Biodiversity impacts of the 2019–2020 Australian megafires

Don A. Driscoll (), Kristina J. Macdonald, Rebecca K. Gibson, Tim S. Doherty, Dale G. Nimmo, Rachael H. Nolan, Euan G. Ritchie, Grant J. Williamson, Geoffrey W. Heard, Elizabeth M. Tasker, Rohan Bilney, Nick Porch, Rachael A. Collett, Ross A. Crates, Alison C. Hewitt, Elise Pendall, Matthias M. Boer, Jody Gates, Rebecca L. Boulton, Christopher M. Mclean, Heidi Groffen, Alex C. Maisey, Chad T. Beranek, Shelby A. Ryan, Alex Callen, Andrew J. Hamer, Andrew Stauber, Garry J. Daly, John Gould, Kaya L. Klop-Toker, Michael J. Mahony, Oliver W. Kelly, Samantha L. Wallace, Sarah E. Stock, Christopher J. Weston, Liubov Volkova, Dennis Black, Heloise Gibb, Joshua J. Grubb, Melodie A. McGeoch, Nick P. Murphy, Joshua S. Lee, Chris R. Dickman, Victor J. Neldner, Michael R. Ngugi, Vivianna Miritis, Frank Köhler, Marc Perri, Andrew J. Denham, Berin D. E. Mackenzie, Chris A. M. Reid, Julia T. Rayment, Alfonsina Arriaga-Jiménez, Michael W. Hewins, Andrew Hicks, Brett A. Melbourne, Kendi F. Davies, Matthew E. Bitters, Grant D. Linley, Aaron C. Greenville, Jonathan K. Webb, Bridget Roberts, Mike Letnic, Owen F. Price, Zac C. Walker, Brad R. Murray, Elise M. Verhoeven, Alexandria M. Thomsen, David Keith, Jedda S. Lemmon, Mark K. J. Ooi, Vanessa L. Allen, Orsi T. Decker, Peter T. Green, Adnan Moussalli, Junn K. Foon, David B. Bryant, Ken L. Walker, Matthew J. Bruce, George Madani, Jeremy L. Tscharke, Benjamin Wagner, Craig R. Nitschke, Carl R. Gosper, Colin J. Yates, Rebecca Dillon, Sarah Barrett, Emma E. Spencer, Glenda M. Wardle, Thomas M. Newsome, Stephanie A. Pulsford, Anu Singh, Adam Roff, Karen J. Marsh, Kye Mcdonald, Lachlan G. Howell, Murraya R. Lane, Romane H. Cristescu, Ryan R. Witt, Emma J. Cook, Felicity Grant, Bradley S. Law, Julian Seddon, Karleah K. Berris, Ryan M. Shofner, Mike Barth, Torran Welz, Alison Foster, David Hancock, Matthew Beitzel, Laura X. L. Tan, Nathan A. Waddell, Pamela M. Fallow, Laura Schweickle, Tom D. Breton, Craig Dunne, Mikayla Green, Amy-Marie Gilpin, James M. Cook, Sally A. Power, Katja Hogendoorn, Renee Brawata, Chris J. Jolly, Mark Tozer, Noushka Reiter and Ryan D. Phillips
Additional contact information
Don A. Driscoll: Deakin University
Kristina J. Macdonald: Deakin University
Rebecca K. Gibson: NSW Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water
Tim S. Doherty: The University of Sydney
Dale G. Nimmo: Charles Sturt University
Rachael H. Nolan: Western Sydney University
Euan G. Ritchie: Deakin University
Grant J. Williamson: University of Tasmania
Geoffrey W. Heard: University of Queensland
Elizabeth M. Tasker: NSW Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water
Rohan Bilney: Forestry Corporation of New South Wales
Nick Porch: Deakin University
Rachael A. Collett: Deakin University
Ross A. Crates: Australian National University
Alison C. Hewitt: Western Sydney University
Elise Pendall: Western Sydney University
Matthias M. Boer: Western Sydney University
Jody Gates: SA Department of Environment and Water
Rebecca L. Boulton: University of Adelaide
Christopher M. Mclean: Central Coast Council
Heidi Groffen: Kangaroo Island Land for Wildlife Association
Alex C. Maisey: School of Agriculture, Biomedicine and Environment, La Trobe University
Chad T. Beranek: University of Newcastle
Shelby A. Ryan: University of Newcastle
Alex Callen: University of Newcastle
Andrew J. Hamer: University of Newcastle
Andrew Stauber: University of Newcastle
Garry J. Daly: Gaia Research P/L
John Gould: University of Newcastle
Kaya L. Klop-Toker: University of Newcastle
Michael J. Mahony: University of Newcastle
Oliver W. Kelly: University of Newcastle
Samantha L. Wallace: University of Newcastle
Sarah E. Stock: University of Newcastle
Christopher J. Weston: University of Melbourne
Liubov Volkova: University of Melbourne
Dennis Black: School of Agriculture, Biomedicine and Environment, La Trobe University
Heloise Gibb: School of Agriculture, Biomedicine and Environment, La Trobe University
Joshua J. Grubb: School of Agriculture, Biomedicine and Environment, La Trobe University
Melodie A. McGeoch: School of Agriculture, Biomedicine and Environment, La Trobe University
Nick P. Murphy: School of Agriculture, Biomedicine and Environment, La Trobe University
Joshua S. Lee: Western Sydney University
Chris R. Dickman: The University of Sydney
Victor J. Neldner: Queensland Herbarium and Biodiversity Science
Michael R. Ngugi: Queensland Herbarium and Biodiversity Science
Vivianna Miritis: The University of Sydney
Frank Köhler: Australian Museum
Marc Perri: VIC Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action
Andrew J. Denham: NSW Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water
Berin D. E. Mackenzie: NSW Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water
Chris A. M. Reid: Australian Museum
Julia T. Rayment: NSW Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water
Alfonsina Arriaga-Jiménez: University of New England
Michael W. Hewins: University of New England
Andrew Hicks: University of Colorado
Brett A. Melbourne: University of Colorado
Kendi F. Davies: University of Colorado
Matthew E. Bitters: University of Colorado
Grant D. Linley: Charles Sturt University
Aaron C. Greenville: The University of Sydney
Jonathan K. Webb: University of Technology Sydney
Bridget Roberts: Centre for Environmental Risk Management of Bushfires, University of Wollongong
Mike Letnic: University of New South Wales
Owen F. Price: Centre for Environmental Risk Management of Bushfires, University of Wollongong
Zac C. Walker: Deakin University
Brad R. Murray: University of Technology Sydney
Elise M. Verhoeven: The University of Sydney
Alexandria M. Thomsen: University of New South Wales
David Keith: University of New South Wales
Jedda S. Lemmon: NSW Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water
Mark K. J. Ooi: University of New South Wales
Vanessa L. Allen: NSW Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water
Orsi T. Decker: Bavarian Forest National Park
Peter T. Green: School of Agriculture, Biomedicine and Environment, La Trobe University
Adnan Moussalli: Museums Victoria Research Institute
Junn K. Foon: Western Sydney University
David B. Bryant: Victorian Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action
Ken L. Walker: Museums Victoria Research Institute
Matthew J. Bruce: Victorian Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action
George Madani: University of Newcastle
Jeremy L. Tscharke: Parks Victoria
Benjamin Wagner: University of Melbourne
Craig R. Nitschke: University of Melbourne
Carl R. Gosper: WA Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions
Colin J. Yates: WA Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions
Rebecca Dillon: WA Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions
Sarah Barrett: WA Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions, Parks and Wildlife Service
Emma E. Spencer: The University of Sydney
Glenda M. Wardle: The University of Sydney
Thomas M. Newsome: The University of Sydney
Stephanie A. Pulsford: Environment, Planning and Sustainable Development Directorate, ACT Government
Anu Singh: University of Melbourne
Adam Roff: University of Newcastle
Karen J. Marsh: Australian National University
Kye Mcdonald: University of the Sunshine Coast
Lachlan G. Howell: Deakin University
Murraya R. Lane: Australian National University
Romane H. Cristescu: University of the Sunshine Coast
Ryan R. Witt: University of Newcastle
Emma J. Cook: Environment, Planning and Sustainable Development Directorate, ACT Government
Felicity Grant: Environment, Planning and Sustainable Development Directorate, ACT Government
Bradley S. Law: NSW Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water
Julian Seddon: Environment, Planning and Sustainable Development Directorate, ACT Government
Karleah K. Berris: Kangaroo Island Landscape Board
Ryan M. Shofner: University of New South Wales
Mike Barth: Kangaroo Island Landscape Board
Torran Welz: Kangaroo Island Landscape Board
Alison Foster: NSW Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water
David Hancock: NSW Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water
Matthew Beitzel: Environment, Planning and Sustainable Development Directorate, ACT Government
Laura X. L. Tan: Birdlife Australia
Nathan A. Waddell: Deakin University
Pamela M. Fallow: Birdlife Australia
Laura Schweickle: NSW Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water
Tom D. Breton: University of New South Wales
Craig Dunne: Forestry Corporation of New South Wales
Mikayla Green: Charles Sturt University
Amy-Marie Gilpin: Western Sydney University
James M. Cook: Western Sydney University
Sally A. Power: Western Sydney University
Katja Hogendoorn: University of Adelaide
Renee Brawata: Environment, Planning and Sustainable Development Directorate, ACT Government
Chris J. Jolly: Macquarie University
Mark Tozer: NSW Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water
Noushka Reiter: School of Agriculture, Biomedicine and Environment, La Trobe University
Ryan D. Phillips: School of Agriculture, Biomedicine and Environment, La Trobe University

