Seeking knowledge of traditional Indigenous burning practices to inform regional bushfire management

Bardsley, Douglas K.; Prowse, Thomas A. A.; Siegfriedt, Caren

doi:10.1080/13549839.2019.1640667

Cited by 21 publications

(10 citation statements)

References 102 publications

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“…The wildland-urban interface (WUI) has expanded globally, posing increasing needs for interdisciplinary research and knowledge transfer [31]. Colonization and urbanization in Australia and elsewhere have also disrupted Indigenous land management practices where fire was previously more frequently used to manage natural resources [32]. However, large uncertainties remain regarding pre-European ecology and fire regimes [33], especially in densely settled areas such as the Sydney basin where Aboriginal people were forcibly removed and displaced from their land [34].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

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: Introductionmentioning

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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“…Several studies have sought knowledge of traditional Indigenous practices to inform contemporary bushfire and ecosystem management (Raymond et al 2010;Ray et al 2012;Bardsley et al 2019;Thomassin et al 2019;Nikolakis & Roberts 2020). This paper aims to further this literature by asking the question: Can the co-production of a fire and seasons calendar, using Indigenous and Western knowledges, support cultural fire management?…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Co‐producing a fire and seasons calendar to support renewed Indigenous cultural fire management

McKemey

Ens²,

Hunter³

et al. 2021

Austral Ecology

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Indigenous knowledge emphasises the importance of cultural connections between humans and the biophysical world. In the face of threats to the maintenance and transfer of Indigenous knowledge, novel approaches such as seasonal calendars are emerging as tools to share knowledge and guide management of natural and cultural resources. The renewal of Indigenous cultural fire management in southeast Australia provided an opportunity to explore whether the co-production of a fire and seasons calendar, using Western and Indigenous knowledges, can support cultural fire management. We present a case study of cross-cultural collaboration between scientists and the Banbai Aboriginal rangers at Wattleridge Indigenous Protected Area, New South Wales. We reviewed literature from various disciplines (archaeological, ethnohistorical, Indigenous and ecological) and undertook participatory action research and interviews to collate relevant information. This was synthesised in Winba = Fire, the Banbai Fire and Seasons Calendar, which is used by the Banbai rangers to guide cultural burning, share cross-cultural knowledge and increase awareness of Indigenous cultural fire management. The process of co-producing knowledge, revitalising culture, caring for Country, working together and supporting self-determination is relevant for many Indigenous communities around the world.

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“…However, there is growing evidence that Kaurna peoples relationship with land, vegetation and fauna involved considerable manipulation of native species and can be described as farming in some instances (Gammage, 2011; Byrne and Nugent, 2004). Recent paleo-archaeological findings and historical reports reveal that the region was extensively managed by Aboriginal populations with fire to clear land and create opportunities for accessing food (Jones, 1969; Bickford and Gell, 2005; Gammage, 2011; Bardsley et al , 2019b). Early colonial iconography depicts the extent of Aboriginal landscape clearing with “no undergrowth and trees in clumps” (Gammage, 2011, p. 40).…”

Section: Results – Landscape Regime Shifts and The Biocultural Landsc...mentioning

confidence: 99%

Adaptive mechanisms in a continuing landscape: assessing biocultural diversity as a form of resilience

Palazzo

Bardsley

2021

JCHMSD

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PurposeThis paper investigates the adaptive capacity expressed by an agricultural region in response to changing conditions as a mean to address the future of cultural landscapes in a time of extreme uncertainty. Through the conceptual framework of biocultural diversity, the work assesses regimes shifts and persistence as a dialectic between natural and anthropogenic components of the landscape.Design/methodology/approachSpecifically, the mechanisms of progressive landscape adaptation are explored by using an integrated method to align manifestations of biological and cultural diversity. Through a multidimensional approach applied to spatial analysis, the study determines a relationship between the footprint of past and modern landscape regimes and contemporary rural management practices in McLaren Vale, South Australia.FindingsThe biological and cultural diversity patterns along riparian corridors, or “biocultural corridors” are indicators of past and current adaptive capacity, which are able to convey novel trajectories of sustainable management in the landscape system.Originality/valueUnderstanding the positive feedback loops between nature and human interactions as represented by their interrelationships in the landscape can inform planning decisions for sustainable agricultural development and enable effective regional long-term trajectories of resilience.

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Seeking knowledge of traditional Indigenous burning practices to inform regional bushfire management

Cited by 21 publications

References 102 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

Co‐producing a fire and seasons calendar to support renewed Indigenous cultural fire management

Adaptive mechanisms in a continuing landscape: assessing biocultural diversity as a form of resilience

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