Environmental Effects of Australia Wildfire Will Linger for Years to Come

(Photo : reutersconnect.com)

The Australia wildfire has an immense impact on the planet. Since ecosystems are built on balance, once one element is thrown off, all the rest will be affected.

According to an article by CNN, nearly 18 million acres of land across the country have been burned and majority is home to the country's rich, unique wildlife. According to ecologists at the University of Sydney in New South Wales alone, "the true loss of animal life is likely to be much higher than 480 million" with millions potentially dead. This includes birds, reptiles, and mammals, except bats, insects and frogs which were not included in the analysis.

Christopher Dickman, the University of Sydney ecologist who led the report, said the total number of animals affected nationwide could be as high as a billion.

Due to the wildfire, Australia holds the record for the highest rate of species loss of any area in the world, and the figures are feared to increase as the disaster continues.

Using estimates of NSW mammal population density in 2007, the University of Sydney researchers estimated the number of animals affected in the 12.1 million-acre affected area in NSW.

The disaster claimed nearly a third of all koalas in NSW and destroyed about a third of their habitat has been destroyed.

Wombats have also been affected since they can't run very fast or far and cannot cope well with heat or stress, and panic at the smell of smoke.

Additionally, smaller mammals and reptiles might be able to escape the blazes by burrowing underground or hiding in rocks but afterwards, they are confronted by the loss of food or shelter which makes them easy prey for larger predators such as feral cats and red foxes.

Although many koalas and kangaroos died due to the fire, they researchers said they are not in danger of extinction since they are spread out across the country. But other animals with smaller populations and those inhabiting niche environments and have smaller populations such as the eastern bristlebird, the mountain pygmy possum and the corroboree frog, may have been wiped out entirely.

"If you whittle away population after population, then eventually you'll be left with half a dozen, then three, two, then maybe even one population," Dickman said. "Then all it takes is one event and it's gone -- a fire, drought, whatever."

The recovery of the animals also depends on the condition of their habitat. It would take a very long time before species are able to return in high-altitude alpine regions since plants grow slower in these areas. And sometimes, even if a habitat heals, the animals don't come back, according to Dickman.

Likewise, the habitats need animals to recover.

A type of rat kangaroo called the potoroo is keeps forest soil healthy but if they are hit by fire, some plant species would take a long time to regenerate, which could kill off other species that depend on this vegetation.

Of the 300 species living in Australia, about 81% of them are endemic-meaning, they are only found in the country. If they are wiped by fire, or without grass, water, or habitat, they might go extinct.

Alongside its environmental effects, the Australia wildfire has so far caused an economic damage exceeding the record $4.4bn set by 2009's Black Saturday blazes, according to a report by The Guardian.