An overview of the terrestrial invertebrates in the Victorian north central region

Abstract

Invertebrates are the dominant faunal group in most terrestrial habitats. They play important roles, often incompletely understood, in maintaining essential ecosystem services. Despite the enormous environmental changes to the North Central Region of Victoria since European settlement, and despite the lack of information about how these changes affected the native invertebrate fauna, it is not too late to include invertebrates in the management and restoration of native habitats in the region. This paper provides an overview of our understanding about terrestrial invertebrates in the region, and provides some suggestions on how to elevate the profile and utility of invertebrates in conservation management.