Estimating the time since fire of long-unburnt Eucalyptus salubris (Myrtaceae) stands in the Great Western Woodlands

Gosper, Carl R.; Prober, Suzanne M.; Yates, Colin J.; Wiehl, Georg

doi:10.1071/bt12212

Cited by 25 publications

(49 citation statements)

References 34 publications

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“…We use the best two plausible models for estimating time since fire: (i) untransformed growth rings predicted by diameter at the base ( D 10 ) plus location (Model 2), and (ii) square‐root‐transformed growth rings predicted by D 10 plus location (Model 5), acknowledging that the certainty of plot time since fire declines with increasing time, particularly beyond 200 years (Gosper et al . ). The sample age range was 2–370 (Model 2) or 2–1460 (Model 5) years post‐fire (see Table S1, Supporting Information).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 97%

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Floristic diversity in fire‐sensitive eucalypt woodlands shows a ‘U’‐shaped relationship with time since fire

Gosper

Yates²,

Prober

2013

Journal of Applied Ecology

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Summary1. Understanding ecosystem responses to disturbance is important for effective management of biodiversity. Observed relationships between time since disturbance and diversity have taken a variety of forms, only some of which are explicitly predicted in models of vegetation succession. This makes generalization and predictions for specific communities difficult. 2. Negative relationships have been the predominant diversity response to time since fire in fire-prone Mediterranean-climate ecosystems; however, few studies have analysed responses in infrequently burnt ecosystems such as Mediterranean-climate woodlands dominated by firesensitive trees. We used a space-for-time approach and multiple stand-ageing techniques (Landsat imagery, growth ring counts and growth ring-size relationships) to characterize diversity and compositional changes with time since fire (3-370+ years) in fire-sensitive Eucalyptus salubris woodlands in south-western Australia. 3. Species density and Pielou's evenness showed an overall 'U'-shaped response to time since fire, although variability between plots was considerable. Plant functional type and species composition differed with time since fire, with greater richness and cover of ground layer, and 'long dispersal potential' functional types with increasing time since fire. Conversely, there was an early or intermediate peak in taller and 'short dispersal potential' functional types. 4. We propose that the unusual 'U'-shaped diversity-time since fire relationship is driven by competitively dominant tree and shrub layers having maximum cover at intermediate times since fire. Subdominant functional types were able to exploit lower levels of competition in the immediate post-fire period and after density-dependent thinning of the trees and shrubs. 5. Synthesis and applications. Recurrent fire is not required to maintain diversity in these firesensitive woodlands as diversity reached a maximum in mature vegetation. Fire intervals of

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Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 97%

“…This area has a semi‐arid Mediterranean climate (see Gosper et al . for more climatic details). Plots had a dominant crown layer of E. salubris , sometimes in association with other Eucalyptus spp.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Floristic diversity in fire‐sensitive eucalypt woodlands shows a ‘U’‐shaped relationship with time since fire

Gosper

Yates²,

Prober

2013

Journal of Applied Ecology

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“…An essential component of the study was the development of a method to estimate the time since fire of long-unburnt stands (Gosper et al, 2013c). Without this, there would have been no alternative to determining times since fire solely though remotesensed imagery.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…1). Further, using Time-since-fire classes ensured that uncertainty over the precise times since fire of long-unburnt sites (Gosper et al, 2013c) did not compromise results of analyses. The three Locations, Karroun Hill, Yellowdine and Parker Range, which were sampled over different but consecutive time periods, were classified as categorical Location classes.…”

Section: Statistical Analysesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…We use age estimates from the two best-performing and equally plausible models tested by Gosper et al (2013c): (i) estimates based on untransformed growth rings predicted by E. salubris diameter at the base (D 10 ) plus site location (Model 2), and (ii) square-root transformed growth rings predicted by E. salubris diameter at the base (D 10 ) plus site location (Model 5). These models likely underestimate and overestimate respectively times since fire of the oldest sites, and we report the former with the later value in parenthesis.…”

Section: Study Sitesmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Multi-century dynamics of ant communities following fire in Mediterranean-climate woodlands: Are changes congruent with vegetation succession?

Gosper

Pettit

Andersen

et al. 2015

Forest Ecology and Management

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Fire‐mediated habitat change regulates woodland bird species and functional group occurrence

Gosper

Watson

Fox

et al. 2019

Ecological Applications

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In an era characterized by recurrent large wildfires in many parts of the globe, there is a critical need to understand how animal species respond to fires, the rates at which populations can recover, and the functional changes fires may cause. Using quantified changes in habitat parameters over a~400-yr post-fire chronosequence in an obligate-seeding Australian eucalypt woodland, we build and test predictions of how birds, as individual species and aggregated into functional groups according to their use of specific habitat resources, respond to time since fire. Individual bird species exhibited four generalized response types to time since fire: incline, decline, delayed, and bell. All significant relationships between bird functional group richness or abundance and time since fire were consistent with predictions based on known time-since-fire-associated changes in habitat features putatively important for these bird groups. Consequently, we argue that the bird community is responding to post-fire successional changes in habitat as per the habitat accommodation model, rather than to time since fire per se, and that our functional framework will be of value in predicting bird responses to future disturbances in this and other obligate-seeder forest and woodland ecosystems. Most bird species and functional groups that were affected by time since fire were associated with long-unburned woodlands. In the context of recent large, stand-replacement wildfires that have affected a substantial proportion of obligate-seeder eucalypt woodlands, and the multi-century timescales over which post-fire succession occurs, it would appear preferable from a bird conservation perspective if fires initiating loss of currently long-unburned woodlands were minimized. Once long-unburned woodlands are transformed by fire into recently burned woodlands, there is limited scope for alternative management interventions to accelerate the rate of habitat development after fire, or supplement the resources formerly provided to birds by long-unburned woodlands, with the limited exception of augmenting hollow availability for key hollow-nesting species.

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Estimating the time since fire of long-unburnt Eucalyptus salubris (Myrtaceae) stands in the Great Western Woodlands

Cited by 25 publications

References 34 publications

Floristic diversity in fire‐sensitive eucalypt woodlands shows a ‘U’‐shaped relationship with time since fire

Floristic diversity in fire‐sensitive eucalypt woodlands shows a ‘U’‐shaped relationship with time since fire

Multi-century dynamics of ant communities following fire in Mediterranean-climate woodlands: Are changes congruent with vegetation succession?

Fire‐mediated habitat change regulates woodland bird species and functional group occurrence

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