BRUNCKHORST, D.J. (1996) A
Strategy for Developing a Model Experimental Program for Landscape
Recovery and Species Restoration on Bookmark Biosphere Reserve,
the Riverland, South Australia. Report prepared for
Bookmark Biosphere Trust, Dept. Environment & Natural Resources,
South Australia, the Australian Nature Conservation Agency, and
Chicago Zoological Society.
Prepared by Dr David Brunckhorst for Bookmark Biosphere
Trust, Dept. Environment & Natural Resources, South Australia,
the Australian Nature Conservation Agency, and Chicago Zoological
Society © 1996
Together, our soils and nature are in retreat. Conserving biodiversity and the productivity of our land is one of the great challenges of our time. The interdependence of all creatures on each other, together with the productivity of the land means that the harmony of our society is also threatened. This is equally the case across the rangelands of Australia, the great Murray-Darling Basin and, the Riverland communities of South Australia. Many elements of this land, its river systems and its biota require nurture and repair.
Urgent, thoughtful action is required. Increasingly, it is necessary to entwine strategies for ecologically sustainable development and conservation. The nature of the task at hand, its length and breadth, means that traditional approaches and the already stretched resources of the public sector, while essential, cannot do the job alone. In partnership with government, rural communities must endeavour to assemble a multitude of cross-sectoral resources, professional capacities and volunteer contributions to develop and experiment with creative approaches to conservation and landscape recovery.
We have taken on these challenges. The Bookmark Biosphere Reserve is a community managed model with a vision to a sustainable future.
Environmental recovery of the landscape and biodiversity restoration (i.e., not only species, but also important ecological processes in the landscape) is a long term commitment of the Bookmark Biosphere Trust. Related initiatives include: development of experimental sustainable industries; elaboration of a community-based land-use planning process; and, education and communication through development of an Environment Centre as a 'window' to the Biosphere Reserve.
The Trust is developing a large scale, integrated approach to land rehabilitation and multi-species recovery projects. Such a trans-disciplinary, landscape scale model will be required in many other places, but none has been developed to date. Initial efforts will focus on the floodplain and island systems of the Calperum Pastoral Lease, the community commons of Bookmark Biosphere Reserve.
This document provides an overview of a strategic, but flexible, action plan to pursue a large scale, experimental project for environmental restoration on Bookmark Biosphere Reserve. It outlines the directions and rationale for a holistic, 'learning-by-doing' approach being taken. Species recovery planning will follow IUCN SSC guidelines. In doing so, the Trust will use the best available knowledge and advice to guide strategic community action. But there is no wisdom, or future, in avoiding action because we lack data. We cannot shy from inevitable errors - these will be positive learning experiences for future success.
Successful implementation of the strategy will depend on substantial community and voluntary participation. Implementation will include: comprehensive, but flexible, planning and project management (Restoration Program Co-ordinator); research and information sourcing for site selection, biological, habitat and other parameters; control of threatening processes; vegetation and habitat field surveys and assessment (Survey Teams); co-ordinated ex-situ and in-situ recovery actions of a suite of species (Co-ordinator + Recovery Teams); continual monitoring for adaptive (experimental) management; recording of the evolution of the recovery process; and, review. While this document provides an overview of approach and strategic directions, currently evolving plans will explicitly outline the on-ground actions of each of these elements.
Adopted by Bookmark Biosphere Trust, October 1995
The Bookmark Biosphere Trust (formally the Murraylands Conservation Trust) is seeking to increase community participation and raise the resources required to recover degraded land, restore species, protect biodiversity, develop sustainable uses of resources and plan regional land uses to serve community needs for a sustainable future.
The overall aim of the Bookmark Biosphere landscape recovery and species restoration program is to establish an environmental recovery plan at a local community level.
This document provides an overview of a strategic, but flexible, action plan to pursue a large scale, experimental project for environmental restoration on Bookmark Biosphere Reserve.
The project is defined as a large scale landscape restoration and species recovery project to be developed as an experimental model in adaptive management - 'learning-by-doing'. It will include volunteer and community participation. The Bookmark Biosphere Trust is also seeking the support of a range of partners to contribute professional and other resource capacities.
