Acid frogs can stand the heat: amphibian resilience to wildfire in coastal wetlands of eastern Australia

2013 ◽  
Vol 22 (7) ◽  
pp. 947 ◽  
Author(s):  
Katrin Lowe ◽  
J. Guy Castley ◽  
Jean-Marc Hero
Keyword(s):  
Strong Predictor ◽  
Fire Regimes ◽  
Species Traits ◽  
Landscape Scale ◽  
Moderate Intensity ◽  
Adaptive Responses ◽  
Coastal Heath ◽  
Eastern Australia ◽  
Temperature Ranges ◽  
In Fire

Fire has varying effects on species ecology. Knowledge of amphibian responses to fire is particularly limited, with variable responses reported amongst studies. Variability is attributed to differences in fire regimes, sampling methodologies, historical exposure to fire and species traits. Acid frogs, a group of amphibians restricted to acidic coastal heath wetlands of eastern Australia, occupy a discrete ecological niche that is exposed to regular and intense fires. Visual encounter surveys conducted monthly over 2 years revealed different short- and long-term responses to fire in three threatened acid frog species (Litoria olongburensis, Litoria freycineti and Crinia tinnula). Fires altered the thermal properties of habitats by increasing substrate temperature and widening daily temperature ranges. Acid frog populations did not suffer adversely from moderate intensity fires as suitable refuges, including standing water, were available. All species were present shortly after fire with subsequent successful reproduction occurring once wetlands were sufficiently inundated. Time since fire was a strong predictor of landscape scale differences in average relative abundance of acid frogs, yet the relationships varied among species. This highlights the importance of assessing community-wide responses to fire at the landscape scale. The dynamic and adaptive responses observed within acid frog populations demonstrate substantial resilience to fire processes in these fire prone environments.

Fire-stimulated rainforest seedling recruitment and vegetative regeneration in a densely grassed wet sclerophyll forest of north-eastern Australia

2000 ◽  
Vol 48 (5) ◽  
pp. 651 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paul R. Williams
Keyword(s):  
Seedling Recruitment ◽  
Fire Regimes ◽  
Moderate Intensity ◽  
Complex Nature ◽  
Pioneer Species ◽  
Vegetative Regeneration ◽  
Eastern Australia ◽  
North Eastern ◽  
Sclerophyll Forest ◽  
Soil Seedbank

Details of plant regeneration, combined with soil seedbank data, are documented for a densely grassed wet sclerophyll forest in north-eastern Australia. The following two hypotheses were tested: (1) that established individuals of rainforest pioneer species are killed by low to moderate intensity fires and (2) that seedling recruitment of these species is evenly distributed throughout the intervals between fires. Both the sclerophyll and rainforest pioneer species displayed strong regenerative abilities as a response to low or moderate intensity fires. Most of the rainforest pioneer species were not killed by two recent fires but vegetatively regenerated. Alstonia muelleriana showed fire-enhanced vegetative expansion via root suckering. Both the sclerophyll and rainforest pioneer species were found to recruit seedlings primarily as a pulse in the first year or two after a fire, with limited recruitment after longer intervals between fires. This is consistent with suggestions that grass competition may limit tree recruitment. The germinable soil seedbank was dominated by rainforest pioneers, herbs and grasses, with heat treatment of the seedbank enhancing seed germination of two rainforest pioneer species. These results demonstrate the ability of rainforest pioneers to exploit the post-fire environment and indicate the complex nature of rainforest boundary dynamics. Further research into tropical rainforest expansion is required to examine the effects of fire regimes on vegetative and seedling regeneration across a range of sites.

Modelling the potential for prescribed burning to mitigate carbon emissions from wildfires in fire-prone forests of Australia

2012 ◽  
Vol 21 (6) ◽  
pp. 629 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. A. Bradstock ◽  
M. M. Boer ◽  
G. J. Cary ◽  
O. F. Price ◽  
R. J. Williams ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Carbon Emissions ◽  
Prescribed Fire ◽  
Prescribed Burning ◽  
Fire Regimes ◽  
Fire Intensity ◽  
Eastern Australia ◽  
Burning Rates ◽  
Fuel Dynamics ◽  
Eucalypt Forests ◽  
In Fire

Prescribed fire can potentially reduce carbon emissions from unplanned fires. This potential will differ among ecosystems owing to inherent differences in the efficacy of prescribed burning in reducing unplanned fire activity (or ‘leverage’, i.e. the reduction in area of unplanned fire per unit area of prescribed fire). In temperate eucalypt forests, prescribed burning leverage is relatively low and potential for mitigation of carbon emissions from unplanned fires via prescribed fire is potentially limited. Simulations of fire regimes accounting for non-linear patterns of fuel dynamics for three fuel types characteristic of eucalypt forests in south-eastern Australia supported this prediction. Estimated mean annual fuel consumption increased with diminishing leverage and increasing rate of prescribed burning, even though average fire intensity (prescribed and unplanned fires combined) decreased. The results indicated that use of prescribed burning in these temperate forests is unlikely to yield a net reduction in carbon emissions. Future increases in burning rates under climate change may increase emissions and reduce carbon sequestration. A more detailed understanding of the efficacy of prescribed burning and dynamics of combustible biomass pools is required to clarify the potential for mitigation of carbon emissions in temperate eucalypt forests and other ecosystems.

