Estimates future heat impacts on threatened mammals in drylands, suggesting conservation strategies to address vulnerabilities.
Key Points
The research aims to estimate future extreme heat impacts on Australia’s threatened dryland mammals and to identify conservation priorities.
Conducted a systematic review of thermal ecology literature for 36 threatened dryland mammal species.
Compared baseline and future heat envelopes to quantify heat exposure and identify potential refugia.
Evaluated translocation sites to assess suitability under projected climate scenarios.
Eight species (22%) were classified as high risk due to significant projected heat exposure beyond historical envelopes.
Only one high-risk species had been successfully translocated to a suitable site, while many moderate-risk species faced unsuitable translocation options.
The review highlighted knowledge gaps, with 28% of species lacking thermal literature, necessitating further investigation into heat-related impacts.