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Humans are changing fire patterns, and it’s threatening 4,403 species with extinction

24/11/2020

 
Nov 2020: Last summer, many Australians were shocked to see fires sweep through the wet tropical rainforests of Queensland, where large and severe fires are almost unheard of. This is just one example of how human activities are changing fire patterns around the world, with huge consequences for wildlife.

In a new paper, led by Dr Luke Kelly, and published in Science, we reveal how changes in fire activity threaten more than 4,400 species across the globe with extinction. This includes 19% of birds, 16% of mammals, 17% of dragonflies and 19% of legumes that are classified as critically endangered, endangered or vulnerable.

See the paper, or read the summary in The Conversation.

Kelly LT, Giljohann KM, Duane A, Aquilué N, Archibald S, Batllori E, Bennett AF, Buckland ST, Canelles Q, Clarke MF, Fortin M-J, Hermoso V, Herrando S, Keane RE, Lake FK, McCarthy MA, Morán-Ordóñez A, Parr CL, Pausas JG, Penman TD, Regos A, Rumpff L, Santos JL, Smith AL, Syphard AD, Tingley MW, Brotons L (2020). Fire and biodiversity in the Anthropocene. Science 370, eabb0355.
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    Dr Annabel Smith

    Lecturer in
    Wildlife Management
    University of Queensland

    Associate Editor,
    Wildlife Letters

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