Lanscape Connectivity - A Talk by Dr Jim Radford

There has been much attention on habitat fragmentation and the need to‘re- connect landscapes’ if we are going to conserve biodiversity. This topic of remedying fragmentation of habitat has been at the heart of many of the actions carried out by the Wedderburn CMN over the last six years of its existence and is also of concern to the members of the newly formed Loddon Plains Landcare Network. It seemed appropriate then to invite Dr Jim Radford, of Deakin University and Bush Heritage Australia, an acknowledged expert in this field to give a talk on the subject. The talk, held at Serpentine Bowls club, was attended by members of various landcare groups and members of the Wedderburn CMN.
The talk focused on landscape connectivity, and aimed to stimulate discussion on some key questions such as: What is landscape connectivity and why is it important? How can we increase connectivity at the large spatial scale?
Dr Radford provided much insight into possible answers to questions such as these and others raised by members of the audience. Significant comments included - more emphasis needs to be placed on restoring resilient ecosystems - improving ecosystems may take many forms including revegetation - concentration should be upon building and connecting habitats – we should conserve and enhance what we already have. The talk also highlighted the danger of efforts which only added vegetation to the environment without adequate thought for actual habitat building. This was an educational experience.
Michael Moore