Bushland
{{Short description|Natural ecosystem in Australia}}
{{about|the geographic term|other uses|Bushland (disambiguation)}}
File:Brisbane Koala Bushlands (7114372153).jpg set aside for the protection of koalas]]
In Australia, bushland is a blanket term for land which supports remnant vegetation or land which is disturbed but still retains a predominance of the original floristics and structure.{{cite book |title=Dictionary for Managing Trees in Urban Environments |year=2009 |publisher=Csiro Publishing |isbn=0643096078 |page=23 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=uRGc9tb_gFcC |access-date=6 October 2013}}
Human survival in bushland has a whole mythology evolving around it, with the stories of Aboriginal trackers and bushrangers deeply entrenched in Australian folklore. Bushland has been a traditional source of wood for fuel and bushfood.{{cite book |title=The Future is an Ancient Lake: Traditional Knowledge, Biodiversity and Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture in Lake Chad Basin Ecosystems |last=Batello|first=Caterina |author2=Adamou Harouna Touré |author3=Peter Ervin Kenmore |year=2004 |publisher=Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations |isbn=9251050643 |page=166 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=P1lNboNEnQ0C |access-date=6 October 2013}}
Bushland provides a number of ecosystem services including the protection of water quality, stopping erosion, acting as a windbreak, and trapping nutrients.{{cite web |url=http://www.lakemac.com.au/downloads/Fact%20Sheet%207%20-%20Managing%20our%20Bushland.pdf |title=Fact Sheet 7: Managing our Bushland |publisher=Lake Macquarie City Council |access-date=6 October 2013 }}
Bushland is prone to bushfires. This presents a challenge to authorities as infrastructure and habitations encroach into bushland areas.{{cite book |title=Australia Burning: Fire Ecology, Policy and Management Issues |last=Bowman |first=David |editor1-first=Cary |editor1-last=Geoffrey |editor2-first=David |editor2-last=Lindenmayer |editor3-first=Stephen |editor3-last=Dovers |year=2003 |chapter=Bushfires: A Darwinian Perspective |publisher=Csiro Publishing |isbn=0643098542 |page=11 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=mrkmBI1liKoC |access-date=6 October 2013}}
Preservation
Until recently Australia had a very high rate of land clearing, which resulted in the destruction of bushland.{{cite web |url=http://www.anbg.gov.au/cpbr/media-releases/bio-bites-life-support-02-10-05.html |title=Bushland On Life Support |date=4 November 2002 |work=Media Release |publisher=Centre for Plant Biodiversity Research and Australian National Herbarium |access-date=6 October 2013 }} Since 2006 the rate of land clearing has declined significantly. This is partially attributed to legislation that placed a ban on broad scale clearing of mature bushland in Queensland in 2006 and an expansion of those bans to regrowing bushland with a high conservation value in 2009.{{cite book |title=WWF Bushland at risk of renewed clearing in Queensland 2013 |last=Taylor |first=Martin |year=2013 |publisher=WWF-Australia |isbn=978-1-921031-48-9 |page=4 |url=http://awsassets.wwf.org.au/downloads/fl012_bushland_at_risk_of_renewed_clearing_in_queensland_9may13.pdf |access-date=6 October 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150407000936/http://awsassets.wwf.org.au/downloads/fl012_bushland_at_risk_of_renewed_clearing_in_queensland_9may13.pdf |archive-date=7 April 2015 |url-status=dead }} In New South Wales bushfires cause the greatest destruction of bushland, followed by land clearing for crops, grazing, road and buildings.{{Cite news |url=http://www.smh.com.au/environment/conservation/loggers-are-clearing-bushland-at-rising-rate-20111220-1p3z8.html |title=Loggers are clearing bushland at rising rate |author=Ben Cubby |access-date=6 October 2013 |date=21 December 2011 |newspaper=The Sydney Morning Herald |publisher=Fairfax Media }}
Bushland preservation has become the focus of some conservation efforts. In Brisbane, the Brisbane City Council has established a Bushland Acquisition Program, which is funded by a small levy paid by rate-payers.{{cite web |url=http://www.brisbane.qld.gov.au/environment-waste/natural-environment/bushland-parklands-wetlands/bushland-preservation-levy/index.htm |title=Bushland Preservation Levy |date=2 September 2013 |publisher=Brisbane City Council |access-date=6 October 2013 }} The program began in 1990 and aims to protect koala habitat from urban development.{{Cite news |url=http://www.couriermail.com.au/questnews/south/vital-bushland-acquisition-by-bcc/story-fn8m0tyy-1226134876821 |title=Vital bushland acquisition by BCC |author=Liam Parsons |access-date=6 October 2013 |date=13 September 2011 |newspaper=Southern Star |publisher=Quest Newspapers }} It is estimated that the koala population in the area had declined from 6,240 in 1996 to 1,500 in 2012.{{Cite news |url=http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/queensland/state-election-2012/conservation-group-claims-koala-numbers-fudged-20120314-1v3am.html |title=Conservation group claims koala numbers fudged |author=Tony Moore |access-date=6 October 2013 |date=15 March 2012 |work=Brisbane Times |publisher=Fairfax Media }}
See also
{{Portal|Australia}}