While development of novel ecologically and economically sustainable industries is a continuing focus, ecological restoration is an essential ingredient in working towards long term sustainability and quality of life in the Riverland. For example, reducing grazing and predator pressure through culling and commercial use of feral species (aiming to push feral populations as low as possible) and sustainable wildlife utilisation (aiming to maintain wildlife populations at ecologically sustainable levels) will contribute ecologically and economically to restoration. The Trust is developing a large scale, integrated approach to land rehabilitation and multi-species recovery projects. Such a trans-disciplinary, landscape scale model will be required in many other places, but none has been developed to date.
It is recognised that the project has unique potential to contribute to such large scale restoration of degraded landscapes elsewhere in Australia. Internationally, it could also provide a model program and transferable technology through the UNESCO global network of Biosphere Reserves, the IUCN and other international institutions. Background summaries of the UNESCO program, Bookmark Biosphere Reserve, relevant articles of the Convention on Biological Diversity and other relevant national / international policies are given in Appendices A-D.
The Trust has decided to focus initially on the floodplain and island systems on the Calperum Pastoral Lease, the community commons, of Bookmark Biosphere Reserve.
A landscape restoration and native species recovery plan will be developed as an evolving document and record of the experimental model. Biodiversity recovery planning will follow IUCN SSC guidelines. The project will include substantial volunteer and community participation. It is further recognised that continuing land management, research and monitoring is necessary in the longer term to sustain recovered ecosystems and their new combinations of species.
The following outlines the overall rationale and general process for developing a novel, flexible approach to multi-species ecosystem recovery through community based partnerships with public and private capacities. An action-learning approach combined with networking has accelerated community participation and provides an effective way of linking land repair, nature conservation and water quality management strategies.
Discussion
Australia's Strategy for Ecologically Sustainable Development (agreed by all governments in 1992) recognises that partnerships between government and community at all levels is vital in the quest for integrated sustainable development and conservation.
As society struggles to come to grips with increasing degradation of the land, its resources and faltering ecosystems, all governments are realising their limited resource and professional capacities, to assist social change towards a sustainable future. The Landcare movement has also contributed to public debate of the appropriate responses of government. Increasingly, authoritative authors from a variety of disciplines (economics, social sciences, biological sciences etc) are also recognising the limited capacities of traditional forms of public sector organisation to deal effectively with the scale, complexity and inter-relatedness of environmental problems for long term sustainability., and the ability of compartmentalised government bureaucracies to adjust to or engage in more integrated on-ground models.
As the 'Vision from Seville' (2nd global conference of experts on the UNESCO Biosphere Reserve Program, March 1995) eloquently states:
"Biosphere reserves offer such a model. Rather
than becoming islands in an increasingly impoverished and chaotic
world, they can become theatres for reconciling people and
nature; they can demonstrate how to overcome the problems of the
sectoral nature of our institutions".
Fundamentally, institutional evolution towards a culture that can encourage and partake of integrated models requires a new definition of management - replacing of the idea of control by a few people with that of negotiation and organisational learning. Hence, management is teamwork (by partners) based on a continually evolving consensus on the direction towards sustainable development.
The Bookmark Biosphere Trust greatly appreciates the partnerships with the South Australian Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) and the Commonwealth's Australian Nature Conservation Agency (ANCA, formerly Australian National Parks and Wildlife Service). As key government agencies in the project, they are meeting these challenges within their respective organisational cultures.
A broadly based, 'action centred', network of capacities can greatly contribute to an integrated, multi-disciplinary approach to conservation and sustainable development. Community partnerships and strategic alliances with the private sector as well as government agencies can greatly increase the variety of resources and professional capacities that can be directed towards on-ground solutions.
Bookmark Biosphere Partners
The Bookmark Biosphere Trust recognises the need for a wide range of pragmatic conservation activities to maintain biodiversity - the complex inter-relationships and products of all living things. This is crucial if, as a society, we wish to retain and further our sense of community, standards of living, wise resource use, and a spectrum of recreational pursuits while protecting our capital investment - the natural resource base and ecological processes on which life depends.
The development of closer collaborative (ie., partnership) approaches between Government, private sectors and local communities to address environmental repair and sustainable land management is a valuable contribution of Bookmark Biosphere Reserve and the committed work of the Trust. Through development of Bookmark Biosphere as a model program there is a tremendous opportunity to communicate these values and solutions to other communities in Australia and overseas.
