Human Impacts

The Greater Blue Mountains area is a world heritage listed ecosystem that consists of thousands of different animal and plant species. However, it is being impacted by humans who are destroying its natural balance.

Fire

As humans, we haven't evolved to survive raging fires so we try to stop fires as soon as they start. Australia's flora and fauna, however, have grown and adapted to the fire regimes that Australia naturally has. A fire regime is the frequency, season and intensity of the fires in that region.

If theses natural fire regimes change too much, there could be horrible consequences for the flora and fauna of the Blue Mountains region, with the worst case scenario being the extinction of some of the unique flora and fauna that call this region home.

We are trying to reduce the impact of changing fire regimes by having controlled burn offs at regular intervals that can help reduce the severity of the future fires while maintaining the natural balance of these ecosystems.

Water Management

Water is vital to the survival of all forms of life. Without water, no plant or animal can survive. The Blue Mountains water catchments support a wide range of ecosystems, both aquatic (in the water) and terrestrial (on land).

Urban developments have affected the way the water flows through the environment. These urban environments produce stormwater run-off which causes the erosion of creeks and rivers because the water is flowing much faster and in larger amounts then it used to.

The water quality is also affected by Urban Environments as the stormwater is often polluted by chemicals and rubbish. This contaminated water is then washed down the waterways where it will contaminate the ecosystems downstream. This will upset the natural balance of the ecosystem.

We are trying to reduce the impact of humans on the water systems by reducing stormwater run-off and by filtering the run-off to try and treat any contamination that may be in it.

Land Degradation

Urban developments have resulted in the loss of habitat because of land clearing and the fragmentation of bushland. The clearing and fragmentation of bushland has resulted in very little native vegetation remaining in these urban environments.

The vegetation that does survive will also suffer from pest and weed invasions and are vulnerable to further clearing.

When habitats decline because of land clearing, the animals have less space to live in so the animal populations decline. This means that these areas lose some of their biodiversity as the animals are competing for more limited resources.

Biodiversity is what allows the Blue Mountains ecosystems to function successfully and without it, the environment would just collapse around us.

We are trying to reduce the amount of habitat loss within the greater Blue Mountains region by re-planting native vegetation in areas that have been cleared and by trying to reduce the footprint of any further developments.