Challenges for prescribed fire management in Australia’s fire-prone rangelands – the example of the Northern Territory

2020 ◽  
Vol 29 (5) ◽  
pp. 339 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeremy Russell-Smith ◽  
Andrew C. Edwards ◽  
Kamaljit K. Sangha ◽  
Cameron P. Yates ◽  
Mark R. Gardener
Keyword(s):  
Prescribed Fire ◽  
Prescribed Burning ◽  
Fire Management ◽  
Greenhouse Gas Emission ◽  
Fire Spread ◽  
Northern Territory ◽  
Remote Communities ◽  
Management Planning ◽  
The Status ◽  
Planning Processes

Northern Australia comprises by far the most fire-prone-half of a fiery continent, where fire frequencies range from annual in the tropical savannas to periodic very-extensive fire events following above-rainfall conditions in the central Australian rangelands. As illustration of the challenges facing effective fire management in Australia’s 5.7×106km2 rangelands, we examine the status of contemporary prescribed burning activities in the Northern Territory, a 1.4×106km2, very sparsely settled (0.18 persons km−2) jurisdiction characterised by vast flammable landscapes, few barriers to fire-spread, predominantly anthropogenic ignitions, and limited institutional resources and capacity. Unsurprisingly, prescribed-fire management is shown to be restricted to specific locales. For more effective, landscape-scale fire management, potential solutions include engagement with dispersed remote communities and incorporation of Indigenous Ranger Groups into the fire-management network, and building on the success of savanna-burning greenhouse gas emission projects as an example for incentivising landscape fire and emergency management services generally. Recently, significant steps have been taken towards implementing formal regional fire-management planning processes involving inclusive community-stakeholder engagement, and the setting of clearly defined time-constrained objectives and targets.

Ignition and fire spread thresholds in gorse (Ulex europaeus)

2010 ◽  
Vol 19 (5) ◽  
pp. 589 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stuart A. J. Anderson ◽  
Wendy R. Anderson
Keyword(s):  
Moisture Content ◽  
Field Experiments ◽  
Fire Management ◽  
Fire Spread ◽  
Operational Experience ◽  
Management Planning ◽  
Near Surface ◽  
Ulex Europaeus ◽  
Fuel Layer ◽  
Major Variable

Field experiments were carried out in stands of gorse (Ulex europaeus L.) in New Zealand to determine the conditions under which fires would both ignite and spread. Research and operational experience in shrub fuels suggest that there is a clear difference between conditions that support ignition only (fuel ignites but does not spread beyond a single bush or clump) and conditions that are conducive to fire spread (fuel ignites and develops into a spreading fire). It is important for fire management agencies to be equipped with knowledge of these thresholds, because the different conditions require different levels of preparedness and response. Results indicate that the major variable influencing both fire ignition and fire spread development in gorse is the moisture content of the elevated dead fine fuel layer. Fires were observed to spread successfully in this elevated fuel layer only, independently of the surface fuels and the near-surface fuels. Elevated dead fuels failed to ignite at a moisture content of greater than 36%, and ignition only resulted in a spreading fire at moisture contents below 19%. The results correlate well with field observations and fire practitioners’ experience in these fuels, and provide reliable guidelines for fire management planning.

Efficacy of permanent firebreaks and aerial prescribed burning in western Arnhem Land, Northern Territory, Australia

2007 ◽  
Vol 16 (3) ◽  
pp. 295 ◽  
Author(s):  
Owen F. Price ◽  
Andrew C. Edwards ◽  
Jeremy Russell-Smith
Keyword(s):  
Prescribed Burning ◽  
Fire Management ◽  
Fire Frequency ◽  
Northern Territory ◽  
Dry Season ◽  
Stream Order ◽  
Arnhem Land ◽  
Linear Modelling ◽  
Populated Region ◽  
Generalised Linear Modelling

We investigated the efficacy of firebreaks in the prevention of wildfires in the Arnhem Land Plateau, a vast, rugged and sparsely populated region with high biodiversity value and frequent wildfires. A total of 623 events where a fire met a permanent firebreak (cliffs, stream order, tracks and roads) in different fire seasons were compiled. Cliffs were more effective than streams at stopping fires, which were more effective than roads. Larger streams were more effective than small ones. The largest streams stop 75% of early dry season fires, but there are no firebreak types with more than 50% likelihood of stopping a late dry season fire. Geographic Information System (GIS) surfaces of the relative density of the three firebreak features in the landscape were randomly sampled and compared with the total number of fires and late dry season fires using generalised linear modelling. Several of the density variables were weakly but significantly related to fire frequency, and it appears that late dry season fires are influenced by features at a larger scale (16-km radius) than total fires (4 km). The Aerial Prescribed Burning program for 2004 was studied to identify how effective it was at stopping subsequent wildfires by dividing ignition lines into 137 5-km sections. Only 20% of sections achieved a 100% burn and where gaps occurred, a subsequent fire was 88% likely to penetrate the line. Firebreaks are not certain instruments for fire management in this area.

