‘Things started to look dire’: our deep dive into past climates sounds a warning for this unique corner of Australia

Tue, 23 Jul 2024 11:54:42 +1000

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://theconversation.com/things-started-to-look-dire-our-deep-dive-into-past-climates-sounds-a-warning-for-this-unique-corner-of-australia-233340>

"Climate change threatens plants and animals around the world, but some regions
are particularly exposed. Some are vulnerable simply due to the huge diversity
of species they harbour. Others will experience more acute climate disruption
than elsewhere. For some regions, such as Western Australia’s southwest, both
are true.

WA’s southwest is a globally recognised “biodiversity hotspot”. Such regions
have exceptionally high numbers of “endemic” species – those not found anywhere
else – and have experienced significant habitat loss. And alarmingly, the
region is fast becoming hotter and drier.

Our new research shows how climate stability in the past allowed ancient
populations of small freshwater fish to persist today, despite their isolation.
This stability is now at risk as climate change worsens, suggesting tough times
ahead for these fish populations.

As the planet warms, ambitious conservation actions are urgently needed to save
the iconic biodiversity of WA’s southwest – one of Australia’s natural
treasures."

Cheers,
       *** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net               Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/                 Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/            Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/               Manager, Serious Cybernetics

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