Effects of fire on vegetation and arthropods in a coastal heath, south‐east Queensland

Manwaring, Mathew R; Eliott, Martyn; Barton, Philip S.; Weaver, Haylee J.

doi:10.1111/emr.12136

Cited by 3 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 16 publications

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“…While frequent burning favoured facultative resprouting species across all ecosystems, in the heathland, obligate seeder species density was highest in the 3YR treatment, followed by the 5YR and was lowest in the IB. This is consistent with previous studies which suggest long unburnt periods (>12 years) can be detrimental to seed regenerating species in heathland ecosystems but contradicts existing understanding that frequent fire will result in declines in the abundance of obligate seeders (Foster et al, 2018; Manwaring et al, 2015; McFarland, 1988). Similarly, the woodland showed a trend (although not statistically significant) towards higher obligate seeder density in 5YR, followed by 3YR and IB.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 89%

“…There has been little research investigating the long-term effects of contrasting fire frequencies in these subcoastal ecosystems. McFarland (1988) showed that the structure and vegetation composition in heathlands of Cooloola National Park (Great Sandy Biosphere) changed with varying time since the last fire, while Manwaring et al (2015) investigated invertebrate abundance and some effects on vegetation. No prior research has comprehensively analysed the responses of understorey vegetation and topsoil carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) to regular long-term burning or fire omission at the study sites.…”

Section: R E S E a R C H A R T I C L Ementioning

confidence: 99%

“…While there is currently, to the best of our knowledge, no site in the Great Sandy Biosphere where long‐term Indigenous burning regimes can be compared to current fire management, we analysed the long‐term fire research sites at the Beerwah Scientific Area and Cooloola Recreation Reserve with on average 3‐ or 5‐yearly fire intervals or no prescribed fire since 1974. These sites represent three subcoastal ecosystems on oligotrophic soils (Manwaring et al, 2015; McFarland, 1988; Schmidt & Stewart, 1997) and feature plants with fire‐adaptive traits (Lamont & Keith, 2017; Leiper et al, 2017; Tozer et al, 2017). There has been little research investigating the long‐term effects of contrasting fire frequencies in these subcoastal ecosystems.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Fire frequency has a contrasting effect on vegetation and topsoil in subcoastal heathland, woodland and forest ecosystems, south‐east Queensland, Australia

Dooley,

Lewis,

Schmidt

2023

Austral Ecology

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Ecosystems managed with contrasting fire regimes provide insight into the responses of vegetation and soil. Heathland, woodland and forest ecosystems along a gradient of resource availability were burnt over four decades in approximately 3‐ or 5‐year intervals or were unburnt for 45–47 years (heathland, woodland), or experienced infrequent wildfires (forest: 14 years since the last fire). We hypothesized that, relative to unburnt or infrequent fires, frequent burning would favour herbaceous species over woody species and resprouting over obligate seeder species, and reduce understorey vegetation height, and topsoil carbon and nitrogen content. Our hypothesis was partially supported in that herbaceous plant density was higher in frequently burnt vegetation; however, woody plant density was also higher in frequently burnt areas relative to unburnt/infrequently burnt areas, across all ecosystems. In heathland, omission of frequent fire resulted in the dominance of fern Gleichenia dicarpa and subsequent competitive exclusion of understorey species and lower species diversity. As hypothesized, frequent burning in woodland and forest increased the density of facultative resprouters and significantly reduced soil organic carbon levels relative to unburnt sites. Our findings confirm that regular burning conserves understorey diversity and maintains an understorey of lower statured herbaceous plants, although demonstrates the potential trade‐off of frequent burning with lower topsoil carbon levels in the woodland and forest. Some ecosystem specific responses to varied fire frequencies were observed, reflecting differences in species composition and fire response traits between ecosystems. Overall, unburnt vegetation resulted in the dominance of some species over others and the different vegetation types were able to withstand relatively high‐frequency fire without the loss of biodiversity, mainly due to high environmental productivity and short juvenile periods.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 89%

Section: R E S E a R C H A R T I C L Ementioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Fire frequency has a contrasting effect on vegetation and topsoil in subcoastal heathland, woodland and forest ecosystems, south‐east Queensland, Australia

