Biodiversity impacts of the 2019–2020 Australian megafires

Nature, Journal Year: 2024, Volume and Issue: 635(8040), P. 898 - 905

Published: Nov. 13, 2024

With large wildfires becoming more frequent1,2, we must rapidly learn how megafires impact biodiversity to prioritize mitigation and improve policy. A key challenge is discover interactions among fire-regime components, drought land tenure shape wildfire impacts. The globally unprecedented3,4 2019–2020 Australian burnt than 10 million hectares5, prompting major investment in monitoring. Collated data include responses of 2,000 taxa, providing an unparalleled opportunity quantify affect biodiversity. We reveal that the largest effects on plants animals were areas with frequent or recent past fires within extensively areas. Areas at high severity, outside protected under extreme also had larger effects. included declines increases after fire, rainforests by mammals. Our results implicate species interactions, dispersal extent situ survival as mechanisms underlying fire responses. Building resilience into these ecosystems depends reducing recurrence, including rapid suppression frequently burnt. Defending wet ecosystems, expanding considering localized could contribute. While countermeasures can help mitigate impacts megafires, reversing anthropogenic climate change remains urgent broad-scale solution. Data collected from taxa provide biodiversity, revealing

Language: Английский

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Trends and Gaps in Prescribed Burning Research

Environmental Management, Journal Year: 2025, Volume and Issue: unknown

Published: Jan. 31, 2025

Language: Английский

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A review of 60 years of fire management for threatened fauna and flora at Two Peoples Bay Nature Reserve, Western Australia

Pacific Conservation Biology, Journal Year: 2025, Volume and Issue: 31(2)

Published: April 3, 2025

Context Two Peoples Bay Nature Reserve in Western Australia has a long history of ecological studies and adaptive fire management. This provides an excellent opportunity to assess the effects management, including exclusion, on ecosystems threatened species important nature reserve. Aims To review complexity managing for conservation communities. Methods In this paper, we reviewed data from personal consultations, historical records analyses regimes, long-term Djimaalup/noisy scrub-bird monitoring, camera-trap surveys, botanical quadrat analysis, dating before after large 2015. Key results Fire sensitive at are identified. Senescing flora recruited following 2015 fire-stimulated were recorded first time. The exclusion was key factor scrub-bird, but implications other species. Conclusions While introduced excluded granite headlands >60 years conserve fauna habitat, may not have been optimal strategy dependent fauna, Implications effective management tool 60 initially driven by must consider range present as well changing climate. Long-term monitoring invaluable allow informed decisions

Language: Английский

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How do invasive predators and their native prey respond to prescribed fire?

Ecology and Evolution, Journal Year: 2024, Volume and Issue: 14(5)

Published: May 1, 2024

Abstract Fire shapes animal communities by altering resource availability and species interactions, including between predators prey. In Australia, there is particular concern that two highly damaging invasive predators, the feral cat ( Felis catus ) European red fox Vulpes vulpes ), increase their activity in recently burnt areas exert greater predation pressure on native prey due to increased exposure. We tested how prescribed fire occurrence extent, along with history, vegetation, topography, distance anthropogenic features (towns farms), affected (detection frequency) of cats, foxes, mammal community south‐eastern Australia. used camera traps quantify before after a burn statistically interacted these habitat variables affect activity. found little evidence influenced cats foxes no an effect kangaroo or small (<800 g) Medium‐sized mammals (800–2000 were negatively associated suggesting has negative impact short term. The lack clear from likely positive outcome management perspective. However, we highlight response dependent upon factors like size, severity, availability. Future experiments should incorporate GPS‐trackers record fine‐scale movements temperate ecosystems immediately best inform within protected areas.

Language: Английский

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More than garden plants: extending the conversation of urban gardens as an important refuge for Australian birds

Biodiversity and Conservation, Journal Year: 2025, Volume and Issue: unknown

Published: Jan. 15, 2025

Abstract Inadequacies in public protected area networks dictates that private land will play an important role the conservation of biodiversity coming decades. Household gardens are a key example lands can serve as refuges for biodiversity, with birds popular flagship garden biodiversity. Discussion has focused heavily on species plant resident might select to attract their garden. In this paper, we describe additional and factors should form part broader conversation specific aim drawing attention at risk localised extinctions modern urban landscapes – adaptors. We present our commentary two themes: (a) mitigating threats environment (b) enhancing habitat value range bird species. provide synthesis research recent years explored its ability support birds, but importantly, extend by bringing together topics have been somewhat lacking discussion date. new approach conversation, paper brings no longer be considered isolation if make significant gains environments were most Australians now reside.

