Top 20 Australian mammals and birds at risk of extinction
Tue, 17 Apr 2018Ten Australian birds and seven mammals are likely to become extinct over the next twenty years, if we continue with current management, according to new research.
"Some of our other research recently published has compiled case studies of successful conservation for almost 50 Australian threatened species, so we know it can be done when the commitment is there."
(L) Helmeted_Honeyeater. Photo: Dylan Sanusi-Goh CC BY 4.0 Wikimedia Commons
(R) Plains Wanderer. Photo: Patrick_K59 CC BY 2.0 Wikimedia Commons
(L) Central rock rat. Photo: Peter McDonald
(R) Christmas Island flying-fox. Photo: Welbergen CC BY-SA 3.0 Wikimedia Commons
The 20 Australian birds most at risk of extinction over the next 20 years
The 20 Australian mammals most at risk of extinction over the next 20 years
Photos
Photos are available in dropbox to accompany this story. Photographers must be credited.
Tables and maps
Tables listing the species and their likelihood of extinction, and maps of the locations of the top 20 mammals and 20 birds are available in dropbox.
Dr Brett Murphy
Prof Stephen Garnett
Top images:
(L) Mallee Emuwren (Stipiturus_mallee) Photo: Ron Knight from Seaford CC BY 2.0 Wikimedia Commons
(R) Western ringtail possum. Photo: Roberta Bencini_CC BY 4.0_Wikimedia
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‘Tis the season...Understanding how threatened plants respond to different fires
Wed, 27 Nov 2019Many landscapes in Australia are fire-prone, and increasingly so. Altered fire regimes can have a serious negative impact on threatened plant species and ecological communities. A Threatened Species Recovery Hub project is working to better understand the effects of different fire regimes on threatened flora in order to improve fire management strategies and conservation outcomes.
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Backyard scientists helping possums and gliders
Wed, 27 Nov 2019Almost a quarter of Australia’s possums and gliders are listed as threatened under Australian environmental law, and many more are showing signs of decline. Dr Rochelle Steven from The University of Queensland believes people in the community can do a lot to support conservation, especially in urban areas.
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Better detection and monitoring vital for better conservation outcomes
Wed, 27 Nov 2019The detection and monitoring of threatened species have been a strong area of research in the National Environmental Science Program and also the two national environmental research programs which preceded it. Hub Director Professor Brendan Wintle takes a look at what we’ve been achieving and why it is so important to the conservation of Australia’s threatened species.
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Beyond captivity for Christmas Island reptiles
Wed, 27 Nov 2019In 2009, the Christmas Island blue-tailed skink and Lister’s gecko were headed for imminent extinction. Parks Australia acted quickly to collect remaining wild individuals in order to establish captive breeding programs on Christmas Island and at Taronga Zoo, Sydney, which have been highly successful. A Threatened Species Recovery Hub project team is working closely with Parks Australia to help secure a future for the two lizards beyond captivity.
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Detection dogs rapidly filling the gaps for rare antechinus species
Wed, 27 Nov 2019The silver-headed antechinus and black-tailed dusky antechinus are carnivorous marsupials found in high-elevation forests in parts of central-eastern and south-eastern Queensland. They were only described in the past six years, but they are already listed as Endangered. Knowing where they occur is essential for effective conservation, but current distribution knowledge is patchy. To address this, PhD candidate Stephane Batista in partnership with the Queensland Herbarium and Queensland Department of Environment and Science is modelling the habitat where these threatened species are likely to occur, and is using detection dogs to rapidly survey these sites.
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