (only 28% do)

Question 6

hierarchy of evidence e

Answer 6

Randomised, controlled field experiments
Randomised, controlled lab experiments
Uncontrolled experiments and observational studies
Experience-based and anecdotal

Question 7

how does a systematic review work?

Answer 7

Define question
Systematic search literature
Assess relevance
assess quality - statistical comparison between control group and intervention group (look at confounding factors and replication)
Conduct meta-analysis - combine the replicates from multiple studies to increase explanatory power and reveal effects not detected by individual studies (effect size: conveys the estimated magnitude of an effect)
Explain heterogeneity
Recommendation for management
Recommendation for research
Disseminate findings

Question 8

evidence synopses

Answer 8

Collects the evidence on the effectiveness for all interventions on a broad topic
Can help managers

Question 9

systematic maps

Answer 9

Do not answer a question but catalogue available evidence
Systematic search of literature
Critical appraisal
Much faster than full systematic review
Can easily see gaps in the evidence base

Question 10

direct engagement with practitioners

Answer 10

Help managers to learn from their management actions (adaptive management)
Support managers to consider management alternatives (structured decision making)
Facilitate and translate management relevant science (boundary organisations and knowledge brokers)
Scientists and managers working together (co-production of science)