Understanding the effects of fire on invertebrates in Australian temperate and sub-tropical forests: the value of long-term experiments

Abstract

Fire is a common feature of Australian forests and prescribed burning is a routine management strategy, often utilised to mitigate the effects of wildfire. However, the impacts of fire on terrestrial invertebrates are poorly understood. Here we provide an overview of continuing long-term fire studies in temperate and subtropical forest ecosystems, with a focus on terrestrial invertebrates. Longitudinal fire study sites exist in southern Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria, Western Australia and Tasmania. Most studies have focussed on fire frequency and have identified certain taxa or taxonomic groups that prefer either habitat associated with long unburnt areas, habitat associated with more frequently burnt areas or those that show no response to varied fire frequency. The limited number of studies investigating fire season report similar findings, but there are few studies that have focussed on other components of the fire regime. Long-term experiments are important when studying the effects of various fire regimes on invertebrate assemblages as responses often take time to be expressed, and may follow changes in habitat availability associated with interactions between components of the fire regime. We recommend that ecological studies continue to utilise long-term study sites through monitoring programs to improve our understanding of how invertebrate taxa respond to fire regimes; and to better identify the important role of invertebrate groups in ecosystem functioning (e.g. for nutrient cycling, pollination).

The response of cerambycid beetles (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae) to long‐term fire frequency regimes in subtropical eucalypt forest

“…Vanderwoude et al . ; York ; York & Lewis ). Such changes in invertebrate composition may have flow‐on effects to other components of the ecosystem (e.g.…”

Something went missing: cessation of Traditional Owner land management and rapid mammalian population collapses in the semi-arid region of the Murray–Darling Basin, southeastern Australia

“…An idealized model of the life history of the tall, warm season grasslands (Themeda, Homopholis, Bothriochloa, Chloris, Enteropogon, Eragrostis, Panicum spp. dominant), associated biota and fire was created from data in Morgan and Lunt (1999), from reviews and studies concerning the fire responses of fungi (McMullan-Fisher et al 2011) and invertebrates (York 1999;York & Lewis 2017) and from the ecological strategies of the formerly super-abundant Bogong Moth (Agrotis infusa) (Warrant et al 2016;Green et al 2021). Data on major food sources utilized and cultivated by the Traditional Owners were examined, as were the diets of the extinct mammals (e.g.…”

“…Frequent fires (c. three-to five-year intervals) reduce the abundance of wood-consuming fungi (due to lack of food), suggesting that a lack of frequent fire would affect fungal grassland communities and probably invertebrates (e.g. York & Lewis 2017). This aspect of the productive pulse requires a grassy field layer and partner vegetation (e.g.…”

The critical value of long-term field studies and datasets: an editorial perspective

“…In their study on the effects of fire on invertebrates in Australian temperate and sub-tropical forests, York and Lewis (2018) identify the value of long-term experiments, pointing out that these are important when studying the effects of various fire regimes on invertebrate assemblages because responses often take time to be expressed, and may follow changes in habitat availability associated with interactions between components of the fire regime. They sensibly make the economical recommendation that ecological studies continue to utilise long-term study sites through monitoring programs to improve our understanding of how invertebrate taxa respond to fire regimes.…”