Biodiversity impacts of the 2019–2020 Australian megafires

Nature, Год журнала: 2024, Номер 635(8040), С. 898 - 905

Опубликована: Ноя. 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

Язык: Английский

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Understanding Fire Regimes for a Better Anthropocene

Annual Review of Environment and Resources, Год журнала: 2023, Номер 48(1), С. 207 - 235

Опубликована: Авг. 31, 2023

Fire is an integral part of the Earth System and humans have skillfully used fire for millennia. Yet human activities are scaling up reinforcing each other in ways that reshaping patterns across planet. We review these changes using concept regime, which describes timing, location, type fires. then explore consequences regime on biological, chemical, physical processes sustain life Earth. Anthropogenic drivers such as climate change, land use, invasive species shifting regimes creating environments unlike any humanity has previously experienced. Although exposure to extreme wildfire events increasing, we highlight how knowledge can be mobilized achieve a wide range goals, from reducing carbon emissions promoting biodiversity well-being. A perspective critical navigating toward sustainable future—a better Anthropocene.

Язык: Английский

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The use of fire to preserve biodiversity under novel fire regimes

Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B Biological Sciences, Год журнала: 2025, Номер 380(1924)

Опубликована: Апрель 1, 2025

Novel fire regimes are emerging worldwide and pose substantial challenges to biodiversity conservation. Addressing these mitigating their impacts on will require developing a wide range of management practices. In this paper, we leverage research across taxa, ecosystems continents highlight strategies for applying knowledge in First, define novel outline different practices contemporary landscapes from parts the world. Next, synthesize recent use biodiversity, provide decision-making framework conservation under regimes. We recommend that preserving should consider both social ecological factors, iterative learning informed by effective monitoring, testing new actions. An integrated approach about help navigate complexities preserve rapidly changing This article is part theme issue ‘Novel climate changes human influences: impacts, ecosystem responses feedbacks’.

Язык: Английский

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Decision Science for Multi-Objective Fuel Management: Integrating Fire Risk Reduction and Biodiversity Conservation

Fire, Год журнала: 2025, Номер 8(3), С. 100 - 100

Опубликована: Фев. 28, 2025

Wildfires threaten human health, economies and the environment. Fuel management is a core activity of land managers to reduce detrimental impacts wildfires. Land also seek conserve biodiversity within their fuel programs. We sought understand how could be implemented achieve fire risk reduction conservation in same landscape. Specifically, we asked: (1) what vegetation attributes are desirable for wildfire conservation, they compatible? (2) combinations actions both objectives? used structured decision-making with 23 stakeholders from eight organisations elicit means objectives dry eucalypt forests woodlands. Vegetation identified as were often compatible those desired suggesting Workshop participants selected prescribed burning action, specifically, mixed severity, patchy burns conservation. Predator control, habitat creation revegetation coupled mechanical treatments improve outcomes biodiversity. There was uncertainty around likelihood success most actions, highlighting need adaptive test refine over time. Overall, allowed integration range stakeholder perspectives into development multi-objective pathways. This approach forms basis designing more socially acceptable

Язык: Английский

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The influence of changing fire regimes on specialized plant–animal interactions

Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B Biological Sciences, Год журнала: 2025, Номер 380(1924)

Опубликована: Апрель 1, 2025

Ecological effects of changing fire regimes are well documented for plant and animal populations, but less is known about how influences, influenced by, specialized plant–animal interactions. In this review, we identified mutualistic (pollination, seed dispersal food provision), commensal (habitat provision) antagonistic (seed predation, herbivory parasitism) interactions from fire-prone ecosystems. We focused on where a single genus depended one to two genera in family or animal. categorized the partner’s post-fire reproductive mode assess likely outcome ecological functions provided by these Traits underlying specialization ecosystems plants were: mode, time maturity, morphology phenology; and, animals: dispersal, organs, nesting egg deposition substrates, consumption behaviours pollinator behaviours. Finally, number cases stabilizing feedbacks maintained under natural regimes. Potential reinforcing were also identified, more happen abruptly result collapse partnership, partner switching. Our synthesis reveals regime changes impact fire-dependent specialist potentially drive eco-evolutionary dynamics globally. This article part theme issue ‘Novel climate human influences: impacts, ecosystem responses feedbacks’.

