Project 4
Patterns of invertebrate biodiversity in response to the patchiness of low-intensity prescribed burning
Low intensity fires are patchy at small scales, but the spatial pattern of fire intensity with the fire perimeter is not well documented, and the relationship between fire processes, plant and animal communities and physical environmental patterns at small scales are poorly understood. Small scale patchiness in fire intensity and other fire characteristics has important implications for the response of vegetation to a fire, and this response has important implications for invertebrate communities that utilise these habitat elements. This project will investigate the extent to which unburnt patches and patches of varying fire intensity within a fire perimeter act as small scale refuges and how connectivity and isolation at this scale affects recolonisation and recovery. The project will be conducted in conjunction with a parallel project investigating vegetation responses to patchy fires, with results used to improve prediction of the impacts of fire management scenarios on biodiversity.
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