Genetic erosion and escalating extinction risk in frogs with increasing wildfire frequency

DA Potvin; KM Parris; KL Smith Date; CC Keely; RD Bray; J Hale; S Hunjan; JJ Austin; J Melville

Journal article

Genetic erosion and escalating extinction risk in frogs with increasing wildfire frequency

DA Potvin, KM Parris, KL Smith Date, CC Keely, RD Bray, J Hale, S Hunjan, JJ Austin, J Melville

Journal of Applied Ecology | WILEY | Published : 2017

DOI: 10.1111/1365-2664.12809

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Abstract

Wildfires are increasing in both frequency and intensity in many ecosystems, with climate change models predicting further escalations in fire-prone environments. Set against this background is the global decline of amphibians, with up to 40% of species facing extinction from multiple additive threats. Despite these disturbing figures, it is currently unclear how increasing fire frequency may impact the long-term persistence of frog populations. Following a severe wildfire in south-eastern Australia in 2009, field surveys indicated healthy tree frog populations. However, the 2009 fire had significant impacts on genetic diversity, including increased levels of inbreeding and declines in effec..

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University of Melbourne Researchers

Kirsten Parris Author

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Grants

Awarded by Australian Research Council

Funding Acknowledgements

We thank A. McCallum, R. Long and J. de Jong for field assistance, M. Littlejohn for project advice, landholders for access to property and M. McCarthy for help with population modelling. Research was funded by the Australian Research Council (LP100200158, LP0990161, LP0667815) and The National Environmental Research Program, Environmental Decisions Hub.