Indicator: BD-12 Examples of the impacts of fires on biodiversity

Data

Recent bushfire events burnt extensive habitats of some nationally threatened fauna species including:

Spot-tailed Quoll (Dasyurus maculatus maculatus (s. lat));
Mountain Pymy-Possum (Burramys parvus);
Long-footed Potoroo (Potorous longipes);
Trout Cod (Maccullochella macquariensis);
Macquarie Perch (Macquaria australasica);
Australian Grayling (Prototroctes maraena); and
Northern Corroboree Frog in Kosciuszko and Namadgi National Parks(Pseodophryne pengilleyi).

Source: Environment Australia 2003, A Nation Charred: Inquiry into the Recent Australian Bushfires, The Parliament of the Commonwealth of Australia, Canberra.

The 2000 Action Plan for Australian Birds estimated that altered fire regimes affect 45% of mainland bird species.

Effects of Fire on Native Biodiversity following the 2003 Victorian alpine fires

Many threatened plant species are found in the areas affected by the NE Victorian fires. Some will benefit from the fires and some will be disadvantaged. Fifty-two species, which occur within the areas, are currently at risk. A few examples, all threatened by the recent fires, are:

Bogong Apple-moss (Bartramia bogongia) - This recently-discovered species of conspicuous cushion-forming moss is only known from bogs on the Bogong High Plains. Such patches take many decades to form.
Silky Snow-daisy (Celmisia sericophylla) - Found only in Victoria and almost restricted to the high country between Mt Bogong and Mt Hotham on peaty streamsides, bogs or other cold, damp sites. The daisy will be eliminated if its peaty soils burn. The fires burned some populations.
Snow Lobelia (Lobelia gelida) - Restricted to the margins and beds of summer-dry depressions on the Buffalo plateau and Snowy Plains north of Licola. Almost the whole of Mt Buffalo was burnt in the fires.
Snow Wort (Abrotanella nivigena) - This relic of former glacial climates is restricted in Victoria to the headwaters of one creek system on the Bogong High Plains.
Snow-daphne (Kelleria laxa) - The only Australian occurrence of this cushion-forming shrub (also found in New Zealand) is among low herbfields on the Bogong High Plains.
Turquoise Coprosma (Coprosma moorei) - A rare trailing shrub largely restricted to bogs and peaty alpine heaths in Victoria and Tasmania. A large part of its total habitat is included in areas burnt on Mt Buffalo and the Bogong High Plains.

Some rare species may benefit from these fires, for example:

Buffalo Sunray (Leucochrysum albicans var. buffaloensis) - A spectacular everlasting found only on Mt Buffalo that responds very well to disturbance such as fires. It is likely to provide sheets of colour in a few years' time.
Catkin Wattle (Acacia dallachiana) - This small tree is restricted to mountain forests of north-eastern Victoria (and NSW) where the fires occurred. It is expected to vigorously regenerate from seed and become more common soon after the fires.
Shining Westringia (Westringia lucida) - A dense, low shrub found on rocky hilltops. This species was only recently discovered in Victoria, but also occurs in the Kosciuszko area where scientists have discovered that fire stimulates regrowth from seed. The single Victorian mountain where this plant occurs was one of the initial lightning strike points on 7 January.

Fifty-one threatened vertebrate species are found in the area affected by the NE Victorian fires. Fires of this magnitude will disadvantage most, but some will benefit from the dense regrowth following the fires. A few examples, all threatened by the recent fires are:

Mountain Pygmy-possum (Burramys parvus) - endangered, total adult population less than 2000). This small mammal inhabits alpine rock screes and boulder fields above 1400 m in Victoria and NSW, where the characteristic vegetation is a heathland of Mountain Plum Pine (Podocarpus lawrencei) and associated flora. It will take decades for the Mountain plum pine to recover from a hot fire, as plants are killed by fire and regeneration is very slow. The key to the possum's survival is protection from the fire provided by their rock scree habitat and the availability of food after the fire passes.
Long-footed Potoroo (Potorous longipes) - In contrast to the Mountain Pygmy-possum, this species has little capacity to escape the flames because it shelters in dense ground vegetation. It occurs in only two areas - the ranges south of Mt Buffalo and in sub-coastal East Gippsland and south eastern NSW. Extensive hot fires have the potential to wipe out populations of this species unless adequate refuges remain in gullies. Some habitat areas have been severely burnt, some patchily burnt, others unburnt. After the fires there is likely to be proliferation of underground-fruiting fungi which are the staple diet of the Long-footed Potoroo. However, the lack of shelter in the form of dense ground cover will leave the potoroos, and other small mammals, greatly exposed to predators including quolls, owls, wild dogs, foxes and cats. In the longer term, the dense shrubby regeneration may provide improved habitat for this species.
Spotted Tree Frog (Litoria spenceri) - The endangered Spotted Tree Frog is a riverine species, restricted to 12 upland streams in north-eastern Victoria. At least four of these stream reaches have been burnt, and catchments up-stream of this species' habitat have also been burnt. A significant input of ash, sediment and nutrients into the stream, may adversely affect the ability of surviving frogs to reproduce.
Alpine Water Skink (Eulamprus kosciuskoi) - This species is restricted to wet alpine bog habitats and is thought to be highly sensitive to disturbances that damage the vegetation structure associated with these bogs.
Alpine Sheoak Skink (Cyclodomorphus praealtus) - This skink is restricted to alpine tussock and sedgelands. Its most known habitat has been fire affected.
High Plains Skink (Pseudomoia cryodroma) is restricted to the alpine area occupying comparatively moist environments that may have a little more protection from the fires.

