More than 100 Australian plant species entirely burnt in Black Summer bushfires, study finds

by Graham Readfearn The Guardian 17 February 2021

CSIRO-led research estimates 100 entire populations were burnt and another 816 had more than half their area burnt

More than 100 plant species had their entire populations burned in the Black Summer bushfires, according to the most detailed study yet of the impact on Australia’s plants. An estimated 816 species had at least half the areas they grow burned, according to estimates in the study, and some ecosystems are now at risk of “regeneration failure”.

While many of the species studied are adapted to recover from fire – either by reshooting or growing from seeds waiting dormant in nearby soils – there are fears that the loss of mature plants has left some species and entire ecosystems vulnerable.

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