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Biological Diversity - 2024 - Brunton - Ecological dynamics in Banksia aemula woodlands following widespread anthropogenic1.86 MB
Published VersionCC BY V4.0, Open Access
Journal article
Ecological dynamics in Banksia aemula woodlands following widespread, anthropogenic wildfires on a world heritage listed island (K'gari), Australia
Biological Diversity, Vol.1(3-4), pp.180-192
2024
Abstract
The increased severity and frequency of wildfires are a growing threat to biodiversity globally posing a complex challenge for the management of protected areas. K'gari, a World Heritage-listed sand barrier island located off the coast of Australia, was extensively burnt in wildfires in 2019 and 2020. Banksia aemula low open woodland (BALOW) is a fire-adapted ecosystem, and Banksia aemula is the dominant vegetation type on the island. This research explored interactions between vertebrate fauna and flora species richness and structure after fires in the BALOW habitat. We employed camera trapping and vegetation surveys to estimate species richness and habitat structure. We detected 28 fauna and 56 plant species, including two vulnerable species. Fauna species richness differed between sites; the site with the most intense, extensive, and recent fire had the lowest fauna species richness and mammal species richness. In contrast, the site with lower intensity and more frequent historical fires had the highest fauna diversity. The long unburnt site had higher overall tree diversity and reduced shrub diversity. This research further highlights the need for evidence-based fire management in protected areas and the risk that large-scale and/or high-intensity fires may pose to biodiversity even within fire-adapted ecosystems.
Details
- Title
- Ecological dynamics in Banksia aemula woodlands following widespread, anthropogenic wildfires on a world heritage listed island (K'gari), Australia
- Authors
- Elizabeth Brunton (Corresponding Author) - University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, School of Science, Technology and EngineeringGeorge Anderson - University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, School of Science, Technology and EngineeringGrahame Applegate - University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, Tropical Forests and People Research CentreLinda Behrendorff - Queensland Parks and Wildlife ServiceAaron Brunton - University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, School of Science, Technology and EngineeringRachel Killer - Queensland Parks and Wildlife ServiceRobert Lamont - University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, School of Science, Technology and EngineeringSarah Orchard - University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, School of Science, Technology and EngineeringGabriel Conroy - University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, School of Science, Technology and Engineering
- Publication details
- Biological Diversity, Vol.1(3-4), pp.180-192
- Publisher
- John Wiley & Sons Australia
- Date published
- 2024
- DOI
- 10.1002/bod2.12025
- ISSN
- 2994-4139; 2994-4139
- Copyright note
- © 2024 The Author(s). Biological Diversity published by John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd on behalf of South China Botanical Garden (SCBG), Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS). This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
- Data Availability
- The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.
- Organisation Unit
- Tropical Forests and People Research Centre; GeneCology Research Centre - Legacy; Academic Support Unit; Forest Industries Research Centre; School of Science, Technology and Engineering; Forest Research Institute; School of Law and Society; Centre for Bioinnovation
- Language
- English
- Record Identifier
- 991090597002621
- Output Type
- Journal article
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