Project 3
The role of retained logs in conserving biodiversity in fire-prone environments
Logs (coarse woody debris) on the forest floor play an important role for biodiversity conservation in managed forests. They provide unique habitats for many unusual and specialist organisms (invertebrates and fungi) and, in association with the litter that accumulates around them, provide a refuge for many animals (both vertebrate and invertebrate) and plants (both vascular and non-vascular) during fires. This project seeks to explore the role played by logs in forests that experience frequent low-intensity fires through fuel-reduction prescriptions. It will utilise the long-term research trial at Wombat State Forest and test preliminary findings in a range of managed forests across the Victorian landscape. Findings will provide managers with guidelines by which they can better understand the role played by retained logs, particularly in regard to biodiversity conservation and ecologically sustainable forest management.
This project is a component of Bushfire CRC Project B3.1 (http://www.bushfirecrc.com/html/B31.htm) and supervised by Dr Alan York.
Link to Bushfire Research and Developement Group