Biological Diversity
Biological diversity, or biodiversity, refers to the variety of life forms in our environment. It includes all life forms including plants, animals and micro-organisms, along with their genes, and the ecosystems they comprise.
The biodiversity of Victoria’s forests can be measured at the genetic, species and ecosystem levels. Genetic diversity can be explained as the differences within a species. Species diversity refers to the variety of species within a community. Ecosystem diversity is the variety of different communities formed by living organisms and the relationships between them.
A key objective of the Department of Environment and Primary Industries (DEPI) is to conserve native biodiversity. A key requirement for achieving this is, minimising the impact of pest plants and animals. DEPI undertakes a variety of projects to conserve biodiversity. These range from the Southern Ark fox control program to protection of specific threatened native species. For further information, refer to DEPI's Plants and Animals webpage.
Further Reading
For further information on the conservation of biological diversity in Victoria's forests, see the following documents:
- Chapter 1 of Victoria's State of the Forests Report 2008
- Victoria's Native Vegetation Management: A Framework for Action
- Victorian Biodiversity Strategy
- National Strategy for the Conservation of Australia's Biological Diversity
- Forests Australia - Report Card
Brown Mountain Fauna Survey
Government biodiversity officers, have conducted a series of surveys including specific surveys for Long-Footed Potoroos and Orbost Spiny Crayfish in the Brown Mountain Creek area to determine if any threatened species were present. The surveys found no threatened species.Surveys for arboreal mammals
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