Less fuel for the fire: malleefowl (Leipoa ocellata) nesting activity affects fuel loads and fire behaviour

2016 ◽  
Vol 43 (8) ◽  
pp. 640 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amy Smith ◽  
Sarah C. Avitabile ◽  
Steven W. J. Leonard
Keyword(s):  
Fire Regimes ◽  
Fire Intensity ◽  
Fire Behaviour ◽  
Minimum Diameter ◽  
Behaviour Modelling ◽  
Fuel Loads ◽  
Eastern Australia ◽  
In Fire ◽  
Nesting Activity ◽  
Mound Sites

Context Fire is an important driver of species distributions globally. At the same time, biota also influence fire regimes. Animal activities that modify fuel characteristics may influence fire regimes and hence ecosystem function. However, apart from herbivory, animal effects on fuels and fire behaviour have rarely been studied. Aims We examined the effect of nest building by malleefowl (Leipoa ocellata) on litter fuel loads and fire behaviour in the fire-prone, semiarid mallee ecosystem of south-eastern Australia. Malleefowl nests consist of mounds constructed by raking large amounts of leaf litter from the surrounding area. Mound-building activity is likely to affect fuel loads and potentially affect fire behaviour in this environment. Methods Litter cover and mass were compared between paired mound and non-mound sites. Fire behaviour modelling was used to determine whether differences in fuel load were likely to translate into differences in fire behaviour. Additionally, in an area recently burnt by wildfire, the minimum diameter of burnt stems was compared between mound and non-mound sites to determine the effects of malleefowl activity on fire intensity. Key results Malleefowl nesting activity reduced litter fuel loads around mounds. Fire behaviour modelling and post-fire minimum stem diameter measurements showed this led to reduced fire intensity around mounds, even under extreme fire weather conditions. Conclusions The likelihood and intensity of fire is reduced around active malleefowl mounds. Malleefowl nesting contributes to more heterogeneous burn patterns in mallee vegetation. This in turn may contribute to the formation of fire refuges. Implications Few studies have examined the effects of animal activities on fire. This study demonstrates that non-trophic interactions of fauna with fuels may influence fire regimes. Species that reduce or disrupt the continuity or connectivity of fuels could have similar effects to malleefowl in fire-prone regions. Further examination of the interactions of animals and fire regimes will contribute to a better understanding and conservation management of fire-prone ecosystems.

Fire regime shift linked to increased forest density in a piñon–juniper savanna landscape

2014 ◽  
Vol 23 (2) ◽  
pp. 234 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ellis Q. Margolis
Keyword(s):  
Regime Shift ◽  
Fire History ◽  
Fire Regime ◽  
Fire Regimes ◽  
Fire Frequency ◽  
Climatic Conditions ◽  
Tree Density ◽  
High Severity ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
In Fire

Piñon–juniper (PJ) fire regimes are generally characterised as infrequent high-severity. However, PJ ecosystems vary across a large geographic and bio-climatic range and little is known about one of the principal PJ functional types, PJ savannas. It is logical that (1) grass in PJ savannas could support frequent, low-severity fire and (2) exclusion of frequent fire could explain increased tree density in PJ savannas. To assess these hypotheses I used dendroecological methods to reconstruct fire history and forest structure in a PJ-dominated savanna. Evidence of high-severity fire was not observed. From 112 fire-scarred trees I reconstructed 87 fire years (1547–1899). Mean fire interval was 7.8 years for fires recorded at ≥2 sites. Tree establishment was negatively correlated with fire frequency (r=–0.74) and peak PJ establishment was synchronous with dry (unfavourable) conditions and a regime shift (decline) in fire frequency in the late 1800s. The collapse of the grass-fuelled, frequent, surface fire regime in this PJ savanna was likely the primary driver of current high tree density (mean=881treesha–1) that is >600% of the historical estimate. Variability in bio-climatic conditions likely drive variability in fire regimes across the wide range of PJ ecosystems.

