Cost effectiveness in site selection to protect native plant communities from the weed, bitou bush, in New South Wales, Australia

Title
Cost effectiveness in site selection to protect native plant communities from the weed, bitou bush, in New South Wales, Australia
Publication Date
2013
Author(s)
Sinden, John A
Downey, Paul
Cacho, Oscar J
( author )
OrcID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1542-4442
Email: ocacho@une.edu.au
UNE Id une-id:ocacho
Hester, Susan
Type of document
Journal Article
Language
en
Entity Type
Publication
Publisher
Elsevier BV
Place of publication
United Kingdom
DOI
10.1016/j.jenvman.2013.06.018
UNE publication id
une:14746
Abstract
Government funding to protect native plant communities is usually limited. For cost effectiveness, priority sites for conservation must therefore be identified and funds allocated to protect these sites according to the quantity of communities conserved per dollar of cost. In 1999, invasion of coastal vegetation in New South Wales (NSW) by bitou bush was listed as a key threatening process under the NSW 'Threatened Species Conservation Act' 1995. In accordance with the Act, a Threat Abatement Plan (TAP) was prepared to reduce the impacts of the weed to threatened biodiversity at priority sites. In the present study, data collected for the TAP were analysed by linear programming to determine the feasibility of achieving cost effectiveness in identifying sites and allocating funds, and to explore the impact of associated economic issues on the quantity of native plant communities that are protected. In addition to the total funds and costs per site, the quantity was influenced by alternative funding policies and different site selection strategies. Allocations that recognise these issues can enhance protection outcomes, and promote the cost effectiveness of weed management.
Link
Citation
Journal of Environmental Management, v.128, p. 1071-1080
ISSN
1095-8630
0301-4797
Start page
1071
End page
1080

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