Response of a shrubland mammal and reptile community to a history of landscape-scale wildfire

2015 ◽  
Vol 24 (4) ◽  
pp. 534 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tim S. Doherty ◽  
Robert A. Davis ◽  
Eddie J. B. van Etten ◽  
Neil Collier ◽  
Josef Krawiec
Keyword(s):  
Fire History ◽  
Fire Management ◽  
Local Level ◽  
Fire Frequency ◽  
Specific Information ◽  
Fire Exclusion ◽  
Management Approaches ◽  
Species Specific ◽  
Taxonomic Groups ◽  
In Fire

Fire plays a strong role in structuring fauna communities and the habitat available to them in fire-prone regions. Human-mediated increases in fire frequency and intensity threaten many animal species and understanding how these species respond to fire history and its associated effect on vegetation is essential to effective biodiversity management. We used a shrubland mammal and reptile community in semiarid south-western Australia as a model to investigate interactions between fire history, habitat structure and fauna habitat use. Of the 15 species analysed, five were most abundant in recently burnt habitat (8–13 years since last fire), four were most abundant in long unburnt areas (25–50 years) and six showed no response to fire history. Fauna responses to fire history were divergent both within and across taxonomic groups. Fire management that homogenises large areas of habitat through either fire exclusion or frequent burning may threaten species due to these diverse requirements, so careful management of fire may be needed to maximise habitat suitability across the landscape. When establishing fire management plans, we recommend that land managers exercise caution in adopting species-specific information from different locations and broad vegetation types. Information on animal responses to fire is best gained through experimental and adaptive management approaches at the local level.

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.

The short-term effects of an extensive and high-intensity fire on vertebrates in the tropical savannas of the central Kimberley, northern Australia

2008 ◽  
Vol 35 (1) ◽  
pp. 33 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sarah Legge ◽  
Stephen Murphy ◽  
Joanne Heathcote ◽  
Emma Flaxman ◽  
John Augusteyn ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Species Richness ◽  
High Intensity ◽  
Fire Frequency ◽  
Northern Australia ◽  
Tropical Savannas ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Large Herbivores ◽  
Species Richness And Abundance ◽  
Species Specific ◽  
In Fire

We report the effects of an extensive (>7000 km2), high-intensity late-dry-season fire in the central Kimberley, Western Australia, on the species richness and abundance of mammals, reptiles and birds. Five weeks after the fire we surveyed 12 sites (six burnt, six unburnt); each pair of sites was closely matched for soil type and vegetation. The species richness and abundance of mammals and reptiles was greater at unburnt sites, especially for mammals (with a 4-fold difference in abundance between burnt and unburnt sites). There was an indication that reptiles immigrated into unburnt patches, but mammals did not. There were also species-specific responses to the fire: Rattus tunneyi and Pseudomys nanus were much more abundant in unburnt sites, whereas Pseudomys delicatulus was caught in equal numbers at burnt and unburnt sites. Diurnal reptiles were more abundant at unburnt sites, but nocturnal reptiles were equally common at burnt and unburnt sites. Avian species richness and overall abundance was similar between burnt and unburnt patches, although a few species showed preferences for one state or the other. The overall high trapping success for mammals (18% across all sites; 28% in unburnt patches) contrasts with the well documented mammal collapse in parts of northern Australia and seems paradoxical given that our study area has experienced the same increase in fire frequency and extent that is often blamed for species collapse. However, our study area has fewer pressures from other sources, including grazing by large herbivores, suggesting that the effects of these pressures, and their interaction with fire, may have been underestimated in previous studies.

Improving estimates of savanna burning emissions for greenhouse accounting in northern Australia: limitations, challenges, applications

2009 ◽  
Vol 18 (1) ◽  
pp. 1 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeremy Russell-Smith ◽  
Brett P. Murphy ◽  
C. P. (Mick) Meyer ◽  
Garry D. Cook ◽  
Stefan Maier ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Greenhouse Gas ◽  
Fire History ◽  
Fire Management ◽  
Combustion Efficiency ◽  
Management Program ◽  
Anthropogenic Sources ◽  
Fuel Load ◽  
Northern Australia ◽  
Savanna Burning ◽  
In Fire

