Ranking buffel: Comparative risk and mitigation costs of key environmental and socio‐cultural threats in central Australia

Read, John; Firn, Jennifer; Grice, A. C.; Murphy, Rachel; Ryan‐Colton, Ellen; Schlesinger, Christine A.

doi:10.1002/ece3.6724

Cited by 10 publications

(7 citation statements)

References 95 publications

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“…While fire responses of individual weed species will vary, fire would appear to be a promising tool against both woody and herbaceous weed encroachment, at least in the Ironbark Forest ecosystem. In contrast, invasions by Andropogon gayanas (gamba grass) in tropical Australia, and by Cenchrus ciliaris (Buffel grass) in arid zones, have resulted in altered fire fuel properties and increased fire frequencies, which further favors these invaders (termed a 'fire-invasion feedback') [81,82]. Although fire has proven a successful control agent against the invasive, smothering weed Cryptostegia grandiflora (rubber vine) in northern Queensland, experimental burning has been shown to detrimentally alter the vegetation structure and habitat for native reptiles [83].…”

Section: Biodiversity Is Largely Resilient To the Fire Regimes Studiedmentioning

confidence: 99%

Remarkable Resilience of Forest Structure and Biodiversity Following Fire in the Peri-Urban Bushland of Sydney, Australia

Pendall

Hewitt

Boer

et al. 2022

Climate

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In rapidly urbanizing areas, natural vegetation becomes fragmented, making conservation planning challenging, particularly as climate change accelerates fire risk. We studied urban forest fragments in two threatened eucalypt-dominated (scribbly gum woodland, SGW, and ironbark forest, IF) communities across ~2000 ha near Sydney, Australia, to evaluate effects of fire frequency (0–4 in last 25 years) and time since fire (0.5 to >25 years) on canopy structure, habitat quality and biodiversity (e.g., species richness). Airborne lidar was used to assess canopy height and density, and ground-based surveys of 148 (400 m2) plots measured leaf area index (LAI), plant species composition and habitat metrics such as litter cover and hollow-bearing trees. LAI, canopy density, litter, and microbiotic soil crust increased with time since fire in both communities, while tree and mistletoe cover increased in IF. Unexpectedly, plant species richness increased with fire frequency, owing to increased shrub richness which offset decreased tree richness in both communities. These findings indicate biodiversity and canopy structure are generally resilient to a range of times since fire and fire frequencies across this study area. Nevertheless, reduced arboreal habitat quality and subtle shifts in community composition of resprouters and obligate seeders signal early concern for a scenario of increasing fire frequency under climate change. Ongoing assessment of fire responses is needed to ensure that biodiversity, canopy structure and ecosystem function are maintained in the remaining fragments of urban forests under future climate change which will likely drive hotter and more frequent fires.

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Section: Biodiversity Is Largely Resilient To the Fire Regimes Studiedmentioning

confidence: 99%

Remarkable Resilience of Forest Structure and Biodiversity Following Fire in the Peri-Urban Bushland of Sydney, Australia

Pendall

Hewitt

Boer

et al. 2022

Climate

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“…Walalkara has maintained consistent Indigenous employment since the 1990s and thus far has minimised the spread within the IPA of the invasive Buffel Grass ( Cencrhus ciliaris ), one of the largest threatening process to Australia arid zone biodiversity and culture (Read et al . 2020).…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…This was the case of Walalkara, which became the first IPA in the region and had long-term working relationships with scientific researchers with significant outputs (Benshemesh & Johnson 2003;Robinson et al 2003). Walalkara has maintained consistent Indigenous employment since the 1990s and thus far has minimised the spread within the IPA of the invasive Buffel Grass (Cencrhus ciliaris), one of the largest threatening process to Australia arid zone biodiversity and culture (Read et al 2020).…”

Section: Ke Y T Heme 2 Leadership Qual Itiesmentioning

confidence: 99%

How Dreaming and Indigenous ancestral stories are central to nature conservation: Perspectives from Walalkara Indigenous Protected Area, Australia

Robin¹,

Robin²,

Camerlenghi³

et al. 2022

Eco Management Restoration

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Summary Nature conservation in both theory and practice is increasingly looking to understand different knowledge systems, including Indigenous worldviews, to achieve complementary conservation and socio‐cultural goals. Here, we share stories from one of the longest running Indigenous Protected Areas (IPAs), Walalkara IPA, by Langaliki Robin, daughter of the founders of the IPA, who reflected on her parents’ lessons about how Tjukurpa (Dreaming Law) is essential for conservation. Grounded theory analysis of her interview identified the importance of Tjukurpa and the role of Langaliki’s parents, particularly her father Tjilpi Robin Kankapankatja in the establishment of the IPA. Tjukurpa was asserted as a core cultural knowledge system that provides Indigenous people with motivation, strength and well‐being, allowing them to maintain access to Country and work cross‐culturally. Tjukurpa influenced the initial declaration, roads and physical layout of the protected area and continues to guide the daily work activities of IPA rangers. According to Langaliki, the key to maintaining strong people and Country is to pass on cultural knowledge and Tjukurpa from generation to generation, especially to younger people. This research suggested that by knowing who the key knowledge holders are, respecting that Tjukurpa exists without being privy to the details, and continuing multi‐generational access to Country, conservation programmes that embrace Indigenous ways of knowing and doing can achieve successful outcomes for nature conservation and Indigenous well‐being.

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“…These include sustained efforts to reduce or eliminate feral herbivores and predators, and the resources on which they rely (e.g., artificial watering points; James et al, 1999). We must also anticipate climatically induced shifts in the distribution of foundation species (e.g., Triodia), and potential invasive species (e.g., buffel grass Cenchrus ciliaris) (Read et al, 2020) that would cause major changes to fire regimes. Both affect the connectivity of ground fuels (Gibson et al, 2014).…”

Section: Conservation Priorities In a Flammable Ecosystemmentioning

confidence: 99%

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

et al. 2021

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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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Ranking buffel: Comparative risk and mitigation costs of key environmental and socio‐cultural threats in central Australia

Cited by 10 publications

References 95 publications

Remarkable Resilience of Forest Structure and Biodiversity Following Fire in the Peri-Urban Bushland of Sydney, Australia

Remarkable Resilience of Forest Structure and Biodiversity Following Fire in the Peri-Urban Bushland of Sydney, Australia

How Dreaming and Indigenous ancestral stories are central to nature conservation: Perspectives from Walalkara Indigenous Protected Area, Australia

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

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