Amazonian fires endanger threatened plants and protected areas

Mortara, Sara Ribeiro; Rosa, Patrícia da; Ribeiro, José Wagner; Sánchez‐Tapia, Andrea; Ferreira, Gláucia Crispim; Fernandez, Eduardo P.; Siqueira, Marinez Ferreira de; Martinelli, Gustavo

doi:10.1002/fee.2197

Cited by 6 publications

(6 citation statements)

References 6 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…The sudden increase in extinction risks across many taxa may be a new and recurring feature of megafires. Similar effects from single fire seasons have been reported from the Amazon, where megafires in 2019 potentially increased the extinction risk for up to half the listed threatened plant taxa in the region (Mortara et al, 2020), and contributed to the broad-scale conversion of some forest types to savanna (Armenteras et al, 2021). Some invasive species and diseases have impacted biodiversity at comparable scales.…”

Section: Conservation Impact and Taxon Recoverymentioning

confidence: 52%

The conservation impacts of ecological disturbance: Time‐bound estimates of population loss and recovery for fauna affected by the 2019–2020 Australian megafires

Legge

Rumpff

Woinarski

et al. 2022

Global Ecol Biogeogr

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Aim: After environmental disasters, species with large population losses may need urgent protection to prevent extinction and support recovery. Following the 2019-2020 Australian megafires, we estimated population losses and recovery in fire-affected fauna, to inform conservation status assessments and management.Location: Temperate and subtropical Australia. Time period: 2019-2030 and beyond.Major taxa: Australian terrestrial and freshwater vertebrates; one invertebrate group. Methods:From > 1,050 fire-affected taxa, we selected 173 whose distributions substantially overlapped the fire extent. We estimated the proportion of each taxon's distribution affected by fires, using fire severity and aquatic impact mapping, and new distribution mapping. Using expert elicitation informed by evidence of responses to previous wildfires, we estimated local population responses to fires of varying severity. We combined the spatial and elicitation data to estimate overall population loss and recovery trajectories, and thus indicate potential eligibility for listing as threatened, or uplisting, under Australian legislation. Results:We estimate that the 2019-2020 Australian megafires caused, or contributed to, population declines that make 70-82 taxa eligible for listing as threatened;

show abstract

Section: Conservation Impact and Taxon Recoverymentioning

confidence: 52%

The conservation impacts of ecological disturbance: Time‐bound estimates of population loss and recovery for fauna affected by the 2019–2020 Australian megafires

Legge

Rumpff

Woinarski

et al. 2022

Global Ecol Biogeogr

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…For example, the 2019–2020 Australia bushfires likely resulted in significant (>30%) habitat loss to 70 taxa including 21 already threatened with extinction (Ward et al., 2020). An analysis of the 2019 Amazon fires suggested that most species experienced habitat losses across 20–30% of their range (Mortara et al., 2020). Rapidly changing fire regimes, especially when considered alongside synergies from other pressures (e.g., land‐use change, invasive species) threaten the habitat and persistence of at least 4400 taxa globally (Kelly et al., 2020).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Megafire causes persistent loss of an old‐forest species

Jones

Kramer

Berigan

et al. 2021

Animal Conservation

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Climate change and a long legacy of fire suppression are leading to an increased prevalence of ‘mega‐disturbances’ such as drought and wildfire in terrestrial ecosystems. Evidence for the immediate effects of these novel disturbances on wildlife is accumulating, but little information exists on longer term impacts to species and ecosystems. We studied the occurrence dynamics of an iconic old‐forest species, the spotted owl (Strix occidentalis), on a long‐term study area in the Sierra Nevada, CA, USA from 1989 to 2020 to evaluate their multi‐scale population response following a 2014 megafire (the ‘King’ Fire) that affected a portion of our study area. We found that extensive severe fire within spotted owl sites resulted in both immediate site abandonment and prolonged lack of re‐colonization by owls six years post‐fire. Sites that experienced high pyrodiversity – a mosaic of burn severities – were more likely to persist after the fire, but this effect was only apparent at finer spatial scales. A potentially confounding factor, post‐fire salvage logging, did not explain variability in the probability of either owls persisting at sites or sites becoming re‐colonized; effects could be attributed only to severe fire extent and pyrodiversity. Our study demonstrates the prolonged effects of severe fire on the occupancy of this forest‐dependent species, suggesting that forest restoration that reduces megafires could benefit spotted owls. Our work emphasizes that long‐term monitoring can offer surprising learning opportunities and provide unparalleled value for understanding and addressing emerging environmental concerns.

show abstract

“…Global biodiversity in the Anthropocene is decreasing very fast (Butchart et al 2010; Pena Rodrigues & Lira 2019). The rate of animal and plant species extinction has increased worldwide in the last centuries, being deforestation and re a global concern to conserve biodiversity (Ceballos et al 2015;Humphreys et al 2019;Mortara et al 2020). The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species is regarded as the most effective tool to identify which species are facing high extinction risk and which are the main drivers of species' population declines, similarly to a "barometer of life" (Stuart 2010;IUCN 2019).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Found and lost again: Rediscovery of Mollinedia myriantha (Monimiaceae) after 123 years and perspectives for conservation of the family in Brazil

Lírio

Freitas²,

Pauli

et al. 2023

Kew Bull

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Mollinedia myriantha Perkins (Monimiaceae) is a tropical tree described by Perkins (1900) based on a collection of the French botanist Auguste F. M. Glaziou collected in 1892 in the mountainous region of Rio de Janeiro state, Brazil. The species was rediscovered in 2015 after 123 years from Glaziou's report in the type locality, however, in subsequent eldworks (2018-2019) the sole rediscovered individual was found dead. In this study, we report this rediscovery and discuss the possible pressures that lead the individual to death, also we provide a lectotypi cation, along with morphological description, geographic distribution map and conservation comments for this species. Besides we discuss the conservation status of Monimiaceae in Brazil.

show abstract

Amazonian fires endanger threatened plants and protected areas

Cited by 6 publications

References 6 publications

The conservation impacts of ecological disturbance: Time‐bound estimates of population loss and recovery for fauna affected by the 2019–2020 Australian megafires

The conservation impacts of ecological disturbance: Time‐bound estimates of population loss and recovery for fauna affected by the 2019–2020 Australian megafires

Megafire causes persistent loss of an old‐forest species

Found and lost again: Rediscovery of Mollinedia myriantha (Monimiaceae) after 123 years and perspectives for conservation of the family in Brazil

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About