Although biomass burning of savannas is recognised as a major global source of greenhouse gas emissions, quantification remains problematic with resulting regional emissions estimates often differing markedly. Here we undertake a critical assessment of Australia’s National Greenhouse Gas Inventory (NGGI) savanna burning emissions methodology. We describe the methodology developed for, and results and associated uncertainties derived from, a landscape-scale emissions abatement project in fire-prone western Arnhem Land, northern Australia. The methodology incorporates (i) detailed fire history and vegetation structure and fuels type mapping derived from satellite imagery; (ii) field-based assessments of fuel load accumulation, burning efficiencies (patchiness, combustion efficiency, ash retention) and N : C composition; and (iii) application of standard, regionally derived emission factors. Importantly, this refined methodology differs from the NGGI by incorporation of fire seasonality and severity components, and substantial improvements in baseline data. We consider how the application of a fire management program aimed at shifting the seasonality of burning (from one currently dominated by extensive late dry season wildfires to one where strategic fire management is undertaken earlier in the year) can provide significant project-based emissions abatement. The approach has wider application to fire-prone savanna systems dominated by anthropogenic sources of ignition.

scholarly journals Paleoecological Investigation of Vegetation, Climate and Fire History in, and Adjacent to, Kootenay National Park, Southeastern British Columbia, Canada

2022 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas J. Rodengen ◽  
Marlow G. Pellatt ◽  
Karen E. Kohfeld
Keyword(s):  
British Columbia ◽  
National Park ◽  
Fire History ◽  
Accumulation Rate ◽  
Fire Frequency ◽  
Tsuga Heterophylla ◽  
Douglas Fir ◽  
Carbon Accumulation ◽  
Early Holocene ◽  
In Fire

Paleoecological investigation of two montane lakes in the Kootenay region of southeast British Columbia, Canada, reveal changes in vegetation in response to climate and fire throughout the Holocene. Pollen, charcoal, and lake sediment carbon accumulation rate analyses show seven distinct zones at Marion Lake, presently in the subalpine Engelmann Spruce-Subalpine Fir (ESSF) biogeoclimatic (BEC) zone of Kootenay Valley, British Columbia. Comparison of these records to nearby Dog Lake of Kootenay National Park of Canada in the Montane Spruce (MS) BEC zone of Kootenay Valley, British Columbia reveals unique responses of ecosystems in topographically complex regions. The two most dramatic shifts in vegetation at Marion Lake occur firstly in the early Holocene/late Pleistocene in ML Zone 3 (11,010–10,180 cal. yr. B.P.) possibly reflecting Younger Dryas Chronozone cooling followed by early Holocene xerothermic warming noted by the increased presence of the dry adapted conifer, Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii) and increasing fire frequency. The second most prominent change occurred at the transition from ML Zone 5 through 6a (∼2,500 cal. yr. B.P.). This zone transitions from a warmer to a cooler/wetter climate as indicated by the increase in western hemlock (Tsuga heterophylla) and subsequent drop in fire frequency. The overall cooling trend and reduction in fire frequency appears to have occurred ∼700 years later than at Dog Lake (∼43 km to the south and 80 m lower in elevation), resulting in a closed montane spruce forest, whereas Marion Lake developed into a subalpine ecosystem. The temporal and ecological differences between the two study sites likely reflects the particular climate threshold needed to move these ecosystems from developed forests to subalpine conditions, as well as local site climate and fire conditions. These paleoecological records indicate future warming may result in the MS transitioning into an Interior Douglas Fir (IDF) dominated landscape, while the ESSF may become more forested, similar to the modern MS, or develop into a grassland-like landscape dependent on fire frequency. These results indicate that climate and disturbance over a regional area can dictate very different localized vegetative states. Local management implications of these dynamic landscapes will need to understand how ecosystems respond to climate and disturbance at the local or ecosystem/habitat scale.

Land Zoning Based on Fire History

1997 ◽  
Vol 7 (3) ◽  
pp. 249 ◽  
Author(s):  
G Bovio ◽  
A Camia
Keyword(s):  
Fire History ◽  
Fire Management ◽  
Fire Frequency ◽  
Basic Unit ◽  
Spread Rate ◽  
Analysis Techniques ◽  
Area Burned ◽  
Management Plans ◽  
Fire Planning

An approach to land zoning for fire planning purposes through classification of geographical units referred to as Basic Units - in a multivariate context is proposed. The method, developed for large areas, employs a few statistics computed from historical fire data, that were selected with the aim of depicting a ''fire history profile'' of each Basic Unit. The statistics were chosen in order to describe different aspects, such as fire frequency, fire continuity, average and maximum area burned and average area spread rate of fires. Using the computed statistics as variables, the Basic Units can be aggregated with cluster analysis techniques and classes can be defined, each class of Basic Units representing a land zone with a specific mean fire history profile. Fire management decisions can be tailored according to the properties of clusters. The method was successfully applied for supporting fire management plans in two Regions of Northern Italy, where the Basic Units were chosen with an administrative criterion.

