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Bushfires: Can ecosystems recover from such dramatic losses of biodiversity?

Fears for familiar and charismatic animals affected by the bushfires, such as koala, have been expressed by conservationists.

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Darren Evans, Newcastle University

The sheer scale and intensity of the Australian bushfire crisis have led to apocalyptic scenes making the front pages of newspapers the world over. An estimated 10 million hectares (100,000 sq km) of land have burned since 1 July 2019. At least 28 people have died. And over a billion animals are estimated to have been killed to date. Of course, the actual toll will be much higher if major animal groups, such as insects, are included in these estimates.

The impacts of climate change – in particular, the consequences of the increasing frequency of extreme weather events on all life should be abundantly clear. People finally seem to be taking this seriously, but there is an undercurrent of opinion about the “naturalness” of wildfires. Some are still questioning the role of climate change in driving the Australian bushfires.

It is true that wildfires naturally occur in many parts of the world, and benefit plants and animals in ecosystems that have been uniquely shaped by fire over evolutionary time. And people have been using fire to manage ecosystems for thousands of years. We could learn a thing or two from Aboriginal people and the techniques they have traditionally used to prevent bushfires.

But make no mistake, the scientific evidence shows that human-caused climate change is a key driver of the rapid and unprecedented increases in wildfire activity. What is particularly worrying is the extent to which this is eroding the resilience of ecosystems across wide regions. Yes, it is plausible to expect most plants and animals that have adapted to fire will recover. But the ecological costs of huge, repetitive, high-severity wildfires on ecosystems could be colossal.

Out of control

And it’s unclear how much the natural world can tolerate such dramatic disturbance. Wildfires are increasing in severity around the world. The Australian bushfires are larger than some of the deadliest recorded. Incidences are also increasing in ecosystems where wildfires are uncommon, such as the UK uplands. Not to mention the widespread deliberate burning of areas of high conservation value for agriculture, as has been recently reported in large parts of the Brazilian Amazon for beef production and in Indonesia for palm oil.

Unsurprisingly, given the shocking numbers of animals that must have perished as a result of these wildfires, many are questioning whether burned ecosystems can recover from such dramatic losses of biodiversity. In Australia, for example, some estimate that the fires could drive more than 700 insect species to extinction.

The world’s biodiversity is already severely struggling – we are in the midst of what scientists describe as the sixth mass extinction. A recent report has highlighted that about a quarter of assessed species are threatened with extinction. Australia already has the highest rate of mammal loss for any region in the world, signalling the fragility of existing ecosystems that might struggle to function in a warming, fire prone world.

Fears for familiar and charismatic animals affected by the bushfires, such as koala, have been expressed by conservationists. The outlook for already critically endangered species, such as the regent honeyeater and western ground parrot, meanwhile, is uncertain. But to establish the true ecological costs of wildfires it is important to consider biodiversity in terms of networks, not particular species or numbers of animals.

All species are embedded in complex networks of interactions where they are directly and indirectly dependent on each other. A food web is a good example of such networks. The simultaneous loss of such large numbers of plants and animals could have cascading impacts on the ways species interact – and hence the ability of ecosystems to bounce back and properly function following high-severity wildfires.

A fragile system

And so it’s key that we consider biodiversity loss due to wildfires in terms of entire networks of interacting organisms, including humans, rather than simply one or two charismatic animals. I have studied and recently published research about the loss of plants and animals due to wildfires in Portugal, using new methods in ecology that can examine the resilience of ecosystems to species extinctions. My team found that networks of interacting plants and animals at burned sites became fragile and more prone to species extinctions.

Our study looked at the impacts of a large wildfire in 2012 on one of the many ecological interactions that keep ecosystems healthy – insect pollination. We examined the responses of moths, which are important but often overlooked pollinators, to wildfire by comparing those we caught in burned and neighbouring unburned areas.

By collecting, counting and identifying the thousands of pollen grains they were carrying, we were able to decipher the plant-insect network of interacting species. In this way, it was possible to examine not only the responses of the plants and animals to wildfire, but crucially the impacts on pollination processes.

We then used these networks to model the resilience of the ecosystem more generally. We found that burned areas had significantly more abundant flowers (due to a flush of plants whose seeds and roots survived in the soil) but less abundant and species‐rich moths. The total amount of pollen being transported by the moths in burned areas was just 20% of that at unburned areas.

