title: Addressing Potential Cumulative Impacts of Development on Threatened Species: The Case of the Endangered Black-Throated Finch.
abstract: Where threatened biodiversity is adversely affected by development, policies often state that "no net loss" should be the goal and biodiversity offsetting is one mechanism available to achieve this. However, developments are often approved on an ad hoc basis and cumulative impacts are not sufficiently examined. We demonstrate the potential for serious threat to an endangered subspecies when multiple developments are planned. We modelled the distribution of the black-throated finch (Poephila cincta cincta) using bioclimatic data and Queensland's Regional Ecosystem classification. We overlaid granted, extant extractive and exploratory mining tenures within the known and modelled ranges of black-throated finches to examine the level of incipient threat to this subspecies in central Queensland, Australia. Our models indicate that more than half of the remaining P. cincta cincta habitat is currently under extractive or exploratory tenure. Therefore, insufficient habitat exists to offset all potential development so "no net loss" is not possible. This has implications for future conservation of this and similarly distributed species and for resource development planning, especially the use of legislated offsets for biodiversity protection.
authors.affiliation: CSIRO Land and Water, PMB PO, Aitkenvale, Queensland, Australia.
authors.forename: Eric Peter
authors.initials: EP
authors.lastname: Vanderduys
authors.affiliation: Centre for Tropical Environmental & Sustainability Sciences, James Cook University, Queensland, Australia.
authors.forename: April E
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: Reside
authors.affiliation: College of Marine and Environmental Sciences, James Cook University, Queensland, Australia.
authors.forename: Anthony
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Grice
authors.affiliation: CSIRO Land and Water, PMB PO, Aitkenvale, Queensland, Australia.|College of Marine and Environmental Sciences, James Cook University, Queensland, Australia.
authors.forename: Juliana
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Rechetelo
mesh_terms: D063147:Animal Distribution; D000818:Animals; D044822:Biodiversity; D002980:Climate; D003247:Conservation of Natural Resources; D017753:Ecosystem; D056727:Endangered Species; D046369:Finches / Q000502:physiology*; D008906:Mining; D008954:Models, Biological; D011793:Queensland