ILLAWARRA BIODIVERSITY STRATEGY Vol. 2 - Wollongong City ...

5 THREATS TOBIODIVERSITYDestructionand disturbance ofnativevegetationrepresentsthe greatest threat to biodiversity(Coutts-Smith et al. 2007).The introductionofpestspecies (exoticanimals and weeds)poses thesecondgreatest threat, andisalsorecognisedglobally as amajor cause of biodiversity decline (Coutts-Smith etal. 2007).The following sectiondescribesthevariousthreatsto biodiversity in the Illawarra.5.1 KEY THREATENING PROCESSESThe CommonwealthEPBCAct, the NSW ThreatenedSpecies ConservationAct (TSC Act, schedule3), andFisheries Management Act (FM Act, Schedule6)allowfor the listingof KTPs asoutlined inSection3.Ingeneral, threatsare listedwhen they cause anadverse affecttothreatenedspecies, populationsorecologicalcommunities;orit couldcause species, populationsor ecologicalcommunitiesthatare notthreatenedto becomethreatened. Table 8liststhose listed threatsthat are relevant to theIllawarraand indicates underwhichlegislation.Inaddition to listedKTPs,there areanumberofother threatsimpacting onbiodiversity inthe Illawarra.Through engagement withkeyregionalstakeholders, identificationofadditional threatswasundertaken. These are alsoincludedin Table8.All threatswere thenclassifiedintomajor threatcategories recognisedby Coutts-Smith et al. (2007)asshownin Table8.Table 8:Key threateningprocesses relevanttothe IllawarraThreat categoryRegionalThreatAnthropogenicdestructionanddisturbance ofnativevegetationAnthropogenicdestructionanddisturbance ofnativefaunaAnthropogenicmodificationanddegradationof physicalfactorsClearingof native vegetation. * *Extinctionsof localpopulationsof species(due to lackofrecruitment, inbreeding depression, fragmentationorother).Grazing and disturbance by stock.Hard rock extraction/quarrying activities.Lossofhollow bearing trees. *Roadsidemowing (weed dispersal, and impactson nativevegetation wetlands).The degradationof native riparianvegetationalong NSWwatercourses.Fishing andharvestingof aquatic resources(includingfish, shellfishandcrustaceans).Roadkill.Bushrock removal. *Alterationofhabitat following subsidence due to*longwallmining.* *ILLAWARRA BIODIVERSITYSTRATEGYVol.2Background document 16