Australia’s bushfire crises cause unintended long-term consequences for wildlife
Australia’s ongoing threat of bushfires has put an alarming number of species at a much higher risk of extinction, as some of our ecosystems get pushed beyond their limits.
Australia’s ongoing threat of bushfires has put an alarming number of species at a much higher risk of extinction, as some of our ecosystems get pushed beyond their limits.
Research from Federation University shows the fallout of the massive Black Summer fires — where more than one million hectares were burnt across eastern Australia at the beginning of the decade — is still having a worrying impact on native wildlife.
“As we look at 2025, the recovery has not been smooth,” Federation University senior lecturer and wildlife ecologist Dr Grant Palmer said.
“In western Victoria, massive fire events in the last 18 months across the Grampians-Gariwerd, Little Desert and Mt Cole burnt more than 70 per cent of each of their parks.”
Dr Palmer highlighted how many fire-affected areas support isolated populations of flora and fauna that do not occur anywhere else, presenting real challenges to how species recover, with native animals like red-tailed black-cockatoos and brush-tailed rock wallabies now endangered.
“The ongoing threats and risks are still very active. The birds might need to travel further to feed and nest sites are much more limited, meaning there is less habitat to support species so the population has declined in size,” Dr Palmer said.
The last known count for the black-cockatoos was recorded at just 1200 back in 2023.
“For a long-lived bird with low reproductive output this number is a challenge in itself. Adding large fires leading to direct or indirect mortality makes the outlook for this species a real concern,” Dr Palmer said.
The critically endangered rock wallaby had about 50 per cent of its potential habitat in Victoria burnt in 2020, with its habitats and populations impacted even more heavily through NSW and Queensland by fires.
“A blaze like the recent 2025 one in the Grampians burnt at very high severity and travelled quickly, which puts the wallabies at risk. The fire removes food resources and the post fire recovery of this species has required supplementary feeding.” Dr Palmer said.
While controlled burning has a role in helping manage fire risk in the future, the environmental science expert pointed out increasingly difficult weather conditions were a detriment to managing the problem.
“(Controlled) burning is being challenged by hotter, drier weather, extended high risk fire days and what has been regular large-scale wildfires that when burning in the right conditions, are unstoppable,” he said.
Federation University’s Centre for eResearch and Digital Innovation has been able to measure the scale of the fires and areas burnt 30 years across the state.
Their research shows that other icons like the superb lyrebird, eastern bristlebird and ground parrot have also been impacted by ongoing fire activity.
“When dealing with a large-scale ecological disaster, the conservation of biodiversity needs to be a central pillar in how we plan for and manage fire in the landscape.” Dr Palmer said.
