Impact of 2019–2020 mega-fires on Australian fauna habitat
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.
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The extreme fires in parts of Australia during 2019-2020, associated with unprecedented drought and heat, were estimated to impact >30% of the habitat area of 21 animal species threatened with extinction.
“The extreme fires in parts of Australia during 2019-2020, which were associated with unprecedented drought and heat, were estimated to impact >30% of the habitat area of 21 animal species threatened with extinction (76).”
From Restoring Degraded Lands (2021) · cites this paper as [76]
Cites
Climate-induced variations in global wildfire danger from 1979 to 2013
Jolly, W. M., Cochrane, M. A., Freeborn, P. H., Holden, Z. A., Brown, T. J., Williamson, G. J., & Bowman, D. M. J. S. (2015) · Nature Communications · doi:10.1038/ncomms8537 · Cited by 2,200 · see citing works
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Climate Change 2022 – Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability
(IPCC), I. P. O. C. C. (2023) · doi:10.1017/9781009325844 · Cited by 8,473 · see citing works
Arneth, A., Olsson, L., Cowie, A., Erb, K.-H., Hurlbert, M., Kurz, W. A., Mirzabaev, A., & Rounsevell, M. D. A. (2021) · Annual Review of Environment and Resources · doi:10.1146/annurev-environ-012320-054809 · Cited by 106 · see citing works
- Authors
- Ward, M., Tulloch, A. I. T., Radford, J. Q., Williams, B. A., Reside, A. E., Macdonald, S. L., Mayfield, H. J., Maron, M., Possingham, H. P., Vine, S. J., O’Connor, J. L., Massingham, E. J., Greenville, A. C., Woinarski, J. C. Z., Garnett, S. T., Lintermans, M., Scheele, B. C., Carwardine, J., Nimmo, D. G., Lindenmayer, D. B., Kooyman, R. M., Simmonds, J. S., Sonter, L. J., & Watson, J. E. M.
- Affiliations
- The University of Queensland (AU)
- The University of Sydney (AU)
- La Trobe University (AU)
- James Cook University (AU)
- The Nature Conservancy (US)
- BirdLife Australia (AU)
- Charles Darwin University (AU)
- University of Canberra (AU)
- Australian National University (AU)
- Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (AU)
- Charles Sturt University (AU)
- Macquarie University (AU)
- Wildlife Conservation Society (US)
- Corresponding author
- Ward, Michelle
- ORCID
- Ward, Michelle
- Tulloch, Ayesha I. T.
- Radford, James Q.
- Williams, Brooke A.
- Reside, April E.
- Macdonald, Stewart L.
- Mayfield, Helen J.
- Maron, Martine
- Possingham, Hugh P.
- Massingham, Emily J.
- Greenville, Aaron C.
- Woinarski, John C. Z.
- Garnett, Stephen T.
- Lintermans, Mark
- Scheele, Ben C.
- Carwardine, Josie
- Nimmo, Dale G.
- Lindenmayer, David B.
- Kooyman, Robert M.
- Simmonds, Jeremy S.
- Sonter, Laura J.
- Watson, James E. M.
- Venue
- Nature Ecology & Evolution
- Published
- 2020-07-20
- Volume
- 4
- Issue
- 10
- Pages
- 1321-1326
- ISSN
- 2397-334X (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W3043688642
- Cited by
- 416
- References
- 1
- Citations by year
- 2026: 39 · 2025: 63 · 2024: 72 · 2023: 81 · 2022: 70 · 2021: 78 · 2020: 13
- FWCI
- 22.49
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Licence
- Locations
- Nature Ecology & Evolution (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- ANU Open Research (Australian National University) (submittedVersion)
- Topics
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Global and Planetary Change › Fire effects on ecosystems
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Ecological Modeling › Species Distribution and Climate Change
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Ecology › Rangeland and Wildlife Management
- Keywords
- bushfires, habitat loss, extinction vulnerability, threatened species, population recovery, drought, climate change, land use management, species distribution modeling
- MeSH terms
- Australia, Fires, Ecosystem, Droughts, Climate Change
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