New map shows where koalas are at most risk
by Verity Leatherdale, University of Sydney
December 3, 2024
A first-of-its-kind map created by a team of scientists at the University of Sydney shows that the genetic diversity of koala populations is in decline across Australia, putting the iconic marsupial at increased risk of extinction.
The study, published in Ecological Applications, was carried out by Professor Carolyn Hogg and Dr Elspeth McLennan from the Australasian Wildlife Genomics Group in the School of Environmental and Life Sciences.
The extensive map was created using data from the Koala Genome Survey, a joint initiative of the Australian and NSW governments to collect robust data about the genetic diversity of koalas across Australia and to inform conservation management.
In recent decades, koalas have come under increased pressure from threats such as disease, habitat destruction and catastrophic bushfires, which have reduced the animal to isolated patches of its former range. In 2022, the combined koala populations in New South Wales, Queensland and the Australian Capital Territory were listed as ‘endangered’ under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999.Â
The data shows that koalas in Queensland are the most genetically diverse at an individual level and koalas in New South Wales harbour the greatest number of genetic variants, making these populations critical for the long-term survival of the species. Koalas in Victoria, and in coastal areas of New South Wales and Queensland, have the least genetic variation.
Keep reading: https://www.sydney.edu.au/news-opinion/news/2024/12/03/new-map-shows-where-koalas-are-at-most-risk.html
Read the Ecological Applications paper: https://esajournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/eap.3062