The Earth is losing plants and animals at rates not seen in millions of years. Ecologists explain how protecting habitat on working lands – farms, forests and ranches – can help conserve species.
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Articles on Native species
Displaying 21 - 40 of 42 articles
The sugar glider is an icon of the Australian bush. But discovering it’s actually three distinct species has big consequences for its conservation.
Three quarters of WA’s Stirling Ranges national park now experience fire cycles twice as frequent as species recovery rates.
The invasive species was likely brought to Australia unintentionally by ship. Now found in every state and territory, the wasps are decimating our ecosystems.
Expanding numbers of feral horses roaming the Australian Alps threaten the alp’s ecosystems, soils and unique species.
Wet and bulky cattle dung is very unlike marsupial dung that Australian dung beetles are adapted to deal with, meaning native dung beetles tend to leave it alone. But help from abroad is at hand.
Rapid action is needed to reduce feral horse numbers before they cause more damage to native species.
Species counts drive conservation science and policy, yet a major component of biodiversity is excluded from the data: non-native species.
Rewilding is gaining popularity around the world, as a means to restore ecosystems to their ancient state. But just like Vegemite, Australian rewilding projects need to have a unique flavour.
The plan to kill 2 million feral cats nationwide by 2020 makes for good headlines. But it’s also a simplistic goal that won’t necessarily deliver conservation benefits to native species.
A survey of 32,000 samples of dingo droppings and stomach contents reveal that this predator’s appetite is as wide-ranging as Australia’s landscapes. But medium and large mammals are top of the menu.
The ecological value of old trees is irreplaceable for native Australian fauna. Identifying and preserving these trees in cities through smarter planning strategies is important for local wildlife.
The average Australian feral cat kills 225 reptiles a year, which adds up to 596 million in total, according to a new estimate. Pet cats, meanwhile, kill a further 53 million.
Failing to cull feral horses in Kosciuszko National Park may end up promoting environmental destruction while actually increasing the horses’ suffering.
For the first time, researchers have estimated the toll taken by feral and pet cats on Australia’s bird life - and the numbers are high enough to push several species towards extinction.
Beeches are ‘non-native’ to Scotland because they got there less than 7,000 years ago. No, really.
Two recently emerging viruses in domestic pigeons in Australia may pose a significant threat to Australia’s 22 species of native pigeons and doves, many of which have crucial ecosystem roles.
Is providing birds with food and water making them too dependent? Or are gardens just the new frontier of Australia’s urban landscape? New research aims to find out.
At least 100,000 insects are among the many Australian species still to be formally identified. That’s a problem for any biosecurity experts who need to be able to spot potentially invasive bugs.
Computer modelling can help predict where a species will best survive, especially those affected by climate change.
Top contributors
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Honorary Research Fellow, University of Sydney
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Professor in Terrestrial Ecology, Deakin University
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Senior lecturer, University of Sydney
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Professor of Conservation Biology, School of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Sydney
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Professor in Wildlife Ecology and Conservation, School of Life & Environmental Sciences, Deakin University
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Professor, Charles Darwin University
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Professor Emeritus in Terrestrial Ecology, University of Sydney
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Professor in Ecology, Charles Sturt University
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Professor of Wildlife Ecology, Australian National University
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Professor of Conservation Biology, Charles Darwin University
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Adjunct Lecturer, Queensland University of Technology
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Adjunct Associate Professor, Murdoch University
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Professor of Conservation and Sustainable Livelihoods, Charles Darwin University
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Associate Professor in Interaction Design, Queensland University of Technology
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Associate Professor and Director, Centre for Compassionate Conservation, University of Technology Sydney
