Spread by the wind, the fungal rusts are among the most feared of all plant diseases. A 2016 myrtle rust outbreak on Lord Howe Island was contained, but now its unique plants are again under threat.
Saving our threatened species shouldn’t be seen as a cost, but rather a very savvy investment to ensure the support systems sustaining life on Earth remain intact.
Many threatened plant species aren’t being targeted for conservation. Identifying which are closest to being lost forever is the first step to protect them.
Without an emergency cull of feral horses in Kosciuszko National Park, the land cannot recover from the bushfires – and threatened species are at grave risk of being annihilated.
Our work represents the first assessment of what social and economic factors are connected to environmental degradation across the entire African continent.
Matthew Flinders Professor of Global Ecology and Models Theme Leader for the ARC Centre of Excellence for Australian Biodiversity and Heritage, Flinders University