Thinning, fire and birds in Boola Boola State Forest, Victoria, Australia

Abstract

Thinning is a silvicultural technique used extensively throughout Australia's production forests. The longer-term effects of thinning on forest biota are not well understood. This study provides an insight into the effects of thinning on avifauna and vegetation, 5-10 y after a thinning operation. A paired-site experimental design was used to compare bird density and species richness at thinned and unthinned sites in a mixed eucalypt production forest in Gippsland, Victoria. The 2006-2007 fires across Gippsland directly affected eight of twelve sites in this study, providing an opportunity to investigate the immediate effects of wildfire on birds.Significantly greater numbers of birds and bird species were found at thinned sites, compared with unthinned sites. Differences in vegetation structure and habitat quality were also apparent between thinned and unthinned sites. A reduction in both bird abundance and species richness occurred immediately after the wildfire.Research into the impact of silvicultural techniques, such as thinning, on forest biota is an important step towards achieving ecologically sustainable forestry. Improved understanding of the effect of forestry operations is imperative in order to maximise conservation in production environments.

A seven‐year study of the response of woodland birds to a large‐scale wildfire and the role of proximity to unburnt habitat

“…The broad pattern of post-fire response identified in this study, of an initial reduction in species richness immediately after the fire followed by a period of gradual recovery, is consistent with the majority of Australian studies (e.g. Recher et al 1986;Baker et al 1997;Loyn 1997;Green & Sanecki 2006;Lindenmayer et al 2008;Barr et al 2011;Watson et al 2012;Recher & Davis 2013;Davis et al 2016) and probably reflects the successional pattern of vegetation recovery. A few studies have reported contrary findings.…”

“…Fire plays a major ecological role in many of Australia's terrestrial ecosystems including dry forests, woodlands, shrublands and grasslands, affecting vegetation structure and floristic composition (Watson & Wardell-Johnson 2004;Fisher et al 2009) as well as a range of faunal communities from ants (Anderson 1991;York 2000) to birds (Reilly 1991;Turner 1992;Green & Sanecki 2006;Lindenmayer et al 2008;Barr et al 2011;Watson et al 2012;Recher & Davis 2013). Comparisons among individual studies to identify broad ecological principles of fire response are complicated by differences in the scale and severity of fire events, fire frequency, time elapsed postfire at the time of survey and study design.…”

Long term thinning and logging in Australian cypress pine forest: Changes in habitat attributes and response of fauna

“…However, despite the extensive use of thinning as a silvicultural technique throughout Australia's production forests, there is a paucity of studies that investigate the impacts of thinning activities upon fauna. The few existing studies have been undertaken in the more intensively logged temperate forests, with mixed results (Kutt, 1993(Kutt, , 1994(Kutt, , 1995(Kutt, , 1996Barr et al, 2011). To the best of our knowledge, the relative effect of selective logging vs thinning, or the combined effect of both activities, has not been investigated.…”