oala Management in AustraliaEcology or Politics?

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  • オーストラリアにおけるコアラの個体数管理 : 生態系保全か、政治的利害か
  • Koala Management in Australia:Ecology or Politics?
  • Koala Management in Australia Ecology o

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The conservation of Australia's biological diversity has many controversial aspects, in particular,wildlife management programs that sanction population control, or culling, of native species. Most Australians, however, draw the line at shooting koalas. Koala populations in Australia vary widely in their population dynamics and conservation status as some are experiencing critical decline and others, unbridled expansion. Sensitive habitats in parts of southern Australia have become overpopulated by koala populations which have overbrowsed their preferred tree species'. As a result, endemic Eucalyptus communities have become decimated and the food supplies destroyed.Controlled culling of koalas has been proposed by some ecologists and conservationists, and has become a political issue. Koala protection organisations and the media have at times played on public sympathy for the koala to the point where koala management issues have influenced voter preferences and confused the conservation status of the species. Education is needed to change the public perception of the koala as a cuddly national icon to a more holistic understanding of the koala as one element in the ecosystem, the integrity of which must be maintained as first priority. Such a view would reduce the political sensitivity of koala management and enhance the sustainability of koala populations and their preferred habitat.

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