Charcoal signatures defined by multivariate analysis of charcoal records from 10 lakes in northwest Wisconsin (USA)

2011 ◽  
Vol 75 (1) ◽  
pp. 125-137 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elizabeth A. Lynch ◽  
Sara C. Hotchkiss ◽  
Randy Calcote
Keyword(s):  
Late Holocene ◽  
Climate Changes ◽  
Regional Climate ◽  
Fire Regimes ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Regional Patterns ◽  
Crown Fires ◽  
Sand Plain ◽  
In Fire ◽  
Standard Techniques

AbstractWe show how sedimentary charcoal records from multiple sites within a single landscape can be used to compare fire histories and reveal small scale patterns in fire regimes. Our objective is to develop strategies for classifying and comparing late-Holocene charcoal records in Midwestern oak- and pine-dominated sand plain ecosystems where fire regimes include a mix of surface and crown fires. Using standard techniques for the analysis of charcoal from lake sediments, we compiled 1000- to 4000-yr-long records of charcoal accumulation and charcoal peak frequencies from 10 small lakes across a sand plain in northwestern Wisconsin. We used cluster analysis to identify six types of charcoal signatures that differ in their charcoal influx rates, amount of grass charcoal, and frequency and magnitude of charcoal peaks. The charcoal records demonstrate that while fire histories vary among sites, there are regional patterns in the occurrence of charcoal signature types that are consistent with expected differences in fire regimes based on regional climate and vegetation reconstructions. The fire histories also show periods of regional change in charcoal signatures occurring during times of regional climate changes at ~700, 1000, and 3500 cal yr BP.

Fungi and fire in Australian ecosystems: a review of current knowledge, management implications and future directions

2011 ◽  
Vol 59 (1) ◽  
pp. 70 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sapphire J. M. McMullan-Fisher ◽  
Tom W. May ◽  
Richard M. Robinson ◽  
Tina L. Bell ◽  
Teresa Lebel ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Fungal Community ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Current Knowledge ◽  
Vegetation Type ◽  
Fire Regimes ◽  
Trophic Group ◽  
Fire Intensity ◽  
Specific Information ◽  
Eastern Australia ◽  
Essential Components

Fungi are essential components of all ecosystems in roles including symbiotic partners, decomposers and nutrient cyclers and as a source of food for vertebrates and invertebrates. Fire changes the environment in which fungi live by affecting soil structure, nutrient availability, organic and inorganic substrates and other biotic components with which fungi interact, particularly mycophagous animals. We review the literature on fire and fungi in Australia, collating studies that include sites with different time since fire or different fire regimes. The studies used a variety of methods for survey and identification of fungi and focussed on different groups of fungi, with an emphasis on fruit-bodies of epigeal macrofungi and a lack of studies on microfungi in soil or plant tissues. There was a lack of replication of fire treatment effects in some studies. Nevertheless, most studies reported some consequence of fire on the fungal community. Studies on fire and fungi were concentrated in eucalypt forest in south-west and south-eastern Australia, and were lacking for ecosystems such as grasslands and tropical savannahs. The effects of fire on fungi are highly variable and depend on factors such as soil and vegetation type and variation in fire intensity and history, including the length of time between fires. There is a post-fire flush of fruit-bodies of pyrophilous macrofungi, but there are also fungi that prefer long unburnt vegetation. The few studies that tested the effect of fire regimes in relation to the intervals between burns did not yield consistent results. The functional roles of fungi in ecosystems and the interactions of fire with these functions are explained and discussed. Responses of fungi to fire are reviewed for each fungal trophic group, and also in relation to interactions between fungi and vertebrates and invertebrates. Recommendations are made to include monitoring of fungi in large-scale fire management research programs and to integrate the use of morphological and molecular methods of identification. Preliminary results suggest that fire mosaics promote heterogeneity in the fungal community. Management of substrates could assist in preserving fungal diversity in the absence of specific information on fungi.

scholarly journals Can trophic rewilding reduce the impact of fire in a more flammable world?

2018 ◽  
Vol 373 (1761) ◽  
pp. 20170443 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christopher N. Johnson ◽  
Lynda D. Prior ◽  
Sally Archibald ◽  
Helen M. Poulos ◽  
Andrew M. Barton ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Fire Regimes ◽  
Ground Vegetation ◽  
Litter Layer ◽  
Theme Issue ◽  
Large Herbivores ◽  
Plant Matter ◽  
The World ◽  
Large Animals ◽  
In Fire ◽  
The Impact

Large vertebrates affect fire regimes in several ways: by consuming plant matter that would otherwise accumulate as fuel; by controlling and varying the density of vegetation; and by engineering the soil and litter layer. These processes can regulate the frequency, intensity and extent of fire. The evidence for these effects is strongest in environments with intermediate rainfall, warm temperatures and graminoid-dominated ground vegetation. Probably, extinction of Quaternary megafauna triggered increased biomass burning in many such environments. Recent and continuing declines of large vertebrates are likely to be significant contributors to changes in fire regimes and vegetation that are currently being experienced in many parts of the world. To date, rewilding projects that aim to restore large herbivores have paid little attention to the value of large animals in moderating fire regimes. Rewilding potentially offers a powerful tool for managing the risks of wildfire and its impacts on natural and human values. This article is part of the theme issue ‘Trophic rewilding: consequences for ecosystems under global change’.

