Drought, fire, and rainforest endemics: A case study of two threatened frogs impacted by Australia's “Black Summer”
Abstract Deepening droughts and unprecedented wildfires are at the leading edge of climate change. Such events pose an emerging threat to species maladapted to these perturbations, with the potential for steeper declines than may be inferred from the gradual erosion of their climatic niche. This stu...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Wiley
2023-05-01
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| Series: | Ecology and Evolution |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.10069 |
| _version_ | 1797776576878739456 |
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| author | Geoffrey W. Heard Liam J. Bolitho David Newell Harry B. Hines Patrick Norman Rosalie J. Willacy Ben C. Scheele |
| author_facet | Geoffrey W. Heard Liam J. Bolitho David Newell Harry B. Hines Patrick Norman Rosalie J. Willacy Ben C. Scheele |
| author_sort | Geoffrey W. Heard |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Deepening droughts and unprecedented wildfires are at the leading edge of climate change. Such events pose an emerging threat to species maladapted to these perturbations, with the potential for steeper declines than may be inferred from the gradual erosion of their climatic niche. This study focused on two species of amphibians—Philoria kundagungan and Philoria richmondensis (Limnodynastidae)—from the Gondwanan rainforests of eastern Australia that were extensively affected by the “Black Summer” megafires of 2019/2020 and the severe drought associated with them. We sought to assess the impact of these perturbations by quantifying the extent of habitat affected by fire, assessing patterns of occurrence and abundance of calling males post‐fire, and comparing post‐fire occurrence and abundance with that observed pre‐fire. Some 30% of potentially suitable habitat for P. kundagungan was fire affected, and 12% for P. richmondensis. Field surveys revealed persistence in some burnt rainforest; however, both species were detected at a higher proportion of unburnt sites. There was a clear negative effect of fire on the probability of site occupancy, abundance and the probability of persistence for P. kundagungan. For P. richmondensis, effects of fire were less evident due to the limited penetration of fire into core habitat; however, occupancy rates and abundance of calling males were depressed during the severe drought that prevailed just prior to the fires, with the reappearance of calling males linked to the degree of rehydration of breeding habitat post‐fire. Our results highlight the possibility that severe negative impacts of climate change for montane rainforest endemics may be felt much sooner than commonly anticipated under a scenario of gradual (decadal‐scale) changes in mean climatic conditions. Instead, the increased rate of severe stochastic events places these narrow range species at a heightened risk of extinction in the near‐term. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-12T22:51:51Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-3ff13c50426b41f88e88f4ec675d4c36 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2045-7758 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-12T22:51:51Z |
| publishDate | 2023-05-01 |
| publisher | Wiley |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Ecology and Evolution |
| spelling | doaj.art-3ff13c50426b41f88e88f4ec675d4c362023-07-20T08:50:55ZengWileyEcology and Evolution2045-77582023-05-01135n/an/a10.1002/ece3.10069Drought, fire, and rainforest endemics: A case study of two threatened frogs impacted by Australia's “Black Summer”Geoffrey W. Heard0Liam J. Bolitho1David Newell2Harry B. Hines3Patrick Norman4Rosalie J. Willacy5Ben C. Scheele6Fenner School of Environment and Society Australian National University Canberra Australian Capital Territory AustraliaFenner School of Environment and Society Australian National University Canberra Australian Capital Territory AustraliaFaculty of Science and Engineering Southern Cross University Lismore New South Wales AustraliaDepartment of Environment and Science Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service and Partnerships Bellbowrie Queensland AustraliaClimate Action Beacon Griffith University Gold Coast Queensland AustraliaCentre for Biodiversity and Conservation Science University of Queensland Brisbane Queensland AustraliaFenner School of Environment and Society Australian National University Canberra Australian Capital Territory AustraliaAbstract Deepening droughts and unprecedented wildfires are at the leading edge of climate change. Such events pose an emerging threat to species maladapted to these perturbations, with the potential for steeper declines than may be inferred from the gradual erosion of their climatic niche. This study focused on two species of amphibians—Philoria kundagungan and Philoria richmondensis (Limnodynastidae)—from the Gondwanan rainforests of eastern Australia that were extensively affected by the “Black Summer” megafires of 2019/2020 and the severe drought associated with them. We sought to assess the impact of these perturbations by quantifying the extent of habitat affected by fire, assessing patterns of occurrence and abundance of calling males post‐fire, and comparing post‐fire occurrence and abundance with that observed pre‐fire. Some 30% of potentially suitable habitat for P. kundagungan was fire affected, and 12% for P. richmondensis. Field surveys revealed persistence in some burnt rainforest; however, both species were detected at a higher proportion of unburnt sites. There was a clear negative effect of fire on the probability of site occupancy, abundance and the probability of persistence for P. kundagungan. For P. richmondensis, effects of fire were less evident due to the limited penetration of fire into core habitat; however, occupancy rates and abundance of calling males were depressed during the severe drought that prevailed just prior to the fires, with the reappearance of calling males linked to the degree of rehydration of breeding habitat post‐fire. Our results highlight the possibility that severe negative impacts of climate change for montane rainforest endemics may be felt much sooner than commonly anticipated under a scenario of gradual (decadal‐scale) changes in mean climatic conditions. Instead, the increased rate of severe stochastic events places these narrow range species at a heightened risk of extinction in the near‐term.https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.10069amphibianclimate changedroughtGondwananmegafirePyrocene |
| spellingShingle | Geoffrey W. Heard Liam J. Bolitho David Newell Harry B. Hines Patrick Norman Rosalie J. Willacy Ben C. Scheele Drought, fire, and rainforest endemics: A case study of two threatened frogs impacted by Australia's “Black Summer” Ecology and Evolution amphibian climate change drought Gondwanan megafire Pyrocene |
| title | Drought, fire, and rainforest endemics: A case study of two threatened frogs impacted by Australia's “Black Summer” |
| title_full | Drought, fire, and rainforest endemics: A case study of two threatened frogs impacted by Australia's “Black Summer” |
| title_fullStr | Drought, fire, and rainforest endemics: A case study of two threatened frogs impacted by Australia's “Black Summer” |
| title_full_unstemmed | Drought, fire, and rainforest endemics: A case study of two threatened frogs impacted by Australia's “Black Summer” |
| title_short | Drought, fire, and rainforest endemics: A case study of two threatened frogs impacted by Australia's “Black Summer” |
| title_sort | drought fire and rainforest endemics a case study of two threatened frogs impacted by australia s black summer |
| topic | amphibian climate change drought Gondwanan megafire Pyrocene |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.10069 |
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