Persistence through tough times: Fixed and shifting refuges in threatened species conservation - Factsheet

Some refuges are easy to identify, such as an artesian spring that helps animals in an arid landscape survive a drought. But sometimes the most vital refuges shift across the landscape. This makes sense when you consider that Australia is a vast land of droughts, flooding rains and highly variable weather. Refuges can also shift for reasons of becoming the last place where an animal can avoid a predator or a disease. Australia’s national parks and reserves often capture these important places. However, our research shows that the often-shifting nature of refuges means we need to also think about places in the broader landscape that will help threatened species survive now and into the future, and how to promote them. We also need to recognise when refuges alone are not enough to protect species.