| Project Objectives and Background |
Choices about the application and exclusion of fire have major impact on the natural systems that the Department of Sustainability and Environment (and Parks Victoria) manage. On behalf of the people of Victoria, DSE aims to keep Victoria’s ecosystems from changing irreversibly to less desirable states under the pressures of inappropriate fire regimes, introduced pests, and climate change.
The underpinning fire and biodiversity research addressed through DFES has three components:
- A case study in south-western Victoria (the Casterton Fire and Biodiversity Project);
- A review, and expert consideration of the scientific literature, defining ecosystem outcomes and resilience ‘states’ from initial landscape fire regimes; and
- Provision of expert knowledge (e.g. through training courses, technical committees and workshops, and in response to specific requests).
The Casterton Fire and Biodiversity component aims to assess the management implications of alternative bushfire regimes on fauna in the heathy stringybark woodlands west of Casterton in southwest Victoria. It is the final stage of three years of research, in collaboration with local DSE staff. The focus this year is on data analysis and publication, transfer of knowledge and framing future research needs.
The second component involves defining the outcomes that DSE may seek for Victoria’s ecosystems, and identifying for those systems the known ‘states’ and thresholds of resilience.
The third component is critical: DSE brings the value of the research into reality when DSE adopts the learning from the research by integration into management and operational practices.
The specific objectives of the project are to:
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Determine the relationships between current fire management strategies and the conservation of biodiversity and ecosystem processes and publish this information.
- Describe the biodiversity outcomes that arise from various fire regime scenarios for an agreed set of major ecosystems in Victoria. These may involve regional ‘case studies’ which address issues at both local and regional scales.
- Define the characteristics and resilience ‘states’ that result from the regimes, and
- Provide DSE staff with expert knowledge of fire ecology via short-term projects, technical support, training, review of materials such as procedures, and participation in agreed working groups, workshops and committees.
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| DFES Staff and Students |
Dr Alan York, Senior Research Fellow
Dr Kevin Tolhurst, Senior Lecturer
Dr Tina Bell, Senior Research Fellow
Dr Julian DiStefano, Research Fellow
Amanda Ashton, Research Assistant
Anne Miehs, PhD student
Tom Duff, PhD student
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| Project Partners and Collaborators |
Project Partners
Department of Sustainability and Environment, Fire & Emergency Management
Department of Sustainability and Environment, Land Stewardship and Biodiversity
Parks Victoria
Bushfire CRC
Glenelg-Hopkins CMA
Wimmera CMA
Collaborators
Dr John Wright, Parks Victoria
Richard Hill, Birds Australia/DSE Casterton
Dr Brian Malone, La Trobe University
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| 2007/2008 Highlights |
Still to come
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| 2008/2009 Milestones |
- Scientific publications - 15 publications proposed
- Size of burn affects plant recovery: increased predation reduces plant biomass at burn edges
- The impact of invertebrate and vertebrate herbivores on recovering plant communities post fire: effects on species diversity
- The recolonisation of invertebrate and mammalian herbivores post fire
- The impact of herbivores on plant communities post fire: implications for threatened species and adaptive management
- No effect of time since last fire on avian assemblages in a brown Stringybark woodland
- No effect of time since last fire on resource availability for birds in a brown Stringybark Woodland of south western Victoria
- Aerts V, Bell T, Stephenson C, Reece C (2008) Potential nutrient loss from high and low productivity forest and woodland after heating and combustion of fuels. International Journal of Wildland Fire
- Yasmeen G, Bell T, Weston C (2009) Nitrogen and phosphorus cycling in woody legumes in south western Victoria.
- Bell TL (2008) Mycorrhizal associations in the Fabaceae: are they really needed?
- Yasmeen G, Bell T, Weston C (2009) Nodule anatomy of woody legumes from south western Victoria.
- Di Stefano, J., Owen, L., Morris, R., and York, A. Habitat use by small mammals in relation to time since last fire. Completed by September 2008
- Ashton, A., Di Stefano, J. and York, A. Diet of the silky mouse (Pseudomys apodemoides) in relation to time since last fire. Completed by February 2009
- York, A. Impacts of fire regime on fauna habitat in the temperate eucalypt woodlands of southwestern Victoria.
- York, & Ashton, A. Preliminary survey of terrestrial mammals in the heathy woodlands of southwestern Victoria.
