Wittwer's Mountain Bell  |  

Threats Wittwer s Mountain Bell is threatened by climate change; disease and habitat loss; disturbance and modifications (Table 2).

Extent across its entire range Climate change Increased severity and Timing current The CSIRO Bureau of Meteorology (2015) predict frequency of bushfire Confidence inferred southwestern Australia will experience increased frequency and severity of bushfires.

Although these did not impact entire range Witter s Mountain Bell subpopulations; these types of fires are increasingly likely to reoccur as a result of climate change.

Therefore; it is likely that climate change could accelerate this process; significantly reducing the area of habitat suitable for Wittwer s Mountain Bell.

The species is threatened by several fire related threats; including high frequency fire; fire drought interactions; and fire disease interactions.

The interplay with fire can amplify the threat from P. cinnamomi; with the disease more active after fire and activity declining with increasing time since fire (Moore et al. 2015).

However; the construction of new firebreaks; particularly during bushfire events; has the Consequence major potential to impact subpopulations of Wittwer s Trend static Mountain Bell (DBCA 2021).

Significant bushfires Consequence major have recently occurred in the eastern Stirling Ranges Trend increasing burning 40 000 ha in 2019 20 (DAWE 2020) and 17 Extent across the ha in 2018 (OBRM 2018).

As an obligate seeder; high frequency fire regimes are likely to impact Wittwer s Mountain Bell if fires occur before plants reach reproductive maturity and replenish the soil seedbank (Hartley et al. 2008).

The major threat from fire is likely to be the impacts of repeated fires with short inter fire intervals; which could kill immature plants and deplete the soil seed bank (Hartley et al. 2008).

The species is threatened by several fire related threats; including high frequency fire; fire drought interactions; and fire disease interactions.

Increased intensity and Timing current In the twentieth century; south western Western frequency of drought Confidence inferred Australia has experienced a significant decrease in autumn and winter rainfall and an increase in mean Consequence ambient temperatures (Bates et al. 2008 CSIRO Bureau catastrophic of Meteorology 2015).