Fire return intervals within the northern boundary of the larch forest in Central Siberia

2013 ◽  
Vol 22 (2) ◽  
pp. 207 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vyacheslav I. Kharuk ◽  
Mariya L. Dvinskaya ◽  
K. Jon Ranson
Keyword(s):  
Little Ice Age ◽  
Fire History ◽  
Fire Frequency ◽  
Ice Age ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Fire Scars ◽  
Lightning Strikes ◽  
Larch Forests ◽  
History Of ◽  
In Fire

A fire history of northern larch forests was studied. These larch forests are found near the northern limit of their range at ~71°N, where fires are predominantly caused by lightning strikes rather than human activity. Fire-return intervals (FRIs) were calculated based on fire scars and dates of tree natality. Tree natality was used as an approximation of the date of the last fire. The average FRI was found to be 295±57 years, which is the longest reported for larch-dominated stands. Prior studies reported 80–90-year FRIs at 64°N and ~200 years near the latitude of the Arctic Circle. Comparing data from fires that occurred in 1700–1849 (end of the Little Ice Age, LIA) and 1850–1999 (post-LIA warming) indicates approximately twice as many fires occurred during the latter period. This agrees with the hypothesis that observed climatic warming will result in an increase in fire frequency. Our results also indicate that fires that did not leave visible fire scars on the tree stem may be identified based on the date of growth release revealed from dendrochronology.

scholarly journals Influence of fire frequency on Colophospermum mopane and Combretum apiculatum woodland structure and composition in northern Gonarezhou National Park, Zimbabwe

Koedoe ◽  
2009 ◽  
Vol 51 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Edson Gandiwa ◽  
Shakkie Kativu
Keyword(s):  
Plant Height ◽  
Woody Plants ◽  
National Park ◽  
Fire Management ◽  
Fire Frequency ◽  
Annual Rainfall ◽  
Frequency Effects ◽  
In Fire ◽  
Mopane Woodland ◽  
Combretum Apiculatum

We investigated the long-term effects of fire frequency on Colophospermum mopane and Combretum apiculatum woodland structure and composition in northern Gonarezhou National Park (GNP), Zimbabwe. Fire frequency was categorised as high (every 1–2 years), medium (every 3–4 years) and low (every 5–6 years). The following variables were measured or recorded: plant height, species name, canopy depth and diameter, basal circumference, number of stems per plant, plant status (dead or alive) and number of woody plants in a plot. There was a positive correlation (r = 0.55, P = 0.0007) between annual area burnt (total from January to December) and annual rainfall (average over two rain stations per rain year, July to June) between 1972 and 2005. A total of 64 woody species were recorded from C. mopane and C. apiculatum woodlands. Mean plant height increased from 4.5 to 8.2 meters in C. mopane woodland and from 4.5 to 5.1 meters in C. apiculatum woodland in areas subjected to high and low fire frequencies. In C. mopane woodland, low fire frequency was characterised by a significantly low density of woody plants (P < 0.001), however, with a significantly high mean basal area (P < 0.001). Fire frequency had no significant effect on species diversity (P > 0.05). Our results suggest that C. mopane and C. apiculatum woodlands are in a state of structural transformation. Fire frequency effects, however, appear to be woodland specific. Fire management strategies in GNP should take into consideration annual rainfall and the different vegetation types.Conservation implication: This study provides valuable information on fire frequency effects on woody vegetation in northern GNP, which can be used in fire management programmes for the park. The positive relationship between annual rainfall and annual area burnt emphasises the need for wildlife managers to consider annual rainfall in fire management.

Millennial-scale changes in local vegetation and fire regimes on Mount Constitution, Orcas Island, Washington, USA, using small hollow sediments

2008 ◽  
Vol 38 (3) ◽  
pp. 539-552 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wendy Y. Sugimura ◽  
Douglas G. Sprugel ◽  
Linda B. Brubaker ◽  
Philip E. Higuera
Keyword(s):  
Fire History ◽  
Fire Regimes ◽  
Fire Frequency ◽  
Central Plateau ◽  
Northern Site ◽  
Local Site ◽  
Surface Samples ◽  
South Central ◽  
Close Proximity ◽  
In Fire

