40736 Biodiversity Strategy 2010-2020 FINAL PROOF.Indd
1616 SunshineSuSunshnnsshshiininenene CoastCCooasastastst BiodiversityBiBiododioddiivveeerrssisitittyyS StrategyStrttrararattegteeeggy 2010-202020100011010--22200200 Section 3 Values Everyone in the world depends completely on Earth’s ecosystems and the services they provide, such as food, water, disease management, climate regulation, spiritual fulfilment and aesthetic enjoyment. Ian Lowe Sunshine Coast Biodiversity Strategy 2010-2020 17 3 Values 3.1 Biodiversity at a glance The Landscape Our region is blessed with stunning natural landscapes The Sunshine Coast in Context that includes: world renowned beaches, waterways Australia is recognised as one of 17 ‘megadiverse’ and coastal ecosystems; unique lowland and hinterland countries and is home to many endemic and uniquely forests; with an idyllic sub-tropical climate. It comprises Australian species. Queensland has a rich biodiversity, ecological, biodiversity and natural history attributes with 47% of the nation’s plants and 66% of all native of national and international significance. bird, mammal, frog and reptile species found in the state (EPA 2004) while the South East Queensland bioregion The Sunshine Coast encompasses an area of 2,291 is one of the state’s richest areas in terms of the variety square kilometres containing a diverse range of of plant and animals. geological and geographic features extending from Emu Mountain in the north to the iconic National Heritage The Sunshine Coast lies within the Macleay-McPherson listed Glass House Mountains and Pumicestone Passage overlap, an ecological transition zone between the in the south, and west to the Conondale Ranges. Torresian and Bassian biological distributions. Many tropical species reach their southern limit and many The region has thousands of kilometres of waterways temperate species reach their northern limits within and approximately 130 kilometres of beaches and this zone.
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