The real threat of habitat destruction and land clearing in Australia. Something needs to change.

In Australia there are over 1,700 different species and ecological communities that are currently either known to be threatened or at risk of extinction.
Given the fact that 87% of Australian mammals and 93% of its reptiles and amphibians are native only to here this means if something doesn't happen we could easily lose unique species found nowhere else in the world, never to be seen again.

The causes.

There are a variety of reasons we have found ourselves in this situation but habitat destruction is the major cause.

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Whilst we tend to blame invasive species like foxes and cats the biggest issue facing our native wildlife is land clearing and habitat destruction. This comes in one of 2 ways, purposeful human intervention (clearing for farming, housing etc)
and natural disasters like bush-fires. Some species of native fauna require successful fire regimes to be able to regenerate and survive.

study's into land clearing

A scientific review of the impacts of land clearing on threatened species in Queensland 2017 shows clear evidence that land clearing has had a significant impact on species decline as well as reducing the resilience of endangered species to survive future changes.

Aside from the direct damage done to habitats land clearing also causes negative impacts away from the original clear zone. Run off of sediment into rivers, lagoons and the great barrier reef, as well as affecting rainfall and temperature through emissions.
The whole study can be found here https://www.ehp.qld.gov.au/wildlife/threatened-species/documents/land-clearing-impacts-threatened-species.pdf

When habitats are intact, large and in good condition, the species that depend on them are much better equipped to withstand other threats such as bushfires or invasive species. But as habitat is destroyed and chopped into smaller fragments, species populations become smaller, more isolated, and more vulnerable to predation or competition.
Given land-clearing rates are record breaking highs this poses a severe threat to our wildlife.

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When you look at that image it shows only 50% of Australia has been affected by land clearing however when you consider our landscape and where most of our species live it becomes a much larger issue.
In the last 3 years alone the problem has tripled, with 300,00 ha of woodland and forest lost per year, prime habitat for our wildlife as opposed to the barren desert that takes up most of our land. Whilst some animals do live out here the largest concentrations live in the areas most at risk.

Over 400 scientists from around the world agree

At a conference for the Society for Conservation Biology Oceania, where over 400 scientists and 4 peak scientific societies attended, alarm was expressed at the rate of which both fauna and flora is being destroyed.
“Our native vegetation is crucial to our wildlife, our climate, and the Great Barrier Reef" - Professor Richard Kingston, Director of ecosystem science at UNSW.

I see it first hand.

As a wildlife rescue I see the effects of land clearing and habitat loss first hand, whether I'm called to rescue a Koala that has gotten stuck in a new housing estate being built or called out to animals injured during fires/logging. Some animals are being forced towards more populous areas in search of food and water, resulting in an increase in traffic incidents.

Most people will complain to me about cats killing native birds and small mammals, but don't even realise the koala colony that was forced out of their home so they could have their holiday cottage. They will say we need to do something about the feral foxes but ignore the water mining in a small town by Schweppes not 20 km away that is causing huge amounts of pollution and damage to our environment.

What can we do?

Pick sustainable options if possible, whether you believe in climate change or not other things are impacted by your choices. We need to begin more sustainable logging programs and look at less detrimental ways to expand as a nation.

I love this country, I don't want to see it turned into nothing more than desert and city's. The beautiful forests of Tasmania, the humid bio diverse magnificence of the Queensland rain-forests and the harsh reality of the bush, including all it's deadly and dangerous animals. We need to preserve this country for those to come and for the sake of everything else that lives here.

Please upvote, follow or even resteem if you like what I post, Thank you for reading.

Resources
https://www.ehp.qld.gov.au/wildlife/threatened-species/documents/land-clearing-impacts-threatened-species.pdf
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-06-19/land-clearing-rates-qld-need-to-be-lowered-new-study/8628524
https://theconversation.com/lets-get-this-straight-habitat-loss-is-the-number-one-threat-to-australias-species-85674
https://newsroom.unsw.edu.au/news/science-tech/habitat-destruction-dire-threat-australia%E2%80%99s-wildlife-scientists-warn