While the koala population is rapidly declining on the east coast of Australia, the opposite is happening in South Australia. A newly published comprehensive study warns that the number of koalas in the region may exceed the carrying capacity of the ecosystem, leading to a serious ecological disaster.
Elchi.az reports that the study, conducted by Dr. Frederick Saltré of the University of Technology Sydney (UTS) and the Australian Museum, revealed that the number of koalas in South Australia’s Mount Lofty Ranges region accounts for 10 percent of the total koala population in all of Australia.
The main findings of the study are as follows:
If no action is taken, the koala population in the region is projected to increase by 17-25 percent over the next 25 years.
Excessive population density is causing the rapid depletion (over-exploration) of eucalyptus forests, the main food source for koalas.
Dr. Saltre said that if this trend continues, mass koala deaths and mass starvation could occur over the next few decades.
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