- York, A. & Doherty, H. Impacts of fire regime on terrestrial invertebrate communities in the temperate eucalypt woodlands of southwestern Victoria.
- Ecosystem states definition - Alternative ‘states’ identified for each EVD (with indicative structure and composition of flora and fauna).
- Fire regimes and tipping points - Fire regimes (and tipping points) identified that would lead to the ecosystems moving to each identified state.
- DSE committee participation - Attend meetings of Fire Ecology Scientific reference Group (Alan York and Kevin Tolhurst), Fire Ecology Working Group (Kevin Tolhurst) – and undertake agreed action
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| Project Output - Publications |
Peer reviewed papers
- Meyer, C.P., Black, R.R., Tolhurst, K.G., McCaw, L., Cook, G., Symons, R. and Mueller, J.F. (2007) Emission of dioxins from bush fires in Australia. Organohalogen Compounds, 69, 307-310.
- Meyer, C.P., Black, R.R., Tolhurst, K.G., McCaw, L., Cook, G., Symons, R. and Mueller, J.F. (2007) An emission budget for dioxins from crop and bush fires in Australia. Organohalogen Compounds, 69, 2419-2422.
- Tolsma, A.D., Read, S. and Tolhurst, K.G. (2007) Roots of Australian alpine plant species contain high levels of stored carbohydrates independent of post-fire regeneration strategy Australian Journal of Botany, 55(8) 771–779. doi:10.1071/BT06216
- Sandell, P., Tolhurst, K.G., Dalton, J., Scott, B. and Smith, M. (2006). Fire management prescriptions for the Victorian Mallee Parks. Proceedings of the Royal Society of Victoria, 118(2), 395-412. ISSN: 0035-9211.
- Bell T.L., Adams M.A. (2007) Smoke from wildfires and prescribed burning in Australia: health and environmental issues. Forest Fires and Air Pollution Issues, Bytnerowicz A, Arbaugh M, Andersen C, Riebau A (eds.), Elsevier Series ‘Developments in Environmental Science’ Series Editor: Dr. S. V. Krupa.
- Christie, F.J. and York, A. (in review) No effect of frequent burning on foliar C and N content or insect herbivory in an Australian eucalypt forest. Submitted to Forest Ecology and Management.
- Di Stefano, J., Anson, J.A., York, A., Greenfield, A., Coulson, G., Berman, A. and Bladen, M. (2007). Interactions between timber harvesting and swamp wallabies (Wallabia bicolor): Space use, density and browsing impact. Forest Ecology and Management 253: 128-137.
 doi:10.1016/j.foreco.2007.07.010
- Martin, J.K., Coulson, G., Di Stefano, J., Ritchie, E.G., Greenfield, A., Catanchin, H. and Evans, L.N. (2007). The Viggers & Hearn conundrum: a kangaroo home range study with no implications for management. Journal of Applied Ecology 44:1080-1085. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2664.2007.01309.x
- Oliveras, I, Bell, T.L. (2007) An analysis of the Australian literature on prescribed burning. Forest Ecology and Management (accepted Oct 07).
Conference papers
- Di Stefano, J., York, A., Swan, M. and Coulson G. (2007). Habitat selection by the swamp wallaby, Wallabia bicolor, in relation to diel period, food and shelter. 2007 Conference of the Australian Mammal Society, University of New England, Armidale, NSW.
- York, A. (2007) Altered fire regimes: How resilient are invertebrates to change and what are the implications for the maintenance of ecosystem function? Proceedings of Bushfire in a Heating World, 6th Bushfire conference of the Nature Conservation Council of NSW. Sydney 31st May-1st June 2007. See http://nccnsw.org.au/
Completed Student theses/projects
- Kim Lanting (2008) Seed characteristics and growth form of the most common Stringybark woodlands species near Casterton. Masters student from the Netherlands.
- Slingo, Jacqui (2008) Bird assemblages in a heathy woodland: Investigating the effect of time since fire on avian resource availability. Honours theses, The University of Melbourne.
- Breen, Cara (2008) Honours theses, The University of Melbourne.
- Owen, Laura (2007) Honours theses, The University of Melbourne.
- Morris, Robert (2007) Honours theses, The University of Melbourne.
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| Conference Presentations |
- Annual Conference of the Ecological Society of Australia 1-5/12/08:
- Spoken paper: Christie, F. Life on the Edge: how fire influences plant-herbivore interactions.