We used pollen and charcoal records from small hollows plus a network of surface samples to reconstruct stand-level vegetation and fire history at three sites on the Mount Constitution plateau of Orcas Island, Washington, USA. One record (beginning ca. 7100 calibrated years BP) is from a xeric site on the northern plateau, and two (beginning 3800 and 7650 years BP, respectively) are from mesic sites on the central and south-central plateau. Before 5300 years BP, vegetation and fire regimes at both the northern and south-central sites resembled those of current Mount Constitution forests. Around 5300 years BP, Alnus increased and Pinus decreased at the mesic south-central site, suggesting a change to moister and (or) cooler conditions, but Pinus remained dominant at or near the more xeric northern site. At both sites, charcoal deposition decreased, suggesting a decrease in fire frequency and (or) severity consistent with wetter conditions. After 2000 years BP, charcoal deposition increased at all three sites, and Pinus increased in the central and south-central sites, suggesting a return to drier conditions. Thus, stands on different sites in close proximity responded individually to the same climate change, depending on local site conditions and the ecology of the dominant trees.

Fire history of a naturally fragmented landscape in central Oregon

2006 ◽  
Vol 36 (5) ◽  
pp. 1108-1120 ◽  
Author(s):  
Karen B Arabas ◽  
Keith S Hadley ◽  
Evan R Larson
Keyword(s):  
Fire History ◽  
Fire Regimes ◽  
Spatial Arrangement ◽  
Fire Spread ◽  
Fragmented Landscape ◽  
Isolation Index ◽  
Fire Exclusion ◽  
History Of ◽  
Historical Agency ◽  
In Fire

We examined the fire history of 11 forest isolates surrounded by lava flows (kipukas) in central Oregon to determine historical differences in fire regimes between kipukas and the surrounding forest, and the role of spatial and environmental variables in fire occurrence. Tree-ring analysis and statistical comparisons show that historical agency records underestimate the number of fires based on the incidence of fire scars. Fires occurred more frequently on kipukas, were typically smaller, and were predominantly lightning-initiated. Except for three widespread fires, fires on kipukas and in the surrounding forest were largely asynchronous. The mean fire-return interval (MFRI) in the surrounding forest decreased following Euro-American settlement and increased on the kipukas with spot-fire removal. This suggests either that forest management and fire exclusion in the surrounding forest decreased fire spread to the kipukas, or that most fires originated on the kipukas. MFRI correlates strongly with distance to the nearest kipuka and a distance-weighted isolation index. The number of fires correlates with elevation change and distance to the nearest kipuka. Fire in naturally fragmented landscapes is influenced by the spatial arrangement of patches, environmental conditions, and human activities. Reconstructing fire histories from forest isolates in the context of their mainland counterparts may have methodological advantages and theoretical implications for forested landscapes characterized by human-imposed insularity.

Drainage and agriculture impacts on fire frequency in a southern Illinois forested bottomland

2008 ◽  
Vol 38 (12) ◽  
pp. 2932-2941 ◽  
Author(s):  
John L. Nelson ◽  
Charles M. Ruffner ◽  
John W. Groninger ◽  
Ray A. Souter
Keyword(s):  
Fire History ◽  
Fire Regime ◽  
Fire Frequency ◽  
Forested Wetland ◽  
Conservation Area ◽  
Southern Illinois ◽  
Wetland Ecosystems ◽  
Fire Scar ◽  
Fire Exclusion ◽  
Mean Fire Interval

Postsettlement (1909–2003) fire history of a forested bottomland in the Mississippi Embayment of southern Illinois, USA, was determined using fire-scar analysis. The study area is a forested bottomland hardwood site, with remnant pockets of the dominant presettlement bald cypress – tupelo (Taxodium–Nyssa) vegetation. Ditch drainage was installed in 1919, with agricultural clearing and abandonment varying throughout the early and mid-twentieth century. Commercial agricultural activities ceased after the site became part of a conservation area ca. 1950. The hydrology of the site was further modified in 1957 when it was inundated for waterfowl management. Both drainage and land clearing for agriculture were associated with increased fire frequency. Although drainage was a necessary precursor to agriculture across much of this landscape, land improvement played the stronger role in determining fire frequency. The mean fire interval for the study period (1895–1965) was 1.73 years, with a minimum of 1 year and a maximum of 15 years. This frequency contrasts with the complete fire exclusion that has prevailed in the area since 1965. These results have important implications for the maintenance and restoration of forested wetland ecosystems where the present fire regime differs dramatically from that under which the now-dominant forest vegetation developed.

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