Title
Impact of 2019-2020 mega-fires on Australian fauna habitat
Author(s)
Ward, Michelle;Tulloch, Ayesha I.T.;Radford, James Q.;...;Watson, James E. M.
Published
2020
Publisher
Nature Ecology & Evolution
Abstract
Australia’s 2019–2020 mega-fires were exacerbated by drought, anthropogenic climate change and existing land-use management. Here, using a combination of remotely sensed data and species distribution models, we found these fires burnt ~97,000 km 2 of vegetation across southern and eastern Australia, which is considered habitat for 832 species of native vertebrate fauna. Seventy taxa had a substantial proportion (>30%) of habitat impacted; 21 of these were already listed as threatened with extinction. To avoid further species declines, Australia must urgently reassess the extinction vulnerability of fire-impacted species and assist the recovery of populations in both burnt and unburnt areas. Population recovery requires multipronged strategies aimed at ameliorating current and fire-induced threats, including proactively protecting unburnt habitats.
Keywords
biodiversity;conservation biology;fire ecology

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PUB26256