UNESCO - MAB Biosphere Reserves Directory

	Biosphere Reserve Information
	Australia NOOSA	© Noosa BR


General Description	The Noosa Biosphere incorporates the area comprising the former Noosa Shire local government area in the State of Queensland, Australia, and the adjacent coastal waters to 3 kilometres offshore. Noosa Shire is now part of an amalgamated regional local government area – Sunshine Coast Regional Council - but maintains an individual iconic local identity protected by specific legislation. The total permanent population within the proposed Biosphere Reserve is approximately 50,000 people, with a seasonal population of up to 65,000. The total area covered by Noosa Biosphere Reserve is approximately 150,000 hectares of freshwater/tidal and terrestrial areas. The Noosa area is considered ideal for the creation of a Biosphere Reserve. For more than 40 years, it has been home to one of the earliest and consistently active networks of community conservation groups in the State of Queensland. Numerous scientific studies of world standing have been undertaken in the area. The Noosa community has nominated the area for designation as Biosphere Reserve as part of its response to the challenge of maintaining the existing conservation oriented culture and to provide the basis for achieving sustainable use of the area's natural and cultural resources. Managing urban growth in a sustainable manner and developing a culture of responsible stewardship by all community members is one of the key drivers of the Noosa Biosphere. Community sectoral interests have strong representation on the biosphere management organisation, Noosa Biosphere Ltd. These cover cultural, environment, social, education R&D, economic and tourism. Each sector board has directorial representation on the biosphere governance board. The local economy has a strong reliance on tourism and this in turn is dependant on the natural resource base and locational attributes of the area. There are productive agricultural lands, community services, light industry and managed forests reserves, located in the transition zone of the proposed Biosphere area. Several international treaties for conservation apply specifically the nominated area including the Japan-Australia Migratory Birds Agreement, JAMBA, a migratory bird protection agreement with Japan, and a similar agreement made with China, the China-Australian Migratory Birds Agreement, CAMBA. The majority of the core areas of the Noosa Biosphere Reserve are publicly owned lands and waters managed by either State or Local Government authorities for conservation under State legislation. There are two private freehold properties included in the core area. These properties have legislative conservation protection under State Legislation. The buffer area includes both public reserves and private freehold lands that are managed to achieve integration of conservation and sustainable development outcomes.
Major ecosystem type	Noosa is located within two critically endangered and overlapping Ecoregions (as identified by World Wildlife Fund/National Geographic Priority and Global 200 Ecoregions) being the "Eastern Australian Rivers and Streams", and the "Eastern Australian Temperate Forests"
Major habitats & land cover types	Sand Plain and High Dune Rainforest, Ecotonal Forests, Eucalypt Forest, Melaluca Commuities, Heathlands and Sedgelands, Mangrove and Saline Communities, Frontal Dune and Foreshore Communities, Exposed High Dune Sand Systems, Freshwater and Marine Ecosystems, Regrowth/ Regernating Vegetation Areas (all types), Plantations, Agricultural Areas, Urban and Urban Infrastructure Areas
Location	Most Northerly -26.1384, "-26,8,18" Most Southerly -26.5008, "-26,30,3" Most Easterly 153.148, "153,8,53" Most Westerly 152.763, "152,45,46" Centre Point -26.3305, 152.952 "-26,19,50", "152,57,6"
Area (hectares)
Total	150,000
Core area(s)	24,870
Buffer zone(s)	28,050
Transition area(s) when given	28,820
Altitude (metres above sea level)	450 m
Year designated	2007
Administrative authorities	Sunshine Coast Regional Council, Noosa Biosphere Ltd (official biosphere governance), the State Government of Queensland, the Australian Government