Nature, 2024, vol. 635, issue 8040, 898-905

Abstract: Abstract With large wildfires becoming more frequent1,2, we must rapidly learn how megafires impact biodiversity to prioritize mitigation and improve policy. A key challenge is to discover how interactions among fire-regime components, drought and land tenure shape wildfire impacts. The globally unprecedented3,4 2019–2020 Australian megafires burnt more than 10 million hectares5, prompting major investment in biodiversity monitoring. Collated data include responses of more than 2,000 taxa, providing an unparalleled opportunity to quantify how megafires affect biodiversity. We reveal that the largest effects on plants and animals were in areas with frequent or recent past fires and within extensively burnt areas. Areas burnt at high severity, outside protected areas or under extreme drought also had larger effects. The effects included declines and increases after fire, with the largest responses in rainforests and by mammals. Our results implicate species interactions, dispersal and extent of in situ survival as mechanisms underlying fire responses. Building wildfire resilience into these ecosystems depends on reducing fire recurrence, including with rapid wildfire suppression in areas frequently burnt. Defending wet ecosystems, expanding protected areas and considering localized drought could also contribute. While these countermeasures can help mitigate the impacts of more frequent megafires, reversing anthropogenic climate change remains the urgent broad-scale solution.

Date: 2024
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DOI: 10.1038/s41586-024-08174-6

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