SYDNEY, May 23 (Xinhua) -- More than 220 of Australia's most critically endangered species are at risk of extinction due to fragmented habitats and inadequate protections, a new study by Griffith University said on Friday.
Researchers conducted the first national assessment of species with extremely small ranges, less than 20,000 square meters and scattered across fewer than six patches, said a press release from Griffith University.
They found that nearly half of the 85,000 square kilometers of habitat needed to protect these species lies outside national parks or reserves, and over half of this land is suitable for agriculture, putting it at high risk of being cleared, the release said.
"Globally, we know species with small distributions face disproportionate extinction risk, with the impacts of land use change more likely to have catastrophic consequences," said Michelle Ward, from Griffith's School of Environment and Science, the lead author of the study published in Biological Conservation.
According to the study, 39 Australia's critically endangered species had their entire habitats outside protected areas, and 55 percent of unprotected habitat is suitable for agriculture, raising extinction risks.
Most at-risk species are plants, followed by reptiles, frogs, invertebrates, freshwater crayfish, fish, birds and mammals, the researchers said.
Those with very small ranges, or restricted to a single area of private land are "teetering on the edge," said Jody Gunn, CEO of the Australian Land Conservation Alliance, the peak body for private land conservation.
"The future of many species depends on what happens on private land. Conservation doesn't stop at the fence line of national parks," Gunn said, adding that many endangered species exist only on private land, and policies and funding are needed to help landholders protect these habitats. Enditem
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