Australia fires: How do we know how many animals have died?

By Reality Check team

BBC News, 1/4/20

There is a widely-reported estimate that almost half a billion (480 million) animals have been killed by the bush fires in Australia.

It's a figure that came from Prof Chris Dickman, an expert on Australian biodiversity at the University of Sydney.

He released a statement explaining how he had reached the figure - a statement which refers to the number of animals affected rather than those necessarily dying as a direct result of the fire (although the title of the release talks about 480 million being killed).

The numbers are based on a report he co-wrote in 2007 for the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) on the impact of land-clearing on Australian wildlife in New South Wales.

It estimated that there were an average of 17.5 mammals, 20.7 birds and 129.5 reptiles per hectare (10,000 square metres, so a square 100m on each side - about the size of a rugby pitch).

They've then multiplied that by the amount of land hit by the fires.

"We've estimated that in the three million hectares of New South Wales alone that were burned up until about 10 days ago probably as many as 480 million mammals, birds and reptiles would have been affected by the fires," Prof Dickman said.

"Certainly, large animals, like kangaroos or emus - many birds, of course - will be able to move away from the fire as it approaches," he told BBC Breakfast.

"I guess it's the less mobile species and the smaller ones that depend on the forest itself that are really in the firing line."

But he added that many of those that survived the actual fire would die later because of lack of food or shelter.

Colin Beale, an ecologist from University of York told Reality Check that may have been overstated.

He said: "In the areas of Africa where I work I am quite sure that very few birds die as a direct result of fire. They certainly have the ability to fly away from fires, and this is surely the case in Australia, too."

There are a few caveats with these figures. First of all, the estimate is for damage only in New South Wales, and the fires have spread to Victoria.

Also, the three million hectares figure is somewhat out of date - the fires have spread since then. So it is likely that more animals have been affected than the estimate suggests.

But it is important to remember that this is just an estimate - its authors say the numbers are deliberately conservative. The figure for the number of reptiles is particularly uncertain, and reptiles make up three-quarters of the animals affected in these calculations.

"Density estimates are not available for many species, so they have had to be estimated from known densities of other species," Tom Oliver, professor of applied ecology at University of Reading, told Reality Check.

"For reptiles, there are no density estimates of individual species at all, just an estimate from a single study (Ehmann and Cogger 1985), which estimates 10 individuals per species per hectare."

Colin Beale added: "Although it is hard to find estimates of how well reptiles survive fires, in similar areas of Australia the majority of these reptiles live in the soil.”

"Soil is a very good thermal insulator and burrowing reptiles can certainly show very low mortality even during intense fires."

"It seems extremely unlikely that the majority of the animals affected by fire are actually killed, though we may still ask whether they will survive longer-term.”

Devastating fire uncovers rare native orchid

A fire that ravaged 70 hectares of peat-filled wetlands near Rangiriri killed several birds and animal but also uncovered a threatened native plant.

Conservation Department staff found the green-hooded swamp orchid in the burnt remains and Waikato biodiversity programme manager John Gumbley hopes others might flourish after the fire.

However, while some native plants flourished in such habitat, the fire had proved devastating for several birds and animals, the remains of which were found by staff as they examined the scene yesterday.

"The area burnt contains important threatened plant communities and species, notable wire rush and priority threatened native orchids such as green-hooded swamp orchids ... the site would have provided habitat for threatened or at-risk bird species such as banded rail."

Mr Gumbley said DOC staff would continue to monitor the site, not only for signs of fire, but also to see if other threatened species emerged.

"Some threatened plant species such as orchids emerge if the fire has not been deep-seated and destroyed the seedbank in the peat. But uncontrolled fires such as these are very damaging to natural ecosystems, especially peat bogs, with the possibility that some flora and fauna do not survive or recover locally."

The orchids' re-emergence comes about as they are low-lying plants and their seeds can re-emerge without competition from taller plants.

But the concern was around wetlands. Waikato had lost 90 per cent of its wetlands, so human-induced fires could be devastating, he said.

DOC carried out controlled burns in peat wetlands near Meremere to enable the threatened native orchid to survive or emerge, Mr Gumbley said.

Meanwhile, Taumarunui firefighters battled a 5000-square-metre fire for four hours in a pine plantation at Waimiha about 8.50pm Tuesday.

A helicopter was turned out but sent back due to bad weather.

It returned to douse the blaze early yesterday.

http://www.stuff.co.nz/waikato-times/news/6696654/Devastating-fire-uncovers-rare-native-orchid

Hot Find! Humans Used Fire 1 Million Years Ago

Ash and charred bone, the earliest known evidence of controlled use of fire, reveal that human ancestors may have used fire a million years ago, a discovery that researchers say will shed light on this major turning point in human evolution.

Scientists analyzed material from Wonderwerk Cave in South Africa, a massive cavern located near the edge of the Kalahari Desert. Previous excavations there had uncovered an extensive record of human occupation.

Microscopic analysis revealed clear evidence of burning, such as plant ash and charred bone fragments. These materials were apparently burned in the cave, as opposed to being carried in there by wind or water, and were found alongside stone tools in a layer dating back about 1 million years. Surface fracturing of ironstone, the kind expected from fires, was also seen.

