Species in trouble … and lost forever
To date almost 2000 plant and animal species are in trouble or extinct. Australia has the highest rate of
vertebrate mammal
extinction in the world - nearly 1 in 3 of our unique mammals are at risk of extinction.
Fauna species in trouble or extinct
See the breakdownFlora species in trouble or extinct
See the breakdownendangered
- http://www.environment.gov.au/cgi-bin/sprat/public/publicthreatenedlist.pl?wanted=fauna
- http://www.environment.gov.au/cgi-bin/sprat/public/publicthreatenedlist.pl?wanted=flora
- https://blog.csiro.au/invasive-species-are-australias-number-one-extinction-threat/
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_extinct_animals_of_Australia
The rate of extinction continues
By 2021, 104 endemic Australian species were listed as extinct. In the past 20 years, the number of
threatened species and
ecosystems has grown by more than one-third. Climate change threatens to
increase the rate of losses up to fivefold.
What’s causing the problems?
The three biggest causes of threat and extinction are:
Invasive animal species are our number one threat, affecting 82% of all threatened species with cats and foxes being the biggest threat to our mammals. Invasive plants are also a problem. Escaped garden plants account for over 70% of all environmental weeds.
Threats to endangered species
- https://blog.csiro.au/invasive-species-are-australias-number-one-extinction-threat/
- https://www.publish.csiro.au/pc/Fulltext/PC18024?subscribe=false%22
- https://www.pnas.org/content/112/15/4531
- https://soe.environment.gov.au/theme/overview/topic/invasive-species-are-potent-persistent-and-widespread-threat-australias
- http://www.environment.gov.au/system/files/pages/215ddf2d-5955-4974-b2c3-a7e99c14f5e3/files/garden-plants-listing-advice.pdf
Land clearing is a primary driver of biodiversity loss in Australia.
At the turn of the 21st century, Australia’s deforestation rate was the sixth highest in the world. Australia’s native forests now cover only 19% of the total land area. Over 40% of forests and woodlands have been cleared, mostly for agricultural expansion. About 8 million hectares of threatened species’ habitats were cleared between 2000 and 2017.
Protected areas such as national parks play a key role in reducing deforestation and protecting species.
- https://conbio.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/csp2.117
- https://soe.environment.gov.au/theme/land/topic/2016/regional-and-landscape-scale-pressures-land-clearing
- https://data.gov.au/dataset/ds-dga-95f6d0f2-7467-455c-ae81-d6118834225b/details
- https://www.researchgate.net/publication/301942515_Deforestation_in_Australia_Drivers_trends_and_policy_responses
- Environmental Resources Information Network, Australian Government Department of the Environment and Energy, 2011
- Assessment of Australia’s terrestrial biodiversity 2008, report prepared by the Biodiversity Assessment Working Group of the National Land & Water Resources Audit, Australian Government Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage
- https://academic.oup.com/jpe/article/5/1/109/1294916
- Resource Assessment Commission Forest and Timber Inquiry. 1992 http://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-1439778877
- https://www.environment.gov.au/biodiversity/publications/assessment-australias-terrestrial-biodiversity-2008
Extreme fire weather has been getting worse across large parts of the country since the 1950s. 2019 was the driest, warmest year since records began in 1910. In the 2020 bushfires - the largest single recorded fire season for eastern Australia - 17 million hectares was burned and a more than one billion animals were killed with a significant impact on many rare or threatened animals, plants, and insects. In NSW alone, over 37% of the State’s national park estate was impacted.
2020 Fires; extent of damage to NSW National Parks
- https://twitter.com/AFACnews/status/1233262259612213248
- https://www.aph.gov.au/About_Parliament/Parliamentary_Departments/Parliamentary_Library/pubs/rp/rp1920/Quick_Guides/AustralianBushfires
- http://www.bom.gov.au/climate/current/annual/aus/#tabs=Events
- http://www.bom.gov.au/state-of-the-climate/
- https://www.csiro.au/en/Research/Environment/Extreme-Events/Bushfire/preparing-for-climate-change/2019-20-bushfires-explainer
FNPW is part of the solution
FNPW Project Grants
Planning a project that will help conserve Australia’s native plants, animals or cultural heritage? A grant from the Foundation for National Parks & Wildlife could help you get your project off the ground.
Fundraising for FNPW
Our supporters have come up with some incredible and innovative ways to fundraise for Australian conservation. Learn how you can get involved in fundraising in your community or in your workplace.
Corporate Volunteering
Corporate Volunteering is a fabulous way to build team spirit, strengthen bonds, and create memorable experiences while exploring and restoring some of our unique national parks.
We are leaving a better Australia for our kids
Thanks to our donors and partners, FNPW has been able to invest in conservation projects around Australia. Your generosity helps with long-term restoration of areas that have been decimated by floods and fires and builds resilience so that our land and wildlife can continue to recover for generations to come.
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