Urban Landscapes
Land in urban areas and on the fringe of urban development has similar biodiversity conservation issues to those of the rural landscapes, but with additional pressure and less flexibility within the local landscape. This type of land occurs extensively around metropolitan Melbourne but also around the regional centres of Victoria. Because of its proximity to urban areas, the land has development potential and consequently increased economic value. Urban fringe areas may have retained significant biodiversity values.
Established urban areas often have small remnants of habitat, which are highly valued by the local community. The biodiversity values remaining in these areas can be particularly important for providing unique examples of pre-existing flora and fauna, for protecting sites of biological significance and as seed sources for revegetation with indigenous species. Importantly, those areas provide local and other urban dwellers with a direct link to the natural heritage of a locale, contributing to a sense of place in urban environments.
Threats to these biodiversity values include habitat removal and increased fragmentation, environmental weeds, cats and dogs, intensive recreation pressures, urban infrastructure projects, and ecologically inappropriate fire management. These areas typically need intensive management to protect them from degrading.
Choose from:
Ecological Vegetation Class (EVC) Benchmarks by Bioregion
Simplified Native Vegetation Groups
Victoria's Biodiversity Strategy: Urban and Urban Fringe Landscapes
Plants and Animals
Wetlands
See also:
Parks & Reserves
Fire & Other Emergencies
Maps & Imagery
