Loss of terrestrial biodiversity in Australia: Magnitude, causation, and response

Science, Год журнала: 2023, Номер 381(6658), С. 622 - 631

Опубликована: Авг. 10, 2023

Australia’s biota is species rich, with high rates of endemism. This natural legacy has rapidly diminished since European colonization. The impacts invasive species, habitat loss, altered fire regimes, and changed water flows are now compounded by climate change, particularly through extreme drought, heat, wildfire, flooding. Extinction rates, already far exceeding the global average for mammals, predicted to escalate across all taxa, ecosystems collapsing. These losses symptomatic shortcomings in resourcing, law, policy, management. Informed examples advances conservation practice from control, Indigenous land management, citizen science, we describe interventions needed enhance future resilience. Many characteristics Australian biodiversity loss globally relevant, recovery requiring society reframe its relationship environment.

Язык: Английский

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Cats, foxes and fire: quantitative review reveals that invasive predator activity is most likely to increase shortly after fire

Fire Ecology, Год журнала: 2023, Номер 19(1)

Опубликована: Апрель 13, 2023

Abstract Background Predators and fire shape ecosystems across the globe these two forces can interact to impact prey populations. This issue is particularly pertinent in Australia where there considerable scientific public interest post-fire impacts of invasive predators—the feral cat red fox. It remains unclear, though, whether increased fox activity response a general phenomenon, or responses are highly context-specific not generalisable. Results We reviewed analysed existing literature found that range positive (e.g., burnt areas), negative (decreased activity), neutral have been recorded different studies locations. Mixed effects modelling revealed were more likely when areas recently (shorter time since fire). The mean likelihood by cats decreased from 41% at 0 months 10% 100 post-fire, whereas probability for foxes 53 10%. suggests may be critical period immediately most vulnerable elevated predators, within which management interventions impactful. Conclusions Many our findings identified as potential cases either mechanistic apparent context dependency (variation patterns due observational ecological factors). provides pathway design future will enhance understanding predator fire, both globally. Conservation policy benefit additional research spanning greater events, along with comprehensive nuanced interpretation evidence.

Язык: Английский

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In Case of Fire, Escape or Die: A Trait-Based Approach for Identifying Animal Species Threatened by Fire

Fire, Год журнала: 2023, Номер 6(6), С. 242 - 242

Опубликована: Июнь 18, 2023

Recent studies have argued that changes in fire regimes the 21st century are posing a major threat to global biodiversity. In this scenario, incorporating species’ physiological, ecological, and evolutionary traits with their local exposure might facilitate accurate identification of species most at risk from fire. Here, we developed framework for identifying animal vulnerable extinction fire-induced stress Brazilian savanna. The proposed addresses vulnerability two components: (1) exposure, which refers frequency, extent, magnitude system or experiences fire, (2) sensitivity, reflects how much affected by Sensitivity is based on biological, behavioral can influence animals’ mortality “during” “after” We generated Fire Vulnerability Index (FVI) be used group into four categories, ranging extremely (highly sensible highly exposed areas), least (low-sensitivity less areas). highlight urgent need broaden assessment methods introduce new approach considering biological contribute significantly sensitivity alongside regional/local exposure.

Язык: 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, Год журнала: 2025, Номер 31(2)

Опубликована: Апрель 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

Язык: Английский

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Social consequences of rapid environmental change

Trends in Ecology & Evolution, Год журнала: 2022, Номер 38(4), С. 337 - 345

Опубликована: Дек. 3, 2022

While direct influences of the environment on population growth and resilience are well studied, indirect routes linking environmental changes to consequences less explored. We suggest that social behavior is key for understanding how anthropogenic affect animal populations. Social structures groups evolved emergent phenotypes often have demographic group members. Importantly, drivers may directly influence structure or indirectly them through modifications interactions, composition, size. developed a framework study these consequences. Estimating strength pathways will give us tools understand, potentially manage, effect human-induced rapid changes.

Язык: Английский

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Fire-driven animal evolution in the Pyrocene

Trends in Ecology & Evolution, Год журнала: 2023, Номер 38(11), С. 1072 - 1084

Опубликована: Июль 19, 2023

Язык: Английский

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Animal population decline and recovery after severe fire: Relating ecological and life history traits with expert estimates of population impacts from the Australian 2019-20 megafires

Biological Conservation, Год журнала: 2023, Номер 283, С. 110021 - 110021

Опубликована: Май 16, 2023

Catastrophic megafires can increase extinction risks; identifying species priorities for management and policy support is critical preparing responding to future fires. However, empirical data on population loss recovery post-fire, especially megafire, are limited taxonomically biased. These gaps could be bridged if species' morphological, behavioural, ecological life history traits indicated their fire responses. Using expert elicitation that estimated changes following the 2019–20 Australian 142 terrestrial aquatic animal (from every vertebrate class, one invertebrate group), we examined whether estimates of fire-related mortality, mortality in year trajectories over 10 years/three generations were related traits. Expert lower potentially flee or shelter from fire, associated with fire-prone habitats. Post-fire linked diet, diet specialisation, home range size, susceptibility introduced herbivores damage compete resources. Longer-term diet/habitat species; slower histories shorter subadult dispersal distances also had estimates. Across groups, experts was poorest pre-fire decline more threatened conservation status. Sustained likely needed recover habitat specialisations, histories, pre-existing declines statuses. This study shows help inform before after megafires, but further response essential.

