Climate change ‘threatens Oz wildlife’ - March 25, 2008
Climate change is threatening to drive Australia’s iconic, cute, venomous and bizarre species out of existence, according to the WWF. Not only that, but nasty invasive species like the cane toad will thrive, rampaging across the fair almost-continent in a terrifying orgy of environmental destruction.
Well that may be slightly overplaying it but it’s close enough.
“Australia already has the worst rate of mammal extinction in the world. Almost 40 per cent of mammal extinctions globally in the last 200 years have occurred in Australia,” says Tammie Matson, WWF’s species program leader (press release; news coverage in Adelaide Now, The Age). No mention is made of the fact that, in a globalising world, you might expect the species endemic to a relatively small region that had previously been pretty isolated to do worst. Would it have been better in some way if the extinction burden had been spread more widely?
More frequent and hotter wildfires, more fragmented habitats, changing agriculture patterns and more huge invasive toads will make things harder for beasts ranging from the albatross to the wallaby to the kangaroo, says a new report from the group. This goes on to warn that signs have already appeared.
Gouldian finches are already on the wane due to change patterns of fires and turtle eggs are under threat from warmer nesting beaches, says the report.
The WWF is also gunning for the Australian government, accusing them recently of not doing enough to protect the country’s wildlife. “The Australian Government needs to invest at least AUD 250 million to save the country’s wildlife and natural ecosystems,” says Martin Taylor, WWF-Australia’s protected areas policy manager (press release 2).
He wants more money spent and more protected areas.
Image: Loggerhead turtle, one of those threatened / US FWS