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New approach needed to assess climate change

1 April 2009

Freney Lagoon in Tasmania's south-west wilderness area.

A Monash University ecologist has called for a rethink on how climate-induced ecological change is measured, saying Australia's wilderness areas - not urban and agricultural land - can provide the most accurate picture.

Professor Jenny Davis from the School of Biological Sciences said a true measure of the impacts of climate change on aquatic ecosystems would best be achieved in wilderness areas that have remained untouched for millions of years rather than urban or agricultural sites, which have undergone rapid, significant change.

"Increasing agricultural production and urban development driven by global population growth have resulted in major changes in land and water management and this has an influence on the measurement of climate change impacts," Dr Davis said.

"Given the compounding effect of multiple influences on urban and agricultural areas we need to be clearer about climate change, separating other human impacts from climatic impacts on our environment. Therefore we need to focus on those where we are confident that the only major impact is climatic change."

Dr Davis said measurement of ecological climate change on aquatic systems included the monitoring of river and stream depths, water quality, the health of native bird and animal life, temperature variation and rainfall.

"We live on a continent that has already undergone massive long-term climatic change following the break up of Gondwana and the continent's ecosystem changed, but survived," Dr Davis said.

"Many Australian inland aquatic ecosystems are described as 'boom and bust' systems.

"They are characterised by plants and animals that respond opportunistically to the 'good times' and cope when dry conditions return - these systems appear to be highly resilient to climatic variability.

"Although a program to track climate-driven ecological change in inland waters will require new funding, the ultimate economic costs associated with not truly distinguishing climatic impacts from other stressors, will be far greater."