scholarly journals Reconstructing burnt area during the Holocene: an Iberian case study

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yicheng Shen ◽  
Luke Sweeney ◽  
Mengmeng Liu ◽  
Jose Antonio Lopez Saez ◽  
Sebastián Pérez-Díaz ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Fire Regimes ◽  
Weighted Averaging ◽  
Pollen Data ◽  
Burnt Area ◽  
The Holocene ◽  
Quantitative Estimates ◽  
In Fire ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Pollen Records

Abstract. Charcoal accumulated in lake, bog or other anoxic sediments through time has been used to document the geographical patterns in changes in fire regimes. Such reconstructions are useful to explore the impact of climate and vegetation changes on fire during periods when the human influence was less prevalent than today. However, charcoal records only provide semi-quantitative estimates of change in biomass burning. Here we derive quantitative estimates of burnt area from vegetation data in two stages. First, we relate the modern charcoal abundance to burnt area using a conversion factor derived from a generalized linear model of burnt area probability based on eight environmental predictors. Then, we establish the relationship between fossil pollen assemblages and burnt area using Tolerance-weighted Weighted Averaging Partial Least-Squares with sampling frequency correction (fxTWA-PLS). We test this approach using the Iberian Peninsula as a case study because it is a fire-prone region with abundant pollen and charcoal records covering the Holocene. We derive the vegetation-burnt area relationship using the 29 records that have both modern and fossil charcoal and pollen data, and then reconstruct palaeo-burnt area for the 114 records with Holocene pollen records. The pollen data predict charcoal abundances through time relatively well (R2 = 0.47) and the changes in reconstructed burnt area are synchronous with known climate changes through the Holocene. This new method opens up the possibility of reconstructing changes in fire regimes quantitatively from pollen records, which are far more numerous than charcoal records.

scholarly journals Fire and Its Interactions With Other Drivers Shape a Distinctive, Semi-Arid ‘Mallee’ Ecosystem

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael F. Clarke ◽  
Luke T. Kelly ◽  
Sarah C. Avitabile ◽  
Joe Benshemesh ◽  
Kate E. Callister ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Regional Scale ◽  
Fire Regimes ◽  
Field Studies ◽  
Arid Ecosystems ◽  
Coarse Grained ◽  
Pest Species ◽  
Age Classes ◽  
Eastern Australia ◽  
Animal Communities ◽  
Semi Arid

Fire shapes ecosystems globally, including semi-arid ecosystems. In Australia, semi-arid ‘mallee’ ecosystems occur primarily across the southern part of the continent, forming an interface between the arid interior and temperate south. Mallee vegetation is characterized by short, multi-stemmed eucalypts that grow from a basal lignotuber. Fire shapes the structure and functioning of mallee ecosystems. Using the Murray Mallee region in south-eastern Australia as a case study, we examine the characteristics and role of fire, the consequences for biota, and the interaction of fire with other drivers. Wildfires in mallee ecosystems typically are large (1000s ha), burn with high severity, commonly cause top-kill of eucalypts, and create coarse-grained mosaics at a regional scale. Wildfires can occur in late spring and summer in both dry and wet years. Recovery of plant and animal communities is predictable and slow, with regeneration of eucalypts and many habitat components extending over decades. Time since the last fire strongly influences the distribution and abundance of many species and the structure of plant and animal communities. Animal species display a discrete set of generalized responses to time since fire. Systematic field studies and modeling are beginning to reveal how spatial variation in fire regimes (‘pyrodiversity’) at different scales shapes biodiversity. Pyrodiversity includes variation in the extent of post-fire habitats, the diversity of post-fire age-classes and their configuration. At regional scales, a desirable mix of fire histories for biodiversity conservation includes a combination of early, mid and late post-fire age-classes, weighted toward later seral stages that provide critical habitat for threatened species. Biodiversity is also influenced by interactions between fire and other drivers, including land clearing, rainfall, herbivory and predation. Extensive clearing for agriculture has altered the nature and impact of fire, and facilitated invasion by pest species that modify fuels, fire regimes and post-fire recovery. Given the natural and anthropogenic drivers of fire and the consequences of their interactions, we highlight opportunities for conserving mallee ecosystems. These include learning from and fostering Indigenous knowledge of fire, implementing actions that consider synergies between fire and other processes, and strategic monitoring of fire, biodiversity and other drivers to guide place-based, adaptive management under climate change.

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