An association of dedicated partners is assisting the community in pursuing development of sustainable relationships between the ecosystems of the Riverland and Mallee, and the human communities which depend upon them for support.
The Trust values its continuing partnerships with government through the South Australian Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) and, the Commonwealth's Australian Nature Conservation Agency (ANCA, formerly Australian National Parks and Wildlife Service). A wide range of other partners including research institutions, private foundations, corporations and individuals will also assist with special projects.
After consultation with ANCA and DENR, the Bookmark Biosphere Trust invited the Zoological Board of Victoria, the Chicago Zoological Society and the Royal Zoological Society of South Australia (Adelaide Zoo) to join the Trust as partners and to contribute professional capacities to this exciting project. The Letter of Agreement, now signed by the partners, seeks to provide a co-operative and strategic, institutional platform focussed on developing a large scale environmental restoration project within Bookmark Biosphere Reserve.
There are essentially three broad approaches to the management of ecosystems and landscapes.
The first has been called the "deferred action" method. As implied, this approach says management should not proceed until ecosystems, habitats and their interrelationships are fully understood. While entrenched in many institutional cultures, deferred action, is untenable if we are committed to maintaining social quality and biodiversity because such ultimate knowledge has an infinite time scale of research, let alone understanding. Neither society nor biodiversity can afford to wait that long, to learn to live together sustainably. Furthermore, this approach tends to overlook important attributes or processes which are, themselves generated by the interdependence or connectivity of ecological and social systems across landscapes.
A second method, described as "passive adaptive" management suggests that management proceeds on a basis of the 'best understanding' of the system using counter-active strategies given that mistakes can be expected. Experience gained from mistakes can be used to improve the management model of the system. This approach is useful, but unfortunately it tends to be implemented too late - as a large reactions when compound errors become un-manageable.
The third approach, termed the "active adaptive approach" (= "adaptive or experimental management") considers management actions as deliberate experiments which are designed to both manage effectively and to generate better information for long-term management with the goal being long term sustainability. In effect, this method becomes a process of 'learning-by-doing' (sometimes termed 'action-learning' approach). As perfect ecological knowledge is unattainable, the concept of sustainable land use will change as knowledge expands. It is also the most flexible approach, in that, varying economic and social demands on management will also contribute to a changing definition of 'on-ground' sustainability. Hence, an active adaptive approach is required to match the dynamism of a bio-physical, economic and social system that continually requires readjustment and the setting of new management targets. The approach contributes increased data and understanding, and increased communication where it is most needed at a local community level. A monitoring capability is an essential ingredient of this approach. Learning-by-doing (active adaptive approach) is the most appropriate for landscape recovery and species restoration implemented by the community and partners.
The UNESCO Biosphere Reserve program provides an excellent international umbrella for developing and testing community-based adaptive-management or 'learning-by-doing' models. The UNESCO program provides an integrative tool for managing whole landscape systems, including their socio-economic features. It unites conservation and sustainable development across the landscape; provides a strategic framework for land use management across jurisdictions - all coupled to monitoring sites across the landscape and, globally, to the international network of biosphere reserves.
This approach has begun to develop at Bookmark Biosphere Reserve. It is a great credit to those who had the foresight for developing monitoring systems - both scientifically based ecosystem monitoring and, perhaps, less formal social and community monitoring. The Bookmark Trust as the land managers of the Biosphere Reserve now play an important role as a common community base for considering the results of such monitoring and adaptive management across the landscape.
There is now an opportunity to demonstrate large scale environmental
recovery and species restoration through a model project which
is linked to the experimental development of novel sustainable
industries which can assist meeting the cost of landscape recovery
in the future.
The process elements of a strategic plan to undertake an integrated and holistic approach to environmental recovery are given below. This will follow the 'action-learning' or 'learning-by-doing' approach, with continual feedback from monitoring provided to adaptive management of on-ground activities. Species recovery planning will follow IUCN SSC guidelines. In doing so, the Trust will use the best available knowledge and advice to guide strategic community action. But there is no wisdom, or future, in avoiding action because we lack data. We cannot shy from inevitable errors - these will be positive learning experiences for future success.
