Post by Bozur on Feb 19, 2009 19:14:07 GMT -5
Extinction looms as 1500 species in danger
news.com.au — NORTHERN Australia is facing a fresh wave of potentially catastrophic mammal extinctions, experts warn. Australia has the worst mammal extinction record in the world, with 22 mammals becoming extinct in the last 200 years. Scientists now say the evidence suggests Australia is on the cusp of another wave. More… (Environment)
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Extinction looms as 1500 species in danger
By Tara Ravens
February 19, 2009 02:31pm
NORTHERN Australia is facing a fresh wave of potentially catastrophic mammal extinctions, experts warn.
Australia has the worst mammal extinction record in the world, with 22 mammals becoming extinct in the last 200 years.
Scientists now say the evidence suggests Australia is on the cusp of another wave.
Over 40 scientists and land managers met in Darwin last week for a two-day meeting to discuss their research into "critical" regional extinctions across the country's north.
"What we are seeing is a reduction both in the abundance of mammals but also for some species really catastrophic declines across their range," said Sarah Legge, from the Australian Wildlife Conservancy.
"They've shrunk down to 10 per cent of their former distribution (and) the frightening thing about it is the rate at which it's happening.
"Some species have already disappeared from more than 90 per cent of their past range across the north."
Dr Legge said about 1500 animals and plants were currently threatened with extinction in Australia, and "critical declines" had been noted on pastoral and indigenous lands, as well as national parks.
Among the species at risk are the Northern Quoll, Golden Bandicoot and Bilby.
"(They) are all declining, and doing so very rapidly," said Dr Legge.
"This is undoubtedly one of the major biodiversity conservation issues affecting Australia.
"It would be heart-breaking and internationally embarrassing if we were to stand aside and witness another wave of extinctions."
NT government scientist John Woinarski has been setting traps in the world heritage listed Kakadu National Park for the last 20-years.
"It's clear that in Kakadu, as in Litchfield, as in Arnhem Land generally that populations of many of these mammals are declining catastrophically," he said.
The comparatively pristine environments of the NT - home to the largest remaining tropical savanna on Earth - had given governments "cause for complacency", said Dr Woinarksi, who warned that lessons needed to be learnt from the history of mammals in central Australia.
"A hundreds years ago there were 20 species of native mammals that aren't there now. Twenty species have become extinct in similarly remote and wild habitats," he said.
"We've presumed these environments are intact and healthy ... but that is not the case."
Dr Woinarski said scientists believed a cocktail of feral cat predation, inappropriate fire regimes and over-grazing was responsible for declines.
"It's quite likely (Australia will lose a large number of species) and we've got to act soon, in the next year or so," he said.
Dr Legge called for "decisive and immediate action".
"This includes developing and implementing land management work plans as well as research plans to fill in knowledge gaps.
"We need to better understand the detail of what each native mammal needs to survive."
www.news.com.au/story/0,27574,25077804-29277,00.html