The effects of mechanical disturbance and burn intensity on the floristic composition of two-year old aggregated retention coupes in Tasmanian wet eucalypt forests

Hindrum, Liam; Hovenden, Mark J.; Neyland, Mark G.; Baker, Susan C.

doi:10.1016/j.foreco.2012.05.003

Cited by 15 publications

(18 citation statements)

References 62 publications

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“…Disturbed and compacted seedbeds have been shown to grow fewer and smaller eucalypt seedlings (King et al, 1993a,b;Rab, 1994;Pennington et al, 2004;Neyland et al, 2009). Compacted firebreaks also negatively affect understorey vascular plant biodiversity relative to burnt harvested areas (Hindrum, 2009;Hindrum et al, submitted for publication) and may likewise affect other biodiversity groups such as soil invertebrates and fungi. Firebreak widths did not differ between ARN and CBS coupes, suggesting that the tracking process is similar regardless of silvicultural system.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…High-intensity burning remains the most effective means of removing harvesting debris and preparing a seedbed in Australian wet eucalypt forest coupes (Attiwill, 1994;Forestry Tasmania, 2009a). Recent research has confirmed that well-burnt seedbed is important for the establishment and early growth of eucalypt seedlings , and that burnt seedbeds result in greater species richness of vascular plants than disturbed seedbeds (Hindrum, 2009;Hindrum et al, submitted for publication). Developing effective burning methods for ARN coupes has been one of the key challenges in implementing the variable retention program in Tasmania (Forestry Tasmania, 2009b).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 98%

“…Aggregates retained within ARN coupes, and in particular small island aggregates, may be more prone to burning, due to their location within the coupe and drying edge effects. Higher perimeter-to-area ratios are also likely to increase the area disturbed by mineral-earth firebreaks, with negative consequences for regeneration of both eucalyptus and other vascular plant species (Hindrum, 2009;Hindrum et al, submitted for publication).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Burning outcomes following aggregated retention harvesting in old-growth wet eucalypt forests

Scott

Neyland

McElwee

et al. 2012

Forest Ecology and Management

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 98%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Burning outcomes following aggregated retention harvesting in old-growth wet eucalypt forests

Scott

Neyland

McElwee

et al. 2012

Forest Ecology and Management

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“…It can be speculated that a summer fire could pose a challenge for species where resprouting ability is contingent on wildfire intensity, but potentially produce greater effects of soil heating on germination of deeply buried seed. Greater residence time allows deeper penetration of heat into the soil that could reach the seed of obligate seeder species that are deeply buried, stimulating more germination (e.g., Hindrum, Hovenden, Neyland, & Baker, ). This, combined with greater mortality in species that resprout, may lead to overall floristic differences between summer‐burn sites and the sites observed in this study, at least temporarily.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The effect of prescribed burning on plant rarity in a temperate forest

Patykowski

Holland

Dell³

et al. 2018

Ecology and Evolution

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Rare species can play important functional roles, but human‐induced changes to disturbance regimes, such as fire, can inadvertently affect these species. We examined the influence of prescribed burns on the recruitment and diversity of plant species within a temperate forest in southeastern Australia, with a focus on species that were rare prior to burning. Floristic composition was compared among plots in landscapes before and after treatment with prescribed burns differing in the extent of area burnt and season of burn (before–after, control‐impact design). Floristic surveys were conducted before burns, at the end of a decade of drought, and 3 years postburn. We quantified the effect of prescribed burns on species grouped by their frequency within the landscape before burning (common, less common, and rare) and their life‐form attributes (woody perennials, perennial herbs or geophytes, and annual herbs). Burn treatment influenced the response of rare species. In spring‐burn plots, the recruitment of rare annual herbs was promoted, differentiating this treatment from both autumn‐burn and unburnt plots. In autumn‐burn plots, richness of rare species increased across all life‐form groups, although composition remained statistically similar to control plots. Richness of rare woody perennials increased in control plots. For all other life‐form and frequency groups, the floristic composition of landscapes changed between survey years, but there was no effect of burn treatment, suggesting a likely effect of rainfall on species recruitment. A prescribed burn can increase the occurrence of rare species in a landscape, but burn characteristics can affect the promotion of different life‐form groups and thus affect functional diversity. Drought‐breaking rain likely had an overarching effect on floristic composition during our study, highlighting that weather can play a greater role in influencing recruitment and diversity in plant communities than a prescribed burn.

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“…While the impacts of roads on behaviour, resource accessibility and demography have been documented previously for various taxa (see reviews by Trombulak & Frissell 2000;Balkenhol & Waits 2009), they have been given lower priority in production forests in favour of studies on the impacts of the harvested areas (Lindenmayer & Franklin 1997;Niemelä 1999;Schmiegelow & Monkkonen 2002;Fisher & Wilkinson 2005). These firebreaks are analogous to unpaved roads and, because of the soil compaction from heavy vehicle use during harvesting, restrict vegetation regeneration (Hindrum et al 2012). The areas immediately surrounding islands (and edges of the harvested area) are firebreaks, which are wide tracks (10 m), compacted and cleared to prevent burning of unlogged forest, and to allow vehicle access to the harvested matrix (Scott et al 2012).…”

Section: Local Fragmentation Due To Forest Harvesting and Roads Leadsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Habitat fragmentation in forests affects relatedness and spatial genetic structure of a native rodent, Rattus lutreolus

et al. 2013

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Habitat fragmentation can have a range of negative demographic and genetic impacts on disturbed populations. Dispersal barriers can be created, reducing gene flow and increasing population differentiation and inbreeding in isolated habitat remnants. Aggregated retention is a form of forestry that retains patches of forests as isolated island or connected edge patches, with the aim of 'lifeboating' species and processes, retaining structural features and improving connectivity. Swamp rats (Rattus lutreolus) are a cover-dependent species that are sensitive to habitat removal. We examined the effects of aggregated retention forestry and forestry roads in native wet Eucalyptus forests on swamp rat gene flow and population genetic structure. We characterized neighbourhood size in unlogged forest to provide a natural state for comparison, and examined population structure at a range of spatial scales, which provided context for our findings. Tests of pairwise relatedness indicated significant differentiation between island and edge populations in aggregated retention sites, and across roads in unlogged sites. Spatial autocorrelation suggested a neighbourhood size of 42-55 m and revealed male-biased dispersal. We found no genetic isolation by geographical distance at larger (>2.3 km) scales and populations were all significantly differentiated. Our results suggest that removal of mature forest creates barriers for swamp rat dispersal. In particular, roads may have long-term impacts, while harvesting of native forests is likely to create only short-term dispersal barriers at the local scale, depending on the rate of regeneration.An ear tissue sample was collected from each newly encountered swamp rat (n = 181) using a 2-mm biopsy punch. SWAMP RAT GENE FLOW IN FRAGMENTED FORESTS 569

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The effects of mechanical disturbance and burn intensity on the floristic composition of two-year old aggregated retention coupes in Tasmanian wet eucalypt forests

Cited by 15 publications

References 62 publications

Burning outcomes following aggregated retention harvesting in old-growth wet eucalypt forests

Burning outcomes following aggregated retention harvesting in old-growth wet eucalypt forests

The effect of prescribed burning on plant rarity in a temperate forest

Habitat fragmentation in forests affects relatedness and spatial genetic structure of a native rodent, Rattus lutreolus

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