How do you choose a national park?

15 June 2004

Determining what particular aspects of the natural environment should be protected by conservation reserves is the focus for tomorrow's free seminar from the Key Centre for Tropical Wildlife Management.

Charles Darwin University's recently appointed Chair in Tropical Knowledge, Professor Stephen Garnett, will present the seminar. Professor Garnett was involved in the selection of properties that might be included in the protected area estate of Queensland.

Professor Stephen Garnett

"Natural habitats on Cape York in Queensland, like those in the Top End, are still largely intact," Professor Garnett explained.

"Since such places are scarce in the world, as a whole the Queensland government has set aside funds to buy some of the best properties and turn them into national parks. This process invites the question of how do you choose which properties are the best?"

"One objective has been to try to ensure 10 per cent of each ecosystem is in a national park. But why 10 per cent - why not 5 per cent or 20 per cent?

"And is an ecosystem defined by the trees, or the soil or the climate? And will it make a difference if one builds up to 10 per cent gradually, one property at a time or should the best selection of properties be made at the start?

"The answers to all these questions will affect which property is selected, and ultimately the aspects of the natural environment that end up being protected."

Professor Stephen Garnett has been toying with these questions and will be exploring what happens to the choice of property if target size, definition of what is an ecosystem and method of choosing properties is varied.

Having recently moved to Darwin, Professor Garnett has an extensive background in environmental science research, mostly in north Queensland and the Pacific, dealing particularly with threatened species.