Successful implementation of the strategy will depend on substantial community and voluntary participation. Implementation will include: comprehensive, but flexible, planning and project management (Restoration Program Co-ordinator); research and information sourcing for site selection, biological, habitat and other parameters; control of threatening processes; vegetation and habitat field surveys and assessment (Survey Teams); co-ordinated ex-situ and in-situ recovery actions of a suite of species (Co-ordinator + Recovery Teams); continual monitoring for adaptive (experimental) management; recording of the evolution of the recovery process; and, review.
A long term program, beyond the current decade is envisaged, however, initiating 'on-ground' action and community participation for demonstrable successes in the first 18-24 months will require a substantial injection of resources in the first year. A collective of Private and Corporate partners are attempting to raise the resources for the first 5 years of the program.
While this document provides an overview of approach and strategic directions, currently evolving plans will explicitly outline the on-ground actions of each of these elements.
Aim of Strategy (from Introduction, p.2)
To establish an environmental recovery plan at a local community
level
Objectives
Social and community objectives:
Environmental and biodiversity objectives:
Outline of Steps for future Action Planning
The flow chart set out on the following two pages set out an overview
of the process of strategic actions for environmental recovery
and species restoration on the Calperum 'islands' of Bookmark
Biosphere Reserve. In essence the steps, outlined above, include
basic actions in any recovery process (IUCN 1994).
... continued over
Some Specific Restoration Activities
under Consideration by the Trust and Partners
The following are the major additional components being considered for inclusion in developing an experimental landscape recovery, species restoration and sustainable land management model. Note- while most of these have been discussed to some extent by the Trust and its partners; the list should be considered as flexible and open to further inclusions/development.
APPENDIX A.
Background
The UNESCO 'Man and the Biosphere' program was established in 1971. The term 'Biosphere' refers to that part of the earth supporting life. It was developed to reconcile utilisation with long term protection through an inter-disciplinary approach to sustaining nature and society. The international network of biosphere reserves aims to better integrate cultural needs and aspirations for quality of life while conserving natural values and ecosystem processes.
Major functions of the UNESCO Biosphere Reserve program are:
UNESCO Biosphere Reserves focus on 10 major objectives:
Vision from Seville
The UNESCO Biosphere Reserve program was reviewed at an international conference in Spain in 1995. More than 500 delegates from more than 100 countries and 300 biosphere reserves attended.
The conference acknowledged the increasing importance, profile and responsibility of the program to address implementation actions required under several international conventions, especially the Convention on Biological Diversity. The biosphere reserve program was recognised as tremendously valuable in the past, but of crucial importance to the future in building sustainable cultures around the globe.
In conclusion, the conference noted that biosphere reserves should "preserve and generate natural and cultural values through management that is scientifically correct, culturally creative and operationally sustainable". The global Network of Biosphere Reserves is an integrating tool which can help to create greater solidarity among peoples and nations of the world.
Background to Bookmark Biosphere Reserve
Communities of South Australia, Victoria and New South Wales living along the Murray River are faced with a number of environmental issues affecting their well being. These include soil loss, landscape degradation and species loss. Together with the infusion of saline ground waters and decreasing water quality, along with disappearing wetlands - the liver and kidneys of the River - these processes are collectively threatening the sustainability of all Riverland communities.
The Riverland community has committed itself to reversing degradation of environmental quality and to maintaining quality of life for their children's children.
The Riverland communities, through nominated representatives, manage the land within the Biosphere Reserve and accomplish required tasks through a citizens committee, the Bookmark Biosphere Trust. The community-based Trust is constituted under the South Australian National Parks Act. The Trust is the formal management body responsible for Bookmark Biosphere Reserve. State (Department of Environment & Natural Resources), Federal (Australian Nature Conservation Agency) and private sector professionals serve the trust in understanding and implementing management options.
In June 1995, Bookmark Biosphere Reserve was officially recognised and listed by UNESCO. In taking its decision, the Director General of UNESCO, Dr Federico Mayor, who had recently visited Bookmark remarked:
"I wish to highlight the innovative mechanisms
which have been developed to involve all stake holders
in the management of the area and which could serve as an example
to other sites in the world network".
