Wildlife deaths 'vanish' within days of prescribed burns
Researchers from Adelaide University warn that current wildlife monitoring practices after prescribed burns are likely inaccurate. Their study found that scavenger activity removes evidence of animal deaths within two weeks, suggesting that surveys must be conducted much sooner to assess environmental impact.
Why it matters
Improving monitoring accuracy is essential for better understanding the ecological consequences of fire management strategies.
Monitoring wildlife deaths immediately after prescribed burns is the only way to gain an accurate understanding of the impact of fire on fauna, researchers say.
Newswise — Scientists are calling for wildlife surveys to be conducted within hours of prescribed burns after new research revealed that evidence of animal deaths can disappear in less than two weeks, significantly underestimating the true toll of fire on Australia's wildlife.
Adelaide University researchers monitored prescribed burns in the Mount Lofty Ranges and found that more than half of all lizard carcasses detected during the study were found just 28 hours after fire. Within 12 days, every carcass had disappeared, most likely removed by scavengers.
The findings, published today in the Australian Journal of Zoology , suggest current post-fire monitoring practices may be missing much of the immediate impact that prescribed burning has on wildlife.
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in