scholarly journals A New Method for Evaluating the Visual Quality of Loblolly Pine (Pinus Taeda L.) Forest

2018 ◽  
Vol 5 (5) ◽  
pp. 51
Author(s):  
Murat Atasoy ◽  
John S. Kush
Keyword(s):  
Loblolly Pine ◽  
Prescribed Fire ◽  
Prescribed Burning ◽  
Fire Management ◽  
Visual Quality ◽  
Grass Cover ◽  
Fire Return Interval ◽  
Return Interval ◽  
One Year

<p>Most of the forested lands in the south-eastern United States were largely the result of the frequent, low intensity, non-lethal fires that swept through the pre-settlement forests. In the absence of fire, forested stands develop a thick undergrowth of broad-leaved species and herbaceous vegetation. In this study, we compared the influence of prescribed fire on the understory vegetative cover of loblolly pine stands in relation to visual quality assessment. To examine the visual quality of prescribed fire management, a box-counting method was used to analyze photographs of prescribed fire management. The photographs were taken from: a) one-year fire return interval, b) two-year fire return interval, c) three-year fire return interval, and d) no-burn. The objectives of this study were: 1) develop a comparison of aesthetic value of the different fire return intervals of fire management with areas not experiencing prescribed fire; and 2) provide an estimate of enhancing visual quality of forest stands with prescribed fire management. The results showed that one-year interval prescribed fire application stands had more abundant grass cover (Andropogon sp.) than two- and three-year interval treatments. There was a significant decrease in grass cover between one-year and two-year prescribed burning. A positive relationship was also found between frequency of fire treatment and abundance of grass. No burn areas were covered by woody vegetation which may have a negative impact on scenic beauty and visual quality.</p>

The distribution and conservation status of Carpentarian grasswrens (Amytornis dorotheae), with reference to prevailing fire patterns

2015 ◽  
Vol 21 (4) ◽  
pp. 291 ◽  
Author(s):  
Graham N. Harrington ◽  
Stephen A. Murphy
Keyword(s):  
Prescribed Burning ◽  
Fire Management ◽  
Conservation Status ◽  
Population Decline ◽  
Northern Territory ◽  
Tropical Savannas ◽  
Area Of Occupancy ◽  
Fire Patterns ◽  
Population Restoration

The Carpentarian grasswren (Amytornis dorotheae) is a small, shy passerine patchily distributed through Triodia systems in the central and southern parts of Australia’s tropical savannas. Population decline has been reported in the Northern Territory, presumably due to mismanaged fire. The species is considered Endangered in the Northern Territory and Near Threatened in Queensland, but it is not listed Federally. Here, we present the results of over 3000 surveys conducted between 2008 and 2013. We show that Carpentarian grasswrens are divided into four populations, although the northernmost one (Borroloola) now appears to be extinct. The Area of Occupancy for the southernmost population appears to have declined by 28%, while only small numbers of isolated birds now occur at the two intervening populations. Our data suggest that the four populations appear to be at different stages on an extinction pathway, from population decline, to fragmentation and isolation, to extinction, and this seems to be related to worsening fire patterns as one moves northwards. We suggest that the Carpentarian grasswren be listed as Vulnerable at the State and Federal level, and that urgent investment in long-term regional fire management using prescribed burning is required to reverse the declines in the extant populations. For the presumed extinct Borroloola population, restoration will probably need to involve translocation coupled with effective fire management.

scholarly journals Using the Landsat Burned Area Products to Derive Fire History Relevant for Fire Management and Conservation in the State of Florida, Southeastern USA

Fire ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
pp. 26
Author(s):  
Casey Teske ◽  
Melanie K. Vanderhoof ◽  
Todd J. Hawbaker ◽  
Joe Noble ◽  
John Kevin Hiers
Keyword(s):  
Prescribed Fire ◽  
Spatial Data ◽  
Fire History ◽  
Fire Management ◽  
Fire Behavior ◽  
Fire Risk ◽  
Behavior Modeling ◽  
Burned Area ◽  
Burned Areas ◽  
Burn Probability

Development of comprehensive spatially explicit fire occurrence data remains one of the most critical needs for fire managers globally, and especially for conservation across the southeastern United States. Not only are many endangered species and ecosystems in that region reliant on frequent fire, but fire risk analysis, prescribed fire planning, and fire behavior modeling are sensitive to fire history due to the long growing season and high vegetation productivity. Spatial data that map burned areas over time provide critical information for evaluating management successes. However, existing fire data have undocumented shortcomings that limit their use when detailing the effectiveness of fire management at state and regional scales. Here, we assessed information in existing fire datasets for Florida and the Landsat Burned Area products based on input from the fire management community. We considered the potential of different datasets to track the spatial extents of fires and derive fire history metrics (e.g., time since last burn, fire frequency, and seasonality). We found that burned areas generated by applying a 90% threshold to the Landsat burn probability product matched patterns recorded and observed by fire managers at three pilot areas. We then created fire history metrics for the entire state from the modified Landsat Burned Area product. Finally, to show their potential application for conservation management, we compared fire history metrics across ownerships for natural pinelands, where prescribed fire is frequently applied. Implications of this effort include increased awareness around conservation and fire management planning efforts and an extension of derivative products regionally or globally.

