It is well recognised the importance of biodiversity to, amongst other aspects, human health. In a world with increasing urban areas and decreasing high biodiversity “natural” areas – a trend unlikely to change – one option to increase the biodiversity, is to “construct” ecology. But, how “good” can something that has been anthropogenically constructed actually be? And furthermore, how do you measure what good it is, and how good it is?
This presentation uses two case studies from urban Adelaide to showcase the process of constructing ecology and demonstrates different aspects of measuring the success of constructed ecology. Oaklands wetland, south of the city centre, was primarily constructed as a stormwater treatment wetland, but has become a biodiversity hotspot in the urban landscape, with multiple additional community benefits. Breakout Creek involved the conversion of a channel designed for purely for flood conveyance, to a functioning river environment that, among other attributes, safely harbours threatened fish species.
How successful a construction is, and what makes it a successful one, has changed over time, and will continue to change. Looking forward however, constructed ecological success stories will always involve good communication and coordination between multiple disciplines, including engineers, scientists, policy makers, the construction industry and engagement specialists.