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Not the best news for koalas

The Australian Koala Foundation says the marsupial species is “functionally extinct,” with no more than 80,000 koalas remaining in Australia. The Foundation says koala populations have been harmed by climate change and deforestation.

“The term ‘functionally extinct’ can describe a few perilous situations. In one case, it can refer to a species whose population has declined to the point where it can no longer play a significant role in their ecosystem. For example, it has been used to describe dingoes in places where they have become so reduced they have a negligible influence on the species they prey on,” Newsweek reports. “Functionally extinct can also describe a population that is no longer viable…Finally, functionally extinct can refer to a small population that, although still breeding, is suffering from inbreeding that can threaten its future viability. We know that at least some koala populations in urban areas are suffering in this way, and genetic studies on the Koala Coast, located 20kms (12 miles) south-east of Brisbane, show that the population is suffering from reduced genetic variation.”

Koalas have played a vital role in Australia’s ecosystems for millions of years, Newsweek reports, helping to keep eucalyptus forests healthy and thriving. Unless Australia addresses forest destruction and other environmental threats, koalas will continue to shrink in population and eventually die out.

“The primary threat is habitat loss,” Newsweek reports. “Koala habitat (primarily eucalyptus woodlands and forests) continues to rapidly diminish, and unless it is protected, restored, and expanded, we will indeed see wild koala populations become ‘functionally extinct.’ We know what comes after that.”