Minumurra Rainforest Case Study

Reasons to Protect Minnamurra Rainforest:

Heritage wise Minnamurra is home to many tree's that are hundreds of years old however generally speaking Minnamurra does not provide a substation heritage value in order for it to be placed on the national heritage sites list. All national parks are however under constant watch due to their natural heritage value meaning that whilst Minnamurra isn't officially listed it is still appreciated for its age and heritage aspects.

The Utility value of Minnamurra is unmeasurable, in other words this means scientists are yet to discover what the vast genetic reservoir of plants have to offer to the human population. Still today scientists are bio prospecting to discover new microorganisms and new uses for plant material. There's to estimate to the utility value Minnamurra hold or any rainforest for that matter, as they are so dense and full of so many different flora and fauna. To date only a predicted 10% of plant DNA has been discovered and researched into.

The services that a rainforest can provide are immeasurably helpful to scientists as it provides exact biotic and abiotic conditions that cannot be perfectly recreated in a laboratory. Other non-science related services include recreational activities such as bush walking and camping, these a predominant in developed countries. This is termed as ecotourism.

Other utility values include oxygen production and human induced values such as the spirituality of the rainforest or the indigenous tales associated with the rainforest. It is safe to say that Minnamurra holds a high utility value and for this reason alone must be protected very carefully.

Biological diversity means an ecosystem functions properly for the future, often this is unknown to people yet, and this can include untapped resources, economic potential yet to realized, natural life support systems for plants, insurance against disaster (in case a disease wipes out a vital crop such as wheat) and any other roles or functions the rainforest and its inhabitants may play.

The intrinsic value of the rainforest relates back to humans being part of nature and thus has to maintain the rainforest for future generations and not destroy it. It also refers to eco-centric people whom are indigenous or religiously tied to the land. Thirdly intrinsic value refers to the aesthetic value of the rainforest and that people just enjoy the rainforest because it is amazing in size and biodiversity, the same way people enjoy visiting Antarctica or a desert.

Lastly is the need to allow natural change to proceed as normal. Species need long-term scale to adapt to environmental change. The problem is then accelerated by change; many species may not adapt -> extinction -> less biodiversity -> simplified ecosystem -> fewer resources.

Humans have induced change into Minnamurra with both positive and negative consequences. Historically the 20-hectare core has and still is an ecosystem unimpeded by any change other than that of a natural manner. However the outer 401-hectare of rainforest has been the victim of numerous acts of destruction, clearing for pasture (1930's), fires (1939) and floods (1960) to name a few. In one are which is a steep slop next to the river facing northwest there was a fire and a following flood which destroyed all the regenerating plants after the fire hit, this was in 1960.

Disturbances both natural and human induced have recovered better in some parts than in others, on the south facing slopes soils are moist and allow for better regeneration than on the northern facing slopes which receive constant sunlight drying out the soils and making plants less likely to recover.

Traditional uses of Minnamurra had minimal impact on the land and the ecosystem, this allowed for natural change to proceed with time. However during European settlement in the early 1800's the land use changed, this caused the natural rate of change to be altered in ways that will affect the ecosystem. Humans removed all the red cedar trees in the rainforest leaving big open patches where the tree's once provided shade. This in turn allowed huge amounts of sunlight to aid growth on the smaller struggling trees. This change is irreversible with the most significant damage happening in the first 7 years.

Later on 75% of the Illawarra rainforest was completely removed to allow room for farming to take place. This change occurred as the red cedar began to run out in the last 1850's. This level of change usually drastically alters the other 25% along with it. Whilst this 'second hand' damage isn't as severe as direct activities it still over time destroys the ecosystem. The remainder of Minnamurra is now surrounded by farming and human activities. For example a stray animal may wander into the rainforest and either eat living organisms to the point of extinction or trample small delicate plant life growing on the forest floor. The situation becomes worse if the stray animal then spreads a weed seed through its dropping which then spreads throughout the forest degrading it and making it justifiable to remove both the weed and the rainforest as well.

The changes listed above are the 2 most significant changes, there have however been other smaller changes.

In 1898 the Minnamurra rainforest was declared a reserve and the national parks authority took over from Kiama council. Due to the reserve declaration here was an increase in the popularity of picnics in the area, this led to the construction of picnic facilities in the area, creating change to accommodate recreation in the area. This represents a slow rate of change but significant degradation of the ecosystem over time. Increased foot traffic tramples the forest floor and the species it houses. Also due to the moist nature of rainforests during rain storms people would walk around puddles creating bigger tracks and a larger area of destruction. The foot traffic also compacted the soft soil making it hard and most vegetation cannot regenerate through.

The toilets provided for campers were another issue for the rainforest. The septic system was a pump-out system however some sewerage waste seeped into the surrounding soil allowing it to enter the river system increasing the levels of phosphorous and nitrogen in the river. This increase has led to a surge in algae blooms and a possible change in the species residing in the river. In adding the toilet facilities