Bookmark Biosphere Reserve constitutes more than 6 000 sq km (3 times the size of the Australian Capital Territory). It is made up of several different land tenures including conservation reserves, game and forestry reserves, pastoral leases and private land. The flood plains of Bookmark Biosphere Reserve are recognised as internationally significant wetlands for waterfowl and migratory species. Australia is a party to several international conventions for the protection of these areas. The 'Calperum' Pastoral Lease which incorporates many of these wetlands of international significance is also the focal point for the community to experiment with novel sustainable industries. However, large scale landscape recovery and species restoration are necessary and integral to the pursuit of ecologically sustainable development initiatives.
While there is strong bi-partisan government commitment to the future of Bookmark governments do not have sufficient resources in the long term to recover degraded land and carry out the conservation programs that are the basis for the biological and cultural heritage of the Riverland. The Bookmark Biosphere Trust (formally the Murraylands Conservation Trust) is an innovative and far sighted group of citizens concerned with the long term sustainability of the natural environment, social values and standard of living in the Murray Riverland of South Australia. This is indeed a bold commitment to support a 'bottom-up' culture of capacity to accomplish conservation goals with few resources, political harmony, and new productive and innovative working relationships to leverage available resources, commitment and talent.
This commitment is further demonstrated by the community and the
private benefactor who helped with the purchase of Calperum Pastoral
Lease. Most recently, Mr Brooks McCormick has contributed a further
$1.1M to build an Environment Centre to show case Bookmark Biosphere
Reserve programs for innovative land management, conservation,
ecologically sustainable development, environmental education
and community participation. The Riverland community provided
the concept for an Environment Centre assisted by the pro
bono services of several professionals. The town of Renmark
has donated a wetland site for the Centre and will provide approximately
$100,000 worth of service connections.
APPENDIX B
The following extracts from the Convention on Biological Diversity provide some of the International policy context. Nation States, such as Australia, as signatories to the Convention are required to develop plans, and take action as described in the Articles to the Convention. The Convention articles were developed to be interpreted within the overall context of sustainable development.
The following are relevant to the Bookmark Biosphere Trust and
future development of Bookmark Biosphere Reserve. Those of special
interest and value to the biosphere reserve program and environmental
restoration are highlighted.
Article 6 - General Measures for Conservation and Sustainable Use
(b) Integrate ... the conservation and sustainable use of biological diversity into relevant sectoral or cross-sectoral plans, programmes and policies.
Article 8 - In-Situ Conservation
(a) Establish a system of protected areas and other areas ...
(c) ... manage biological resources important for the conservation of biological diversity whether within or outside protected areas, with a view to their conservation and sustainable use.
(e) Promote environmentally sound and sustainable development in areas adjacent to protected areas with a view to furthering protection of these areas.
(f) Rehabilitate and restore degraded ecosystems and promote the recovery of threatened species ...
(i) Endeavour to provide the conditions needed for compatibility between present uses and the conservation of biological diversity and the sustainable use of its components.
Article 9 - Ex-Situ Conservation
(a) Adopt measures for the ex-situ conservation of ... biological diversity, preferably in the country of origin of such components.
(b) Establish and maintain facilities for ex-situ conservation of and research on plants, animals and micro-organisms, preferably in the country of origin of genetic resources.
(c) Adopt measures for the recovery and rehabilitation of threatened species and for their reintroduction ..
Article 10 - Sustainable Use of Components of Biological Diversity
(d) Support local populations to develop and implement remedial action in degraded areas where biological diversity has been reduced.
(e) Encourage cooperation between governmental authorities and the private sector in developing methods for sustainable use of biological resources.
Article 13 - Public Education and Awareness
(a) Promote and encourage understanding of the
importance of, and the measures required for, the conservation
of biological diversity ... and the inclusion of these topics
in education programs.
APPENDIX C
The following is a direct quote from the 'Guiding Principles'
(page 8) of the National Strategy for Ecologically Sustainable
Development (December 1992) which all States and Territories
have agreed to implement. In many ways they reflect the values
and challenges that the Bookmark Biosphere Trust and Riverland
communities are seeking to implement and demonstrate. These principles
and objectives are considered to be a package - each is of equal
stature - reflecting the need for a balanced, integrated and cooperative
approach to sustainable development and conservation.
The Goal is:
Development that improves the total quality of life, both now and in the future, in a way that maintains the ecological processes on which life depends.
The Core Objectives are:
The Guiding Principles are:
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