Read on:  http://www.livescience.com/19425-earliest-human-fire.html

Fire engulfs Bosnia's largest nature reserve

(Reuters) - Fire has engulfed much of Bosnia's Hutovo Blato nature reserve, killing many birds and animals, the park manager said Saturday.

The blaze broke out early Friday in an inaccessible section of the park and was fanned by strong winds across 80 percent of Bosnia's largest reserve before being extinguished on Saturday afternoon.

"The fire killed many birds, as well as mammals and reptiles. The vegetation was destroyed totally and the feeding chain is completely disturbed," said Nikola Zovko, manager of the park that attracts thousands of tourists every year.

"The damage is enormous," he said, adding the fire may have been started deliberately.

Hutovo Blato, on the list of Bird Life International's Important Bird Areas, is a unique natural reserve composed mainly of sub-Mediterranean marshland near the Adriatic coast created by an underground system of the Krupa river.

It is home to more than 240 types of migrating birds. In the migration season, tens of thousands of birds fill the lake and its surroundings.

(Reporting By Maja Zuvela)
http://uk.reuters.com/article/2011/10/15/us-bosnia-fire-park-idUKTRE79E1VZ20111015

Biologists: BWCA fire will help moose habitat

St. Paul, Minn. - Count Minnesota's moose experts among those quietly celebrating the fire that has burned more than 150 square miles in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness.

Wildlife biologist Mike Schrage has taken many flights over the area of the Boundary Waters where the fire is burning while researching Minnesota's moose population. And he's noticed fewer moose there compared to other areas of northeastern Minnesota.

The fire - and the new forest growth that follows in the next few years - could change that, he said.

"As soon as I heard there was a fire up there, I thought - woo-hoo! I can't say that very loudly because there's people in Isabella who are quite inconvenienced by it, but I think moose will benefit from this fire," said Schrage, who works for the Fond du Lac Band's Resource Management Division.

In the coming years, it could also benefit the thousands of people visiting the Boundary Waters who hope to catch a glimpse of one.

Estimates by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources of northeastern Minnesota's moose population show a decline from about 8,000 moose during the middle of the last decade to less than 5,000 this year. Biologists are trying to figure out why. Parasites and stress from warmer temperatures are possibilities, and Schrage said a large-scale fire could kill some of the winter ticks that feed on moose and weaken them.

There has also been some concern about whether moose have adequate habitat. A group of conservation organizations have even proposed to start using money from the state's Legacy Amendment to restore moose habitat in northeastern Minnesota.

Moose like to eat new growth, such as tree saplings, so a fire clears out some of the older, woody, trees and shrubs and allows new plants and trees to grow. There are even certain types of trees, including black spruce and jack pine, that need fire for their cones to open and scatter seeds.

Schrage said research across North America has indicated that moose numbers increase in areas where fires have caused new growth. And he's seen anecdotal evidence of that in the area that burned during the Ham Lake fire of 2007 and the Cavity Lake fire of 2006.

"I think slowly we're seeing some moose respond to those fires," he said.

How well suited the forest will be for moose will depend on how hot or how long a fire burned in an area. Steve Merchant, DNR wildlife programs manager, expects the land affected by the fire will be a mix of areas that don't burn and areas that burn a lot. That means that in a few years, moose will have both the new growth for food and the older areas where tall trees still stand and offer thermal cover during the winter and summer, he said.

"That interspersion is what really creates that ideal moose habitat," Merchant said.

The Boundary Waters, of which roughly 10 percent has burned in the fire, is home to a significant portion of Minnesota's moose population, Merchant said. Prescribed burns have taken place in the area over the years, but the total size of the areas burned in a given years is much less than the area
burned by the Pagami Creek fire.

One thing biologists aren't worried about is losing moose in the fire. The animals are able to walk long distances and are good swimmers.

"They're going to run from the fire," said Ron Moen, a researcher at the Natural Resources Research Institute at the University of Minnesota-Duluth who monitors dozens of moose that have been fitted with radio collars and GPS units.

Moen said the closest moose he's monitoring is several miles away from the fire, and so far the research team hasn't detected any unusual movements. He said he'll be watching for moose to soon move into areas that weren't burned as severely.

"When these new trees come in, and shrubs and saplings, moose that are on the edge of that area will start moving into it. And then they'll gradually move further out as it grows and there are more moose around," he said.
http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2011/09/16/bwca-fire-moose/

Upton Heath fire police hunt two young men

10 June 2011

Two young men are being sought by police following the largest heath fire in Dorset for 35 years.

The pair were seen walking toward the A35 footbridge leading to Heights Road in Upton on Thursday.

Residents living nearby have returned to their homes after being evacuated when the fire spread rapidly over about one sq km (247 acres) of heath.

At its height, 200 firefighters were tackling the blaze which started at about 1400 BST.

Det Insp Jim Beashel, from Dorset Police, said: "This was a major incident that had a considerable impact on the community.

"I believe that those responsible are likely to have told friends or family about their involvement and would urge anyone with information to contact us urgently."

