This topic is becoming a bit tiresome, for me at least. Yes, it's a
problem but this to-ing and fro-ing isn't achieving a great deal. Having
said that I should push off but ...
In Terry Pacey's defence clearing for urban areas can be a serious
regional problem. My experience in Newcastle for example (where I lived
for 7 or 8 years), is that incremental clearing of urban bushland is
resulting in a loss of biodiversity. The best example of this is not a
bird but Squirrel Gliders. Areas of bushland are being cleared around
Lake Macquarie for subdivisions. Although these areas contain Squirrel
Gliders, and in many instances Masked Owl (eating the gliders), it is not
considered a big enough issue to even stall the development. The problem
is there will come a time when they are down to their last patch or two
with gliders. This population then becomes regionally significant and the
developers (and consent authorities will be forced to deal with it).
Perhaps a bit to late.
Rural land clearing in Australia is happening at an alarming rate and it
is now on the political agenda - it might be happening slowly but it is
happening. The real problem out there for woodland birds is that past
clearing is now having a significant effect on our birds (the mammals
responded very quickly a long time ago). Once common birds are now
showing up on threatened species lists. And .. it's going to get worse as
tree decline continues due to senescence and factors such as rising water
tables and salinity.
My two bobs worth (and all you'll get from me on this topic).
David Geering
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