Language: Английский

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How pyrodiversity shapes bat communities in a southeastern Australian woodland

Biological Conservation, Journal Year: 2025, Volume and Issue: 305, P. 111059 - 111059

Published: March 19, 2025

Language: Английский

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Increasing risk of global forest loss from extreme wildfires under climate change

International Journal of Digital Earth, Journal Year: 2025, Volume and Issue: 18(1)

Published: April 1, 2025

Language: Английский

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Effects of prescribed fire on body condition, injury frequency, and recapture of reptiles in Mediterranean-type eucalypt forests

Forest Ecology and Management, Journal Year: 2025, Volume and Issue: 586, P. 122683 - 122683

Published: April 4, 2025

Language: Английский

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Possibilities and Limitations of a Geospatial Approach to Refine Habitat Mapping for Greater Gliders (Petauroides spp.)

Land, Journal Year: 2025, Volume and Issue: 14(4), P. 784 - 784

Published: April 5, 2025

Hollow-dependent wildlife has been declining globally due to the removal of hollow-bearing trees, yet these trees are often unaccounted for in habitat mapping. As on-ground field surveys costly and time-consuming, we aimed develop a simple, accessible transferrable geospatial approach using freely LiDAR refine mapping by identifying high densities potential trees. We assessed if from 2009 could be accurately used detect tree heights, which would correlate diameter at breast height (DBH), turn identify that more likely hollow-bearing. Here, use greater gliders (Petauroides spp.) Fraser Coast region Australia as case study. Across four sites, were conducted 2023 assess density large (>50 cm DBH per 1 km2) 19 transects (n = 91). This was compared outputs individual detection derived unsupervised classification local maximal filter variable window size treetops available LiDAR. Tree measured with an accuracy RMSE 5.75 m, able DBH), hollow bearing. However, there no statistical evidence suggest identified based on alone p 0.2298). Despite this, have demonstrated machine learning techniques can utilised large, potentially broad scale hollow-dependent species. It is important analysis methods land managers, deep current computationally intensive expensive. propose workflow free determine how address some limitations this approach.

Language: Английский

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Can green firebreaks help balance biodiversity, carbon storage and wildfire risk?

Journal of Environmental Management, Journal Year: 2024, Volume and Issue: 369, P. 122183 - 122183

Published: Aug. 27, 2024

Green firebreaks (strategically placed plantings of low-flammability vegetation) are designed to reduce the rate fire spread and thereby increase suppressibility fires. Successful examples have led some fire-prone regions investing heavily in establishment green as a method reducing risk while improving biodiversity carbon storage. However, beyond small-scale case studies there has been little research quantitatively exploring interactions among biodiversity, carbon, wildfire relation firebreaks. Here, we combine Bayesian Network (BN) analysis, simulations PHOENIX RapidFire (hereafter Phoenix), identify planting designs that risks also providing positive outcomes. Using BN prioritised optimal combination elements (e.g., stem density, distance from houses, shrub design, age etc.) delivered greatest people property for eight sites across south-eastern Australia. We ranked combinations designs, prioritising house, life loss first, designs. Optimal varied sites, although design best reduced houses lives were consistent. These included 'scattered' shrubs densities trees consistent with an open forest structure. Estimated fuel loads at each site used create simulated revegetation area Phoenix. behaviour Phoenix grid ∼1000 ignitions site, up 54 historic weather conditions 'current fuel' scenario (no present) compared 'green firebreak scenario. found did not result significant changes most sites. In cases, it property, where change terms intensity, frequency, ember attack overall risk, differences relative current less than two percent. Overall, cases provide benefits without increasing risk. findings illustrate their potential effective nature-based solution managing multiple priorities; however, further testing real is required evaluate this at-scale solution.

Language: Английский

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