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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Modeling mammal response to fire based on species’ traits

Conservation Biology, Год журнала: 2023, Номер 37(4)

Опубликована: Янв. 27, 2023

Abstract Fire has shaped ecological communities worldwide for millennia, but impacts of fire on individual species are often poorly understood. We performed a meta‐analysis to predict which traits, habitat, or study variables and characteristics affect how mammal respond fire. modeled effect sizes measures population abundance occupancy as function various combinations these traits with phylogenetic least squares regression. Nine 115 (7.83%) returned statistically significant sizes, suggesting most mammals resilient The top‐ranked model predicted negative impact lower reproductive rates, regardless type (estimate = –0.68), positive burrowing in prescribed fires 1.46) not wildfires, average return interval wildfires 0.93) fires. If species’ International Union Conservation Nature Red List assessment includes known possible threat, the was negatively wildfire relative –2.84). These findings provide evidence experts’ abilities whether is threat ability managers meet needs fire‐threatened through Where empirical data lacking, our methods basis predicting responses thus can guide conservation actions interventions communities.

Язык: Английский

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Artificial refuges provide post-fire habitat for small vertebrates

Biological Conservation, Год журнала: 2024, Номер 291, С. 110501 - 110501

Опубликована: Фев. 23, 2024

The interacting threats of invasive predators and fire are key conservation issues for many species globally, yet few options available to mitigate these threats. We tested how small vertebrates in post-fire environments responded the provision artificial refuges designed provide protection from two globally significant predators—the feral cat European red fox. undertook control-impact camera trapping experiments three Australian ecoregions (Temperate, Arid, Mediterranean), after both prescribed burns wildfires. fitted GLMMs test following predictions: (1) mammals birds that nest forage structurally dense vegetation will exhibit higher activity inside refuges; (2) reptiles not be due sheltering thermoregulatory preferences; (3) as recovers predation risk decreases through time, vertebrate outside increase while decline. found were used by a range post-fire, with 56 species/groups recorded refuges. As predicted, several ground-dwelling was Contrary our second third predictions, reptile generally typically increased time This approach may have potential management tool; however, further research should include testing effect on population persistence under different environmental conditions, (e.g., severity, patterns drought) before widespread implementation is considered.

Язык: Английский

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Risco e resiliência: uma revisão dos atributos funcionais que influenciam a vulnerabilidade ao fogo em mamíferos do Pantanal

Biodiversidade Brasileira, Год журнала: 2025, Номер 14(4), С. 169 - 182

Опубликована: Янв. 28, 2025

Em 2020, incêndios em vegetação queimaram aproximadamente 40 mil hectares e mataram 17 milhões de vertebrados. Esse evento catastrófico, caracterizado pelo comportamento extremo do fogo facilitado pela combinação matéria orgânica acumulada seca prolongada, evidenciou tanto a vulnerabilidade ecossistema pantaneiro frente aos sazonais quanto necessidade um entendimento mais amplo sobre seus possíveis efeitos na biodiversidade local nas dinâmicas ecossistêmicas. Este estudo explora dos mamíferos Pantanal vegetação, com foco características ecológicas sua relação o distribuição espacial das espécies. Foram revisados 2.868 estudos publicados desde 1938, abarcando cinco ordens mamíferos: Artiodactyla, Carnivora, Didelphimorphia, Rodentia Perissodactyla. As análises revelaram aumento significativo pesquisas ao fogo, particularmente carnívoros, partir ano 2000. estudadas incluem preferência habitat, tamanho corpóreo dieta, enquanto outros aspectos críticos para entender sensibilidade receberam menos atenção, como época reprodutiva, mobilidade, social corpóreo. Nossos resultados ressaltaram uma sazonalidade marcada ocorrência 2019-2020 especialização habitat entre as espécies Pantanal, sobreposição preocupante os desses anos várias espécies, que pode influenciar declínio da abundância distribuição. Os apontam esforços conservação imediatos, alvo habitat-chave abordagens manejo direcionadas mitigar impactos fauna, geograficamente restritas. Também indicam maior equilíbrio no diferentes táxons fim plenamente funções vulnerabilidades frequência intensidade bioma Pantanal.

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