Dooley,

Lewis,

Schmidt

2023

Austral Ecology

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“…Eliott (2015) explored the use of Cerambycid beetles as bioindicators in Bauple State Forest. In heathland at Cooloola, Manwaring et al (2015) compared the abundance of invertebrates (with a focus on ants) between a long unburnt site and sites that had been burnt at three and five year intervals.…”

Section: Australian Zoologist Volume 39 (4)mentioning

confidence: 99%

Understanding the effects of fire on invertebrates in Australian temperate and sub-tropical forests: the value of long-term experiments

York

Lewis

2018

Australian Zoologist

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Fire is a common feature of Australian forests and prescribed burning is a routine management strategy, often utilised to mitigate the effects of wildfire. However, the impacts of fire on terrestrial invertebrates are poorly understood. Here we provide an overview of continuing long-term fire studies in temperate and subtropical forest ecosystems, with a focus on terrestrial invertebrates. Longitudinal fire study sites exist in southern Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria, Western Australia and Tasmania. Most studies have focussed on fire frequency and have identified certain taxa or taxonomic groups that prefer either habitat associated with long unburnt areas, habitat associated with more frequently burnt areas or those that show no response to varied fire frequency. The limited number of studies investigating fire season report similar findings, but there are few studies that have focussed on other components of the fire regime. Long-term experiments are important when studying the effects of various fire regimes on invertebrate assemblages as responses often take time to be expressed, and may follow changes in habitat availability associated with interactions between components of the fire regime. We recommend that ecological studies continue to utilise long-term study sites through monitoring programs to improve our understanding of how invertebrate taxa respond to fire regimes; and to better identify the important role of invertebrate groups in ecosystem functioning (e.g. for nutrient cycling, pollination).

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“…; Manwaring et al . ), and no studies in naturally occurring subtropical eucalypt forests. There has been a limited amount of research undertaken on the impacts of fire regime on cerambycid beetles internationally (e.g.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The response of cerambycid beetles (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae) to long‐term fire frequency regimes in subtropical eucalypt forest

et al. 2019

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Fire has a varied influence on plant and animal species through direct (e.g. fire-induced mortality) and indirect (e.g. modification of habitat) effects. Our understanding of the influence of fire regime on invertebrates and their response to fire-induced modifications to habitat is poor. We aimed to determine the response of a beetle family (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae) to varying fire treatments and hypothesised that the abundance of cerambycid beetles is influenced by fire frequency due to modifications in habitat associated with the fire treatments. Arthropods were sampled across 3 months in annually and triennially burnt areas (treatments starting in 1952 and 1973 respectively), an area unburnt since 1946, and a former unburnt treatment, burnt by wildfire in 2006. Eleven different cerambycid taxa were collected using flight intercept panel traps, dominated by three species (Ipomoria tillides, Adrium sp. and Bethelium signiferum) which made up 99% of individuals collected. Over the sampling period the long unburnt treatment had significantly lower species richness than the triennial and wildfire treatments. Cerambycid abundance was significantly higher in the triennially burnt treatment than in all other fire treatments. Ipomoria tillides was more abundant in both frequently burnt treatments, Adrium sp. was more common in triennially burnt areas, whereas B. signiferum, was more common in the wildfire affected treatment. Some, but not all, cerambycid beetles were more common in areas with a more open understorey (i.e. resulting from frequent burning), and lower tree basal area, as this likely influences their ability to fly easily between food sources. Cerambycid abundance was positively related to the volume of coarse woody debris and healthy tree crowns. Cerambycid beetles were clearly influenced by historic fire regime, suggesting that changes in fire regime can potentially have a profound influence on arthropod assemblages, and subsequent influences on ecosystem processes, which are currently poorly understood.

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Effects of fire on vegetation and arthropods in a coastal heath, south‐east Queensland

Cited by 3 publications

References 16 publications

Fire frequency has a contrasting effect on vegetation and topsoil in subcoastal heathland, woodland and forest ecosystems, south‐east Queensland, Australia

Fire frequency has a contrasting effect on vegetation and topsoil in subcoastal heathland, woodland and forest ecosystems, south‐east Queensland, Australia

Understanding the effects of fire on invertebrates in Australian temperate and sub-tropical forests: the value of long-term experiments

The response of cerambycid beetles (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae) to long‐term fire frequency regimes in subtropical eucalypt forest

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