Degraded or just dusty?: 150 years of ecological change in inland eastern Australia

Silcock, Jennifer

doi:10.14264/uql.2015.234

Cited by 1 publication

(1 citation statement)

References 203 publications

(287 reference statements)

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“…Using new, web-based IT tools to place these records accurately in space and time throughout a region (Bickford and Mackey 2004;Silcock 2014), a more detailed picture of Aboriginal burning activity and background wildfire can be developed. These data can then be compared against the historic vegetation maps and the fire-stick farming hypothesis.…”

Section: (8) Grassland Distribution Linked To Patterns Of Aboriginal mentioning

confidence: 99%

A framework for testing the influence of Aboriginal burning on grassy ecosystems in lowland, mesic south–eastern Australia

Foreman¹

2016

Aust. J. Bot.

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Abstract. The complex interactions among climate, soils, fire and humans in the biogeography of natural grasslands has long been debated in Australia. On the one hand, ecological models assume the primacy of climate and soils. On the other, Aboriginal burning is hypothesised to have altered the entire continent since before the last glacial maximum. The present paper develops a framework to test for the 'fingerprint' of Aboriginal burning in lowland, mesic grassy ecosystems of south-eastern Australia, using ecological theory, and the ethno-historical record. It is clear that fire-stick farming was used to promote staple roots in south-eastern Australia and, in some instances, it has been shown to influence grassland-woodland boundaries. The framework comprises the following three evidence lines: (1) archival benchmarking and palaeoecology; (2) phytoecology; and (3) ethnology and archaeology. That fire-stick farming was likely instrumental in grassland formation and maintenance must be supported by evidence that shows that 'natural' grasslands exist in climatically-edaphically unexpected places, that fine-scale patterns and dynamics are at least partly due to fire and that the fire regime has been influenced by Aboriginal burning. Application of the framework indicated that widespread Aboriginal burning for staple foods likely extended the area of temperate grasslands and influenced their structure and function.

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Section: (8) Grassland Distribution Linked To Patterns Of Aboriginal mentioning

confidence: 99%

A framework for testing the influence of Aboriginal burning on grassy ecosystems in lowland, mesic south–eastern Australia

Foreman¹

2016

Aust. J. Bot.

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

Degraded or just dusty?: 150 years of ecological change in inland eastern Australia

Cited by 1 publication

References 203 publications

A framework for testing the influence of Aboriginal burning on grassy ecosystems in lowland, mesic south–eastern Australia

A framework for testing the influence of Aboriginal burning on grassy ecosystems in lowland, mesic south–eastern Australia

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