Most gum tree habitats to halve in size by 2085

Eucalypts dominate so much of Australia, providing habitat for countless flora and fauna species, and they have a special place in the identity of many Australians. The habitats of more than 90 per cent of Australia's gum tree species will on average halve in size, and 16 eucalypt species are likely to become extinct, over the next 70 years due to global warming, a new international study has found. The research also helps to identify regions across Australia that will be important for the evolution of eucalypts and for the preservation of rare, ancient species. Dr Dan Rosauer from The Australian National University (ANU), a researcher in the study published , said the drastic loss of habitat for eucalypt species may result in the creation of a very different Australian environment. "Eucalypts dominate so much of Australia, providing habitat for countless flora and fauna species, and they have a special place in the identity of many Australians," said Dr Rosauer, a scientist at the ANU Research School of Biology.  "They represent millions of years of evolutionary heritage unique to our region." Dr Rosauer said the habitats for most eucalypt species would shift south and to higher altitude. "We've mapped the hotspots of eucalypt diversity and our study shows that by 2085 the hotspots will be in different places. We need to plan now to conserve those future hotspots." Based on a forecast that global temperatures would increase three degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels by 2070, the research predicts the habitats for 91 per cent of the 657 eucalypt species studied will shrink in size, by 51 per cent on average, within the next 70 years.