Australia鈥檚 extinction tally is worse than we thought
A new study estimates that more than 9000 insects and other native invertebrates have become extinct in Australia since European arrival in 1788 and between 1鈥3 additional species become extinct every week.
罢丑别听Bulloak Jewel butterfly is estimated to have a 37 per cent likelihood of becoming extinct by 2040 unless there is new action to conserve it. It lives in Queensland's Bulloak Woodlands which have been widely cleared. Photo credit: Michael Braby, Australian National University.
Invertebrates include species such as worms, snails and spiders, and many play a crucial role in the environment 鈥 such as pollinators and earthworms, which are important for maintaining soil health.
Dr Jess Marsh, from the 成人大片鈥檚 School of Biological Sciences, contributed to the study and says we should not accept the ongoing species loss as inevitable.
鈥Thousands of invertebrate species remain at high risk of extinction, and many have already lost, and continue to lose, a huge amount of habitat,鈥 says Dr Marsh, whose study was .
鈥There is a lot we can do to prevent extinctions, including by protecting important habitats and reducing threats like pesticide use.
鈥Using pesticide in your garden often kills the beneficial invertebrates your garden need, like bees and flies that pollinate, lady beetles that help control aphids, and worms that improve your soil.鈥
Most at risk are invertebrate species that require special habitats, or which only occur in specific areas of the country.
鈥淭丑别 occurs in south-eastern Australian grasslands, and even though little of the once vast grasslands remain, they are still at high risk of being destroyed by developments,鈥 says Dr Marsh, who is a Biodiversity Council member.
鈥And climate change will further exacerbate risks for such species.鈥
Dr Marsh, who is a member of the Australian Biodiversity Council, conducted the study as part of a national team that included 10 scientists from universities, museums and state governments.
The Kangaroo Island Enigma Moth is an聽ancient relict, the only member of its family known to still be in existence and only known from a small area on Kangaroo Island. Credit:聽George Gibbs.
The study was led by Professor John Woinarski, from Charles Darwin University, who suggests the number of species to have gone extinct in Australia since European arrival is likely much higher than the research found.
鈥淲e found that 9,111 species are likely to have become extinct in those 236 years. Allowing for uncertainties and knowledge gaps, our analysis indicates that the true number is at least 1500 species and possibly up to 60,000 extinctions,鈥 says Professor Woinarski, who is also a Biodiversity Council member.
Professor Woinarski says only one of these extinctions has been formally recognised under Australian environmental legislation, that of the , and many occurred before the species were named or described by scientists.
鈥淒espite their incredible importance, there has been a long running bias against invertebrates, with little funding available for their research and conservation,鈥 says Professor Woinarski.
鈥淚t is important that Australia鈥檚 federal and state and territory governments, and the community, give much greater priority to understanding, monitoring and protecting our invertebrates.
鈥淚nvertebrates are the foundation of all healthy environments and a livable planet. As we lose invertebrates the health of our crops, waterways, forests and even local parks and backyard gardens will decline.鈥
The called the finding highly alarming and echoes Professor Woinarski鈥檚 call for federal state and territory governments to increase work to understand, monitor and conserve Australia鈥檚 invertebrates.
Media contacts:
Dr Jess Marsh, Visiting Associate, School of Biological Sciences, 成人大片. Phone: +61 0448 678 848, Email: jess.marsh@adelaide.edu.au
Johnny von Einem, Senior Media Officer, 成人大片. Mobile: +61 0481 688 436, Email: johnny.voneinem@adelaide.edu.au