- Spoken paper: Duff, T., Bell, T. & York, A. Determination of environmental pattern within and ecosystem: understanding complex relationships.
- Spoken paper: Doherty, H. & York, A. Ecological burning: The response of woodland ant communities to an altered fire regime.
- Spoken paper: Bell, T. Fire-plant-soil interactions in heathy stringybark woodlands in Victoria.
- Poster: Nield, C. & York, A. Beetles, burns and biodiversity: Exploring resilience in fire-prone temperate woodlands.
- Poster: Ashton, A. & DiStefano, J. Dietary analysis of three species of small mammal in relation to time since fire.
- York, A. (2008) Oral presentation at International Bushfire Research Conference (Fire, Environment and Society), Adelaide, 1st-3rd September 2008.
Different strokes for different folks: The challenge of managing fire regimes for whole of biodiversity conservation.
- Penman, T., York, A. and Christie, F.J. (2008) Oral presentation at International Bushfire Research Conference (Fire, Environment and Society), Adelaide, 1st-3rd September 2008. Prescribed burning: how can it work to conserve the things that we value?
- York, A. (2007) 8th Invertebrate Biodiversity & Conservation Conference – Pacific Priorities. Brisbane. 3rd-7th December 2007.Y Invited Chair of Fire Symposium. Plenary Speaker: Altered fire regimes: How resilient are invertebrates to change and what are the implications for the maintenance of ecosystem function?
- York, A. A move to ecological burning in the temperate south-east: Paradigm shift or is green just the new black?
- Christie, F.J., Brennan, K.E.C. and York, A. (2007) Annual Conference of the Ecological Society of Australia - Adapting to Change, Perth, 26th-30th November 2007. Poster Presentation:The effects of fire on decomposer and herbivore food webs in the Buttongrass moorlands of Tasmania
- Bell, T., York, A. and Duff, T. (2007) MEDECOS International Conference, Perth, September 2007. Oral presentation (TB): Heathy Stringybark woodlands: a little studied Mediterranean-type ecosystem in south-west Victoria by.
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| Other Knowledge Transfer |
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2008 - 2009
Teaching
Workshops and scientific conferences
- 6-9th July 2009, Amanda Ashton and Julian Di Stefano attended the Australian Mammal Society conference in Perth. Two papers were presented:
Julian, Di Stefano. “Testing the suitability of simple habitat models: is vegetation age a good predictor of habitat selection, abundance and occupancy?”
Amanda Ashton. “The effect of time since fire and season on small mammal diet.”
- 23rd July 2009 - SWIFFT meeting (Ballarat). Three presentations were given:
Catherine Nield – “Beetles, burns and biodiversity: Exploring resilience in fire-prone temperate woodlands”.
Tom Duff – “What grows where? Predicting plant distribution in native forest”.
Anne Miehs – “Do repeated fires negatively impact on fauna associated with coarse woody debris? A case study from south western Victoria.”
- 16th-21st August 2009 – International ecology conference (INTECOL) in Brisbane. Alan York and Anne Miehs presented papers:
York, A. “A mechanistic framework for understanding the response of invertebrate communities to altered fire regimes.”
Miehs, A., York, A., Bell, T. & Tolhurst, K. “Do repeated fires negatively impact on fauna associated with coarse woody debris? A case study from south-western Victoria.”
- 4th September 2009. Alan York was an invited speaker at the Ecological Consultants Association of NSW annual conference in Newcastle (Ecology at the Rural / Urban Interface). He presented a paper entitled: “Effects of Fire on Ecosystem Processes and Biodiversity.”
- 16th September 2009. Tina Bell presented to Department of Environmental Science, Policy and Management Seminar Series, University of California, Berkeley, “Up in smoke: forest fires in south-eastern Australia.”
Seminars
DFES-DSE Seminar Series
Other presentations, Interviews and Meetings
2007/2008
Websites/Databases
- July 2007 Development of website information on Casterton Herbivory Project for inclusion in the SWIFT webpage
- Database completed for Stringybark woodlands fire & biodiversity project, incorporating site, habitat, fauna and ant data
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| Contact |
Dr Alan York
Department of Forest & Ecosystem Science
Melbourne School of Land and Environment
University of Melbourne
Water St Creswick VIC 3363
Phone: +61 (0) 3 5321 4270
Fax: +61 (0) 3 5321 4166
E-mail: alan.york@unimelb.edu.au |