scholarly journals Facilitating Prescribed Fire in Northern California through Indigenous Governance and Interagency Partnerships

Fire ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 4 (3) ◽  
pp. 37
Author(s):  
Tony Marks-Block ◽  
William Tripp
Keyword(s):  
Political Ecology ◽  
Prescribed Fire ◽  
Prescribed Burning ◽  
Participant Observation ◽  
Fire Suppression ◽  
The United States ◽  
Northern California ◽  
Prescribed Burn ◽  
California Department ◽  
State Regulations

Prescribed burning by Indigenous people was once ubiquitous throughout California. Settler colonialism brought immense investments in fire suppression by the United States Forest Service and the California Department of Forestry and Fire Prevention (CAL FIRE) to protect timber and structures, effectively limiting prescribed burning in California. Despite this, fire-dependent American Indian communities such as the Karuk and Yurok peoples, stalwartly advocate for expanding prescribed burning as a part of their efforts to revitalize their culture and sovereignty. To examine the political ecology of prescribed burning in Northern California, we coupled participant observation of prescribed burning in Karuk and Yurok territories (2015–2019) with 75 surveys and 18 interviews with Indigenous and non-Indigenous fire managers to identify political structures and material conditions that facilitate and constrain prescribed fire expansion. Managers report that interagency partnerships have provided supplemental funding and personnel to enable burning, and that decentralized prescribed burn associations facilitate prescribed fire. However, land dispossession and centralized state regulations undermine Indigenous and local fire governance. Excessive investment in suppression and the underfunding of prescribed fire produces a scarcity of personnel to implement and plan burns. Where Tribes and local communities have established burning infrastructure, authorities should consider the devolution of decision-making and land repatriation to accelerate prescribed fire expansion.

scholarly journals Modeling Low Intensity Fires: Lessons Learned from 2012 RxCADRE

Atmosphere ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 139
Author(s):  
Rodman R. Linn ◽  
Judith L. Winterkamp ◽  
James H. Furman ◽  
Brett Williams ◽  
J. Kevin Hiers ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Prescribed Fire ◽  
Fire Spread ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
Field Sampling ◽  
Wind Fields ◽  
Low Intensity ◽  
Novel Method ◽  
Wind Input ◽  
Variable Wind ◽  
Local Variability

Coupled fire-atmosphere models are increasingly being used to study low-intensity fires, such as those that are used in prescribed fire applications. Thus, the need arises to evaluate these models for their ability to accurately represent fire spread in marginal burning conditions. In this study, wind and fuel data collected during the Prescribed Fire Combustion and Atmospheric Dynamics Research Experiments (RxCADRE) fire campaign were used to generate initial and boundary conditions for coupled fire-atmosphere simulations. We present a novel method to obtain fuels representation at the model grid scale using a combination of imagery, machine learning, and field sampling. Several methods to generate wind input conditions for the model from eight different anemometer measurements are explored. We find a strong sensitivity of fire outcomes to wind inputs. This result highlights the critical need to include variable wind fields as inputs in modeling marginal fire conditions. This work highlights the complexities of comparing physics-based model results against observations, which are more acute in marginal burning conditions, where stronger sensitivities to local variability in wind and fuels drive fire outcomes.

Reproductive output of ponderosa pine in response to thinning and prescribed burning in western Montana

2008 ◽  
Vol 38 (4) ◽  
pp. 844-850 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gregory Peters ◽  
Anna Sala
Keyword(s):  
Pinus Ponderosa ◽  
Prescribed Fire ◽  
Ponderosa Pine ◽  
Reproductive Output ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Prescribed Burning ◽  
Seed Mass ◽  
Reproductive Traits ◽  
Western Montana ◽  
Cone Production

Thinning and thinning followed by prescribed fire are common management practices intended to restore historic conditions in low-elevation ponderosa pine ( Pinus ponderosa Dougl. ex P. & C. Laws.) forests of the northern Rocky Mountains. While these treatments generally ameliorate the physiology and growth of residual trees, treatment-specific effects on reproductive output are not known. We examined reproductive output of second-growth ponderosa pine in western Montana 9 years after the application of four treatments: thinning, thinning followed by spring prescribed fire, thinning followed by fall prescribed fire, and unthinned control stands. Field and greenhouse observations indicated that reproductive traits vary depending on the specific management treatment. Cone production was significantly higher in trees from all actively managed stands relative to control trees. Trees subjected to prescribed fire produced cones with higher numbers of filled seeds than trees in unburned treatments. Seed mass, percentage germination, and seedling biomass were significantly lower for seeds from trees in spring burn treatments relative to all others and were generally higher in trees from fall burn treatments. We show for the first time that thinning and prescribed-burning treatments can influence reproductive output in ponderosa pine.

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