Monitoring

The department has developed a range of monitoring policies, designs and operational activities. We participate on intergovernmental committees developing national and state indicators and monitoring protocols.

The basic aims of natural resource monitoring are to evaluate resource condition (assessment of the current state) and understand trend (resource change over time) against a baseline.

Programs are in place to help track changes in our marine systems. The design and development of monitoring programs includes tracking ecological recovery in South Australia's protected areas.

South Australia's marine parks program employs a team of experienced marine scientists and technicians responsible for gathering and analysing information through scientific research and monitoring, including biodiversity surveys and habitat mapping. The results, together with existing scientific information and social and economic data, will be used to help monitor and evaluate the success of management in marine parks.

Methodologies have been developed for characterising terrestrial ecological communities to provide benchmarks for recovery programs. Expertise in arid ecosystems and the impacts of herbivores has aided the development of a number of monitoring projects to inform biodiversity recovery programs and pastoral management.

Ongoing monitoring programs have been established for Operation BounceBack, a major conservation program aiming to protect and restore the semi-arid environments of the Flinders, Gawler and Olary Ranges of South Australia.

The department also uses permanently marked sites (photopoints) as a tool to monitor biodiversity resources in protected areas and private lands.

The department collects a range of data to monitor trends in the condition of soil and land in the agricultural areas of the state. Find out more about the department's soil and land condition trends monitoring.