Australian bushfires could reshape biodiversity - they have before

The catastrophic bushfires raging across much of Australia have not only taken a huge human and economic toll, but also delivered heavy blows to biodiversity and ecosystem function.

Already, scientists are warning of catastrophic extinctions of animals and plants.

Humans have seldom if ever seen fires like these, but we do know that wildfires have driven mass extinctions and reshaped life on Earth at least once before – when the asteroid strike that led to the demise of the dinosaurs sparked deadly global firestorms.

Cool ideas needed to sooth scorching cities

International urban environment experts are gathering in Adelaide, South Australia this week to tackle the challenge of climate change in increasingly hotter cities.