Brief description	The proposed Biosphere Reserve has a wide range of existing programs for research, monitoring, education and training. A range of research activities are currently underway or planned to uncover new knowledge and further the application of existing knowledge about conservation and sustainable development.This includes ecological research and monitoring projects in the following areas: Current: > Field investigations into a new species of Lepidoptera known only from Noosa; > Pest plant control trials on various pest species and including physical, chemical, fire and biological control methods; > Assessment of the impacts of recreational activities on the conservation values of Noosa North Shore natural areas; > Attitudinal surveys of environmental impacts of recreational usage of Noosa North Shore Beaches; > Assessment of the impacts of vehicular traffic on Noosa North Shore beaches; > Resident and migratory waders and shore birds utilisation of the lower Noosa river system; > Assessment of the cause, implications and control of Nuisance Algal Blooms on Noosa Main Beach; > Seagrass monitoring in the Noosa River System; > Noosa River ecosystem health monitoring program; > Use of Biosolids from sewage treatment processes to produce energy; > Local alternative energy applications such as landfill gas recovery and microhydro energy recovery from the reticulated water distribution system; Additional Planned Research: > Assessment of genetic diversity amongst Mary River Cod for use in recovery breeding programs; Applicability of emerging solar technology for water heating in a municipal aquatic centre, and in enhancing landfill gas to energy programs.
*Specific variables...*
Abiotic	Abiotic factors, air temperature, climate, erosion, geology, geomorphology, global change, groundwater, habitat, hydrology, indicators, meteorology, modelling, monitoring/methodologies, nutrients, physical oceanography/oceans, siltation/sedimentation.
Biodiversity	Afforestation/Reforestation, algae, alien/invasive/exotic/introduced species, amphibians, autoecology/synecology, beach/soft bottom, benthos, biodiversity, biogeography, biology, biotechnology, birds, boreal forest, breeding/reproduction, coastal/marine, community studies/communities, conservation, coral reefs, degraded areas, desertification, ecology, ecosystem assessment, ecosystem functioning/ecosystem structure, ecotone, endemic species, evolutionary studies/palaeoecology/evolution, fauna, fires/fire ecology, fishes, flora, forest systems, freshwater/inland water, fungi, genetic resources, indicators, invertebrates/insects/spiders, mammals, mangrove, microorganisms, migrating populations/migration, modelling, monitoring/methodologies, natural resources, pests/diseases, plants, pollination, population genetics/population dynamics, productivity, rare/endangered/threatened species, reintroduction, reptiles, restoration/rehabilitation/redevelopment, species inventorying/inventory, sub-tropical and temperate rainforest/sub-tropical forest, taxonomy, vegetation studies/plant cover, wetlands, wildlife.
Socio-economic	Agriculture/Production systems, capacity building, cottage industry/artisanal industry, cultural aspects, demography, economic studies, economically important species, energy production systems/alternative energy, firewood cutting/harvesting, fishery/fisheries, forestry, human health, human migration/population exodus, human/wildlife conflicts, indicators, indigenous people, livelihood measures, livestock and related impacts/overgrazing, local participation, monitoring methodologies, natural hazards, non-timber forest products/ntfp, pastoralism/pastoralists/grazing, people-nature relations/man/nature, poverty, quality economies, recreation, resource use, role of women/gender, sacred sites, small business initiatives, social/socio-economic aspects, stakeholders' interests, tourism, traditional practices/ethnology/traditional knowledge, transport.
Integrated monitoring	Biogeochemistry, carrying capacity/sustainability, conflict, ecosystem approach, education and public awareness, environmental change, environmental quality, geographic information system/gis, impact and risk studies/environmental impact, indicators, infrastructure, institutional and legal aspects, integrated studies/interdisciplinaty, interdisciplinary studies, land tenure, land use/land cover, landscape inventorying/monitoring, management issues, mapping, modelling, monitoring/methodologies, planning and zoning measures/zonation, policy issues, remote sensing, rural systems, sustainable development/sustainable use, transboundary/transfrontiers, urban systems/towns/cities, watershed studies/monitoring.

Contact address	Ben McMullen Manager Environmental Services Noosa Council PO Box 141 Tewantin 4565 Queensland Australia
Telephone
Fax
E-mail
Web site	www.noosabiosphere.org.au/

Last updated: 1/26/2010