Greenzone Online

Aside from the fact that the Australian grasslands are part of our Earth too, a large part of plant and animal species still live in what is left of these native areas. The main cause of the loss of biodiversity in these parts is that so much of the land is being cleared out to convert the vegetation areas for other uses. This is also the main cause of land degradation in Australia and is threatening much of the ecosystem. Without plants, there is less oxygen. Without oxygen, humans and animals can’t breathe.

More than 600,000 hectacres of bushland in Australia is destroyed each year and Australia is one of the five main countries that clear the most vegetation, including forests. Only about 10,000 ha of the grasslands are in good condition. 80% of woodlands in Victoria have been removed and many species that live there now face extinction. People in Australia can help the efforts to save the grasslands by planting personal gardens with native plants in them instead of introduced plants. These plants need less water so that helps to save that valuable resource as well. There is also information on the internet about the Clean Up Australia Project.

Cats and other feral animals can damage native plants so it’s important to keep them inside at night and under close supervision when they are out in the day time. Also, weeding the gardens planted helps because weeds are often the cause of most of these plants being destroyed. And of course, the 3 R’s: reduce, reuse, recycle! This is good for the environment in general. Without grassland preservation there is no telling what could happen to the ecosystem in Australia so it is important to become involved and organizations such as the Clean Up Australia Project are always looking for volunteers.