Язык: Английский

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Where there’s smoke, there’s cats: long-unburnt habitat is crucial to mitigating the impacts of cats on the Ngarlgumirdi, greater bilby (Macrotis lagotis)

Wildlife Research, Год журнала: 2024, Номер 51(5)

Опубликована: Янв. 1, 2024

Context The decline of the greater bilby (Macrotis lagotis), or Ngarlgumirdi (Yawuru), like other critical-weight range Australian mammals, is believed to be primarily due synergetic impacts predation by feral cats and foxes, habitat disturbance caused large introduced herbivores, increases in frequency intensity wildfires. Although it has been demonstrated that low-intensity prescribed burning mosaics some habitats have potential benefit including Ngarlgumirdi, creating with sufficient vegetation cover, contributions specific fire-mosaic attributes persistence remain unclear.Aims To elucidate on occupancy Dampier Peninsula.Methods We used 2-ha sign-plot data collected four Indigenous Ranger groups, combination 20years satellite-derived fire-history information investigate multiscale fire (Felis catus) Peninsula West Kimberley region, a large, unfenced landscape most fire-prone section Ngarlgumirdi's current range.Key results found was more common areas had higher proportion not burnt for at least 3years, whereas were less prevalent these areas. Similarly, likely occur landscapes affected frequent fires, there.Conclusions Our findings highlighted importance decreasing increasing extent long-unburnt (>3years) preserving mitigating ecological damage inflicted cats. Findings consistent across spatial scales (1-, 3-, 5- 10-km radius from each monitoring site).Implications These management increase native species resilience absence direct cat control methods. Further, they support recent cross-tenure initiative led Traditional Owners implement aims reduce high-severity wildfires Peninsula.

Язык: Английский

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Integrating sensory ecology and predator‐prey theory to understand animal responses to fire

Ecology Letters, Год журнала: 2023, Номер 26(7), С. 1050 - 1070

Опубликована: Май 17, 2023

Fire regimes are changing dramatically worldwide due to climate change, habitat conversion, and the suppression of Indigenous landscape management. Although there has been extensive work on plant responses fire, including their adaptations withstand fire long-term effects communities, less is known about animal fire. Ecologists lack a conceptual framework for understanding behavioural which can hinder wildlife conservation Here, we integrate cue-response sensory ecology predator-prey theory predict explain variation in if, when how animals react approaching Inspired by literature prey predation risk, this considers both fire-naïve fire-adapted follows three key steps: vigilance, cue detection response. We draw from vigilance tradeoffs, signal detection, speed-accuracy fear generalization, neophobia adaptive dispersal. discuss evolutionary history with but also other selective pressures, such as should influence conclude providing guidance empiricists outlining potential applications.

Язык: Английский

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More than mortality: Consequences of human activity on migrating birds extend beyond direct mortality

Ornithological Applications, Год журнала: 2023, Номер 125(3)

Опубликована: Май 29, 2023

Abstract Birds must contend with an array of anthropogenic threats during their migratory journeys. Many migrants are killed due to encounters artificial light, introduced species, pollutants, and other hazards, while survivors these can suffer longer-lasting negative effects. The nonlethal effects on migrating birds less well understood than direct mortality, yet both potentially contribute population declines. For example, building collisions frequently kill birds, but the numbers that survive impaired ability fly, refuel, or navigate destination time is not understood. Though immediately fatal, such injuries lead delayed mortality and, ultimately, reduced lifetime reproductive success. Furthermore, likely encounter multiple journeys, which interact synergistically further reduce fitness. instance, light pollution attracts disorients migrants, increasing likelihood window strikes, surviving may be more vulnerable predation from predators. While considerable attention has focused lethal threats, here, we review eight types migration, interactions, pathways through they exert fitness costs. In doing so, identify knowledge gaps suggest areas for future research. absence information, propose greatest reduction in cumulative impacts hazards will achieved by addressing threat types, like at night, compound impact additional threats. Direct sources recognized as a key driver declines, full understanding human activity include interacting extend beyond immediate en route influence overall migration success

Язык: Английский

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