Our analysis revealed important differences in the way these species interacted as a result of the wildfire. Although the study was only a snapshot in time, we were able to show that plant-insect communities at burned sites were less able to resist the effects of any further disturbances without suffering species extinctions.

And so as people start rebuilding their homes, livelihoods and communities in Australia following the devastating bushfires, it is crucial that governments and land managers around the world take sensible decisions that will build resilience into ecosystems. To do this, ecological interaction networks need to be considered, rather than specific species. Cutting-edge network approaches that examine the complex ways in which entire communities of species interact can and should help with this.

Over 45 years ago, the American evolutionary ecologist and conservationist Dan Janzen wrote: “There is a much more insidious kind of extinction: the extinction of ecological interactions.” We should all be concerned not just about the loss of animals, but about the unravelling of species interactions within ecosystems on which we all depend for our survival.

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

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iQOO Z10 5G, Z10x 5G launched in India: Check prices, features, and more

Customers can benefit from a ₹2,000 instant discount or an exchange offer, effectively reducing the prices to ₹19,999, ₹21,999, and ₹23,999, respectively.

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Vivo’s sub-brand, iQOO, has unveiled two exciting additions to its affordable Z series in India: the iQOO Z10 5G and iQOO Z10x 5G. Both smartphones are designed with exceptional battery performance in mind, boasting impressive capacities of 7,300mAh for the Z10 and 6,500mAh for the Z10x.

Pricing details: 

The iQOO Z10 begins at ₹21,999 for the 8GB RAM and 128GB storage model. The price increases to ₹23,999 for the 8GB RAM with 256GB storage variant, while the top-tier version with 12GB RAM and 256GB storage is available for ₹25,999. Customers can benefit from a ₹2,000 instant discount or an exchange offer, effectively reducing the prices to ₹19,999, ₹21,999, and ₹23,999, respectively.

The iQOO Z10x 5G is more budget-friendly, priced at ₹13,499 for the 6GB RAM and 128GB storage version. The 8GB RAM variant with the same storage costs ₹14,999, and the 256GB storage model, paired with 8GB RAM, is priced at ₹16,499. Additionally, a ₹1,000 instant bank discount is also available as a part of the launch promotions.

Specifications highlights: 

The iQOO Z10 features a vibrant 6.77-inch Full HD AMOLED display with a swift 120Hz refresh rate and a peak brightness of 5000 nits. It is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 7s Gen 3 processor, offering either 8GB or 12GB of LPDDR4X RAM and storage options of 128GB or 256GB UFS 2.2. Running on Funtouch OS 15 based on Android 15, it is equipped with a remarkable 7,300mAh battery that supports fast 90W charging. The camera setup includes a 50MP Sony IMX882 primary camera and a 32MP front-facing shooter for selfies.

On the other hand, the iQOO Z10x sports a 6.72-inch Full HD+ IPS LCD display with a 120Hz refresh rate and 1050 nits peak brightness. It runs on the MediaTek Dimensity 7300 processor and comes with configurations of 6GB or 8GB RAM and 128GB or 256GB UFS 3.1 storage. The device packs a 6,500mAh battery with 44W fast charging and features a 50MP primary camera paired with an 8MP selfie camera, making it a solid choice for photography enthusiasts on a budget.

With competitive pricing and robust specifications, the iQOO Z10 and Z10x offer excellent options for users seeking powerful smartphones without breaking the bank.

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Vivo V50e with 5600mAh battery launched: Features, prices, other details

The V50e runs on Android 15, customized with Vivo’s FuntouchOS 15 skin. Vivo has confirmed that this device will receive three years of major OS updates and four years of security patches.

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Vivo has officially launched its latest midrange smartphone, the Vivo V50e, in India today, positioning it as a budget-friendly alternative to the Vivo V50, which debuted just a few months ago. This new device boasts an AMOLED display, a MediaTek Dimensity 5G processor, a dual-camera setup with a 50MP main sensor, and a robust 5,600mAh battery, among other impressive features. Below is a comprehensive overview of the Vivo V50e.

