Vegetation clearing

area and proportion of all vegetation types cleared each year in each biogeographic subregion and in specified catchments for each type of proposed landuse

Indicator description

Clearing vegetation is one of the major pressures on terrestrial ecosystems - both native ecosystems and agricultural lands. For this reason it is a key indicator in State of the Environment reporting.

Removing native vegetation impacts on native ecosystems through the loss of habitat for native plant and animal species as well as direct removal of native plant species. It has also resulted in a decline in agricultural productivity in many areas due to changes in local hydrology (e.g. salinity), weather patterns (e.g. regional windspeed) and soil stability.

Loss of native vegetation reduces the size and connectedness of remnant native ecosystems, making them less able to withstand outside pressures such as fire and the introduction of pests, as well as restricting the movement of native animal species. Even where vegetation types appear identical to those in reserves, genetic stocks may be different, and remnants may be important sources of recolonisation if neighbouring areas lose species, such as by fire or by natural occurrence over time.