Austral Ark

The State of Wildlife in Australia and New Zealand

Adam Stow, Norman Maclean, Gregory I. Holwell

• Publisher: Cambridge University Press
• Year: 2014
• Print ISBN:
  9781107033542
• eBook ISBN:
  9781316190852
• Topic: Biological Sciences
• Subtopic: Ecology
• Index: Biological Sciences

Australia and New Zealand are home to a remarkable and unique assemblage of flora and fauna. Sadly though, by virtue of their long isolation, and a naïve and vulnerable biota, both countries have suffered substantial losses to biodiversity since European contact. Bringing together the contributions of leading conservation biologists, Austral Ark presents the special features and historical context of Austral biota, and explains what is being conserved and why. The threatening processes occurring worldwide are discussed, along with the unique conservation problems faced at regional level. At the same time, the book highlights many examples of conservation success resulting from the innovative solutions that have been developed to safeguard native species and habitats in both New Zealand and Australia. Austral Ark fills an important gap regarding wildlife gains and declines, and how best to take conservation forward to keep this extraordinary area of the world thriving.

Table of contents

• Cover
• Half-title page
• Title page
• Copyright page
• Contents
• Contributors
• Foreword
• Introduction
• Chapter 1 A separate creation: diversity, distinctiveness and conservation of Australian wildlife
• Chapter 2 New Zealand – a land apart
• Chapter 3 The ecological consequences of habitat loss and fragmentation in New Zealand and Australia
• Chapter 4 The impacts of climate change on Australian and New Zealand flora and fauna
• Chapter 5 Unwelcome and unpredictable: the sorry saga of cane toads in Australia
• Chapter 6 Invasive plants and invaded ecosystems in Australia: implications for biodiversity
• Chapter 7 Environmental weeds in New Zealand: impacts and management
• Chapter 8 The insidious threat of invasive invertebrates
• Chapter 9 Pollution by antibiotics and resistance genes: dissemination into Australian wildlife
• Chapter 10 Invasive vertebrates in Australia and New Zealand
• Chapter 11 Freshwaters in New Zealand
• Chapter 12 A garden at the edge of the world; the diversity and conservation status of the New Zealand flora
• Chapter 13 The evolutionary history of the Australian flora and its relevance to biodiversity conservation
• Chapter 14 Protecting the small majority: insect conservation in Australia and New Zealand
• Chapter 15 Terrestrial mammal diversity, conservation and management in Australia
• Chapter 16 Marine mammals, back from the brink? Contemporary conservation issues
• Chapter 17 Australian reptiles and their conservation
• Chapter 18 New Zealand reptiles and their conservation
• Chapter 19 Isolation, invasion and innovation: forces of change in the conservation of New Zealand birds
• Chapter 20 Australian birds: current status and future prospects
• Chapter 21 Austral amphibians – Gondwanan relicts in peril
• Chapter 22 Predators in danger: shark conservation and management in Australia, New Zealand and their neighbours
• Chapter 23 ‘Ragged mountain ranges, droughts and flooding rains’: the evolutionary history and conservation of Australian freshwater fishes
• Chapter 24 Down under Down Under: Austral groundwater life
• Chapter 25 Fire and biodiversity in Australia
• Chapter 26 Terrestrial protected areas of Australia
• Chapter 27 Australian marine protected areas
• Chapter 28 Marine reserves in New Zealand: ecological responses to protection and network design
• Chapter 29 Conclusion: conservation onboard Austral Ark needs all hands on deck
• Index
• Plate