Vivo V50e: Price and Availability

The Vivo V50e is priced at ₹28,999 for the base model, which includes 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage. Additionally, the 8GB RAM and 256GB storage variant is available for ₹30,999. Consumers can choose from two attractive color options: Pearl White and Sapphire Blue. The phone will be available for purchase through Amazon, Flipkart, and the Vivo India e-store starting April 17, with pre-booking commencing today.

Vivo V50e: Specifications and Features

The Vivo V50e features a 6.77-inch Full-HD+ quad-curved AMOLED display, offering an impressive refresh rate of up to 120Hz and a peak brightness of 1,800 nits. This display supports HDR10+ and is protected by Diamond Shield Glass. Under the hood, the smartphone is powered by a MediaTek Dimensity 7300 processor, paired with a Mali-G615 GPU, and comes equipped with 8GB of RAM alongside up to 256GB of internal storage.

The V50e runs on Android 15, customized with Vivo’s FuntouchOS 15 skin. Vivo has confirmed that this device will receive three years of major OS updates and four years of security patches.

In terms of photography, the Vivo V50e is outfitted with a dual rear camera system, featuring a 50MP Sony IMX882 primary sensor with optical image stabilization (OIS) and an 8MP ultra-wide-angle lens. Additionally, it incorporates an Aura Light feature to enhance photography in various lighting conditions. On the front, the smartphone is equipped with a 50MP selfie camera.

Powering the Vivo V50e is a substantial 5,600 mAh battery that supports 90W wired fast charging. The device also boasts an IP68 and IP69 rating for dust and water resistance, ensuring durability in different conditions. Connectivity options include 5G, 4G, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and a USB Type-C port for charging and data transfer.

In summary, the Vivo V50e emerges as a well-rounded midrange smartphone, offering strong specifications and features that cater to both performance and photography enthusiasts.

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Motorola Edge 60 Fusion launched in India with Sony sensor

The device is offered in three attractive color options: Pantone Amazonite, Pantone Zephyr, and Pantone Slipstream.

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On April 2, Motorola unveiled the Edge 60 Fusion in India, enhancing its lineup of premium mid-range smartphones. This new device succeeds the Motorola Edge 50 Fusion and introduces several significant upgrades, including the powerful MediaTek Dimensity 7400 processor.

Price and availability in India 

The Motorola Edge 60 Fusion comes with a price tag of Rs. 22,999 for the variant featuring 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage. The model with 12GB of RAM and the same storage capacity is priced at Rs. 24,999. Interested buyers can purchase the smartphone through Flipkart and the official Motorola India website, with sales set to commence on April 9 at noon IST. The device is offered in three attractive color options: Pantone Amazonite, Pantone Zephyr, and Pantone Slipstream.

Specifications and features 

The Edge 60 Fusion boasts a stunning 6.7-inch all-curved pOLED display, offering a resolution of 1.5K (1,220×2,712 pixels). Its display features a 120Hz refresh rate, a 300Hz touch sampling rate, and can reach a peak brightness of 4,500 nits. The screen is HDR10+ certified and protected by Corning Gorilla Glass 7i, with innovative Water Touch 3.0 technology integrated.

Under the hood, it operates on the MediaTek Dimensity 7400 SoC, coupled with up to 12GB of LPDDR4X RAM and 256GB of uMCP storage, expandable via microSD card up to 1TB. The phone runs on Android 15 with the Hello UI, promising three years of software updates and four years of security patches.

For photography enthusiasts, the device is equipped with a 50MP Sony LYT700C main sensor featuring optical image stabilization (OIS) and an f/1.8 aperture. It also includes a 13MP ultrawide camera with an f/2.2 aperture and a 32MP front-facing camera capable of 4K video recording.

Motorola has added several AI-driven features such as photo enhancement tools, adaptive stabilization, and a magic eraser. The phone supports Google’s Circle to Search as well and comes with essential security and productivity enhancements, including Moto Secure 3.0, Smart Connect 2.0, and Family Space 3.0.

The Edge 60 Fusion is powered by a robust 5,500mAh battery that supports 68W Turbo Charging via USB Type-C. It also features dual stereo speakers enhanced with Dolby Atmos for an improved audio experience.

Connectivity options on the device include support for 5G and 4G LTE networks, dual-band Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 5.4, NFC, GPS capabilities, and more. For user security, it features an in-display fingerprint scanner, and the device is built to last, boasting MIL-810H military certification along with IP68 and IP69 ratings for dust and water resistance.

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