'It was panic'

Dorset Fire and Rescue's Neil Rickett said: "This fire was extremely difficult given the access and the high winds. The heath is quite marshy so it was difficult to get vehicles onto the heath."

Four people were treated after breathing in smoke and one firefighter was taken to hospital with exhaustion.

Another firefighter suffered minor burns to his arm, during what the fire service said was Dorset's biggest heath fire since 1976.

Resident Russell Bourton had water pumped from his swimming pool to fight the flames.

He said: "Within an hour the smoke was getting closer and closer. At one point I thought we were going to lose the house."

The flames came to within 100m (330ft) of Claire Graves' house.

She said: "We realised immediately it was around our house.

"It was panic - we didn't have time to pick anything up. We just had to get out for our own safety."

Fire crews remained on the site damping down on Friday, helped by rainfall during the morning.

Ecosystem affected

Dorset Wildlife Trust said the damage has put wildlife development in the area back about 25 years.

Steve Davis, from the trust, said it will have "massive implications".

He added: "It's not just the bigger animals that have been affected... it is the whole ecosystem, the insects, for example, would have been taken out by the smoke.

"The site is internationally important, it has all six species of British reptiles which are only found in a few selected locations in the south coast."

Homes in Beacon Road and Kingcup Close were among those evacuated. Properties in nearby Long Meadow Lane were also under threat at the height of the blaze.

Smoke from the fire could be seen for miles around and at one point was blowing across parts of the A35.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-dorset-13723882

Vietnam forest fires threaten rare crane

Apr 28, 2010, 8:11 GMT

Hanoi - Forest fires in a national park are threatening the habitat of the endangered red-crowned crane, Vietnamese officials said Wednesday.

The fires have destroyed 200 hectares of Tram Chim National Park in the Mekong Delta, the latest in a record-setting year of forest fires caused by low rain and hot weather.

The official Vietnam News reported Wednesday that over 500 firefighters, soldiers and police were fighting the blazes using water pumps drawing from nearby canals, but had failed to control them.

'Forest fires are much worse this year than last year,' said Nguyen Huy Loi, head of the Forest Management Department in the central province of Ha Tinh.

Loi said fires in the northern mountain district of Sapa and in southern Bu Gia Map National Park had already consumed thousands of hectares of forest. The fires near Sapa alone destroyed 1,700 hectares of forest before being extinguished in mid-February.

In the first two months of 2010, the Forest Protection Department said forest fires were running at over 10 times the rate for 2008 and 2009, when just 140 hectares were destroyed.

Loi blamed 'climate change,' resulting in lower rainfall and humidity.

The red-crowned crane is among the most endangered birds in the world, with some 1,500 believed to remain in the wild, mainly in China. The population in the Mekong Delta is believed to be about 200, according to a report by the local biosphere preserve.

http://www.monstersandcritics.com/news/asiapacific/news/article_1551543.php/Vietnam-forest-fires-threaten-rare-crane

Kent Wildlife Trust Battles Flames to Rescue Wildwood Animals

Kent Wildlife Trust and the Fire Brigade have rushed to the help of Wildwood, the popular Animal Park in the Blean Woods, north of Canterbury.

Over the past week forest fires have broken out, threatened to engulf the popular Wildwood animal park.

Staff of Kent Wildlife Trust, lead by Project Manager Mike Enfield, have been battling to contain forest fires and worked tiressly to bring them under control.

The hot dry winds where fanning the flames and driving the fire ever closer to the Wildwood Animal Park . The fires are breaking out all over the woodland around an area frequented by unauthorised campers, who's camp fires are the most proble cause.

Peter Smith, Chief Executive said:

“I cannot praise Kent Wildlife Trust enough for coming to our rescue. They have organised a huge rescue effort to protect our animals and are spending thousands of pounds putting in a fire break to stop the fires spreading.”

Kent Wildlife Trust and the Fire Brigade now have the fires under control and are hoping for a heavy shower to make sure they do not restart. The Kent based wildlife charity have set up a 24 hour guard to make sure the fires do no more damage.

Dramatic footage of fire fighting efforts by Kent Wildlife Trust was caught on video by Wildwood Trust Boss, Peter Smith, who was shown how to fight the fires by the Trust's lead contactor, John Wincott of Sovereign Forestry Contracting.

Kent Wildlife Trust are embarking on a project to return the woods to native species that will make sure the forest fires do not break out again. The woods were planted with non native pine trees as a tax fiddle in the 1980’s which destroyed much of their wildlife value. Over the coming years more and more wildlife will return to the woods as native trees are re-grow.

The now very safe animals of Wildwood can be seen at the Wildwood Discovery Park, for more information visit the website at www.wildwoodtrust.org or telephone 0871 7820087.

Wildwood is an ideal day out for all the family where you can come 'nose to nose' with British Wildlife. Wildwood offers its members and visitors a truly inspirational way to learn about the natural history of Britain by actually seeing the wildlife that once lived here, like the wolf, beaver, red squirrel, wild boar and many more.

Wildwood is situated close to Canterbury, just off the A291 between Herne Bay and Canterbury. For more information visit our website at www.wildwoodtrust.org or telephone 0871 782008.