The relative recent fragmentation of the native vegetation in central parts of Gondwana Link has contributed to the decline of many populations of native animals and many of these are still in decline. We are still living with the consequences of recent land clearing and it’s probably too soon to tell what the eventual toll will be.  The large National Parks of south-western Australia such as the Fitzgerald River National Park, Stirling Ranges and the Walpole Wilderness Area are the last refuges for many of our plants and animals.  A key strategy to counter the effects of fragmentation is to reconnect the landscape.  The questions “what do we connect”, “how do we connect it” and most important “where are the most urgent connections needed” are critical to our restoration work.  The health of the landscape and its capacity to support all of its plants and animals is ultimately related to its connectedness.  The viability of our magnificent national parks depends on the continuity and the ecological health of the matrix that they sit in.  The threats to our wildlife do not stop at the borders of national parks.  In order to survive in the long term, many of our animals need to be able to move.  The landscape as we see it today is only a snapshot.  In fact, landscapes are constantly changing.  In order to continue to evolve, species must be able to move over small or large scales and new species need to evolve as inevitably some will disappear.  As local conditions and environments change, particularly in the face of accelerated climate change, plants and animals need to either move to conditions that suit them or they need to be able to adapt to the new conditions.  These are both made easier in landscapes that are connected.  Our current systems of nature reserves and national parks are like islands and ecological theory tells us that, over time islands will lose species.

The concept of ecological connectivity is a complex one.  Restoring landscape connections or creating linkages will require different actions for different species in different areas and at different times.  Our knowledge of the landscapes and the species found there enables us to develop strategies, weigh up options and make choices about what to do in the landscape and where to do it.  Because the populations of many plants and animals are still in decline in the landscape, we need to do this as soon as possible if we are not to lose even more species.  This is a landscape in which species that were once common are now rare.  Our strategy is very much of ensuring that the common species stay common rather than managing for numerous threatened species in disparate localities.  The future of all species ultimately depends on restoring the critical connections in the landscape and this must be based on sound ecological theory and practice guided by the best possible information, especially science.  We probably have only one chance to get it right.

Coordination of Gondwana Link Science
Dr Simon Judd is employed by the Wilderness Society and is charged with the task of providing scientific direction to the work of Gondwana Link.  The intrinsic nature of the landscapes spanning Gondwana Link, a diverse and complex mosaic of interwoven and interlocking ecosystems, makes this an equally complex and intricate task. There is no off-the-shelf text book or instruction manual to provide an easy step-by-step guide to the protection, restoration and ultimate reconnection of bushland across Gondwana Link. Many of the guiding principles for ecological management or restoration were developed in the northern hemisphere, or perhaps eastern Australia, and are sometimes not readily applicable to south-western Australia’s ecosystems.  Therefore the science tasks task is a vital one and requires the very latest scientific thinking and the involvement of the best local and international scientists.

In Gondwana Link we utilise information from a wide a range of sources, but the principle task of the science coordinator is to comb the scientific literature, build scientific networks and to provide practical scientific guidance ensure that Gondwana Link progresses in the required ecological direction.  This is achieved by developing appropriate ecological concepts, principles and guidelines that assist the range of contributing organisations to carry out their work.  This scientific thinking is highly original and at the cutting edge of community conservation planning and action and is being written up and will be published in the conservation scientific literature.

Although based in Western Australia, Simon also plays a national role with the Wilderness Society helping with the development of WildCountry, the Wilderness Society’s science-based vision for meaningful and lasting nature conservation at the continental scale. Gondwana Link is seen as leading national conservation initiative and the concepts and principles being developed are being applied elsewhere in Australia.  In a nutshell, the role of science within Gondwana Link is two-fold; firstly we need to decide, from the range of available conservation opportunities available, which have the potential to deliver the most conservation benefits and, secondly, as we aiming to create positive ecological change we need to monitor rigorously the consequences of our ecological actions and adapt our methodology and practises accordingly.

Further Reading

M. E. Soule, B.G. Mackey, H. F. Recher, J. E. Williams, J. C. Z. Woinarski, D. Driscoll, W. C. Dennison and M. E. Jones.  The role of connectivity in Australian conservation.  Pacific Conservation Biology, Volume 10, 266-279.
Abstract available at: http://www.wilderness.org.au/campaigns/wildcountry/documents/connect/