"We don't have a good handle on that at all. Looking more broadly at other types of wildlife catastrophes, Professor Dickman said oil spills like the Exxon Valdez in 1989 or BP's Deepwater Horizon spill in 2010 might compare. Globally, she said she couldn't think of a worse fire for wildlife: "If we think about known mass mortalities of animals, I'm not aware of anything that compares." "I don't know of any greater impact to wildlife in Australia," Dr van Eeden said. Professor Dickman said he had "no doubt" some species would have been pushed to extinction.
#MACFORT FIRES ANIMALS FULL#
"So even outside of the impact area, the burn may have caused mortality to animals that we'll never know the full magnitude of what that number is," Dr van Eeden said. "It may well be perhaps weeks or even months before populations of particular species disappear because they've been found by predators such as feral cats or foxes, or their food resources dwindle."Īnd the fire can cause populations outside the actual burnt area to die too, something not considered in the study, said Lily van Eeden, lead author on the study from the University of Sydney.
"It is difficult to get a real handle on it because you're looking at potentially longer-term effects," he said. Professor Dickman said there weren't many studies that looked at the numbers of animals before and after a fire to determine how many died. "We'll never know exactly what the number might have been."įire blackened huge areas of bush, including in the NSW Southern Highlands. "These are the lower bound estimates," Professor Dickman said. In addition, whenever there was a choice to make in the study, the scientists say they used conservative estimates of the animals included in the study. Professor Dickman said the revised figure was still a conservative one, with animals including turtles and fish not included in the estimate, due to a lack of baseline data on their densities. The team has now updated its earlier results to include fires outside NSW - including in East Gippsland, north-east Victoria and Kangaroo Island - and extended the analysis to a greater number of species, including bats and frogs.
Professor Dickman's estimate of 1 billion animals lost or displaced made headlines around the world in January.Īt the time, Professor Dickman said that figure - which only included animals lost in the NSW fires and was limited to certain species - was a conservative estimate. "It's almost inconceivable that so many animals would be lost and displaced," said University of Sydney professor Chris Dickman, who coordinated the study. If you love trees as much as we do, you’ll love hanging out in one of their tree tents.It is the worst single event for wildlife in Australia, among the worst in the world and is likely to push some species into extinction, according to the study, funded by WWF Australia. Our friends at Tentsile plant three new trees for every tent they sell. Smokey The Bear has a whole page dedicated to advice for helping campers prevent forest fires. Always thoroughly distinguish your camp fires, and respect fire bans during the drier months. As campers, we have a special responsibility to the forests we love. It’s important to understand the benefits of forest fires, but it’s also important for all of us to do our part to prevent man-made fires. To learn even more about forest fires, check out our sources at Natural History Museum of Utah, ABC News,, and Indiana Public Media. The extreme temperatures allow them to release seeds from their otherwise tightly sealed cones. National parks with approved fire maintenance plans assess each and every fire to decide whether or not it should be suppressed.ġ3. On average, 1.2 billion acres of forest burn in the United States each year.ġ2. A large enough fire can produce its own weather system.ġ1. While some animals are displaced by forest fires, burned clearings can become perfect homes for species that benefit from sunlight and nutrient-rich soil.ġ0.
A fire tornado can form when winds around a fire begin to spin.ĩ. Fires move faster when traveling uphill.Ĩ. Surface fires burn dead leaves and brush, making more room for animals like moose and deer to pass through.ħ. A “crown fire” is one that burns quickly across the tops of trees.Ħ. Naturally occurring forest and intentional controlled fires help prevent larger fires by clearing away underbrush that easily burns.ĥ. Approximately 4 in 5 forest fires are started by humans.Ĥ.