Because of the small population sizes and fragmented distribution of their habitat, recolonisation by these three species of skink may not be possible. Where habitats have been severely burnt and there are no unburnt refuges, they are likely to be lost from the local area.

Source: Department of Sustainability and Environment 2005, Department of Sustainability and Environment Home Page, viewed 18 Jan 2005, http://www.dse.vic.gov.au/dse/index.htm

Response of rare or threatened plant species to the ACT 2003 bushfires
Species	Fire severity in habitat	Response noted during post fire survey
Austral Anchor Plant Discaria pubescens	Severely burned (tree canopy 60% very high, 40% high; the lower shrub layer 10% very high, 90% high; ground cover 100% very high.	Scorched bush. Sprouting from rootstock.
Drabastrum alpestre	Very high (complete canopy defoliation, no leaves remaining).	Basal resprouts and a small number of seedlings; one plant was in flower.
Gentiana baeuerlenii	Only two small spotfires, both less than 0.5 m in diameter occurred in the fenced area around the site, neither of which was where the plants had been seen in the past.	No plants were found.
Pomaderris pallida	Severely burned (tree canopy 60% very high, 40% high; the lower shrub layer 10% very high, 90% high; ground cover 100% very high.	3 scorched plants were found, the rest were unrecognisable. There was no sign of life on any plants and there were no seedlings.
Small Purple Pea Swainsona recta	High (Mt. Taylor), other sites not burnt	Resprouting of many plants, some of which were flowering.
Tuggeranong Lignum Muehlenbeckia tuggeranong	Very high	Recovery of all plants from basal shoots.

Source: Carey, A, Evans, M, Hann, P, Lintermans, M, MacDonald, T, Ormay, P, Sharp, S, Shorthouse, D. and Webb, N. 2003, Technical Report 17 Wildfires in the ACT 2003: Report on initial impacts on natural ecosystems, Environment Australia, Canberra, viewed N/A, http://www.environment.act.gov.au/nativeplantsandanimals/rptser.

Response of threatened fauna species and fauna species of conservation concern to the ACT 2003 bushfires
Knowledge of the species in the ACT	Impact on habitat	Survey results
Northern Corroboree Frog ( Pseudophryne pengilleyi) Restricted distribution confined to the high country of the ACT and adjacent NSW (Bimberi, Brindabella and Fiery Ranges and Bogong Mountains). In the ACT the species over-winters in moist forests, woodlands and heathlands from 800m to over 1800m	All known Corroboree Frog over-wintering habitat was burnt by moderate to high severity fire. All known breeding sites were affected by moderate to high severity fire, and ranged from 70 to 95 % of the habitat burnt at these sites	Numbers of calling males detected at sites both pre and post fire post-fire were extremely low and insufficient to provide a reliable comparison. Post fire searches revealed 22 nests containing eggs, some of which were collected for captive husbandry.
Smoky Mouse ( Pseudomys fumeus) Preferred habitat in the ACT is sub-alpine heath on rocky ridge-tops. The species has a specialised diet (legume seeds, berries, bogong moths, truffle-like fungi).	All known Smoky Mouse sites in ACT categorised as high or very high fire burn severity, with 95% of ground and shrub vegetation removed.	Survey concentrated on impacts to known habitat.
Spotted-tailed Quoll ( Dasyuris maculatus)	Known areas of typical habitat in the Brindabellas have been burnt – high or very high fire severity category.	Quoll scats were collected during the post fire survey period.
Broad–toothed Rat ( Mastacomys fuscus) The Broad-toothed Rat inhabits wet heaths and sphagnum bogs generally above 1400m in the ACT, where is common.	70 to 90 % of habitat burnt-moderate to high severity. Lack of ground cover, exposed runways.	Droppings and other evidence of the species found where surveyed at Ginini Flats and Snowy Flats. No droppings were found in the burnt areas surrounding these habitat refuges, indicating that the species is confined to the unburnt patches.

What the data mean

Many species have been affected by recent fires in south east Australia but it will be some time before the full impact is known.

Data Limitations

The above data are by no means comprehensive and do not indicate ecosystem or community level responses.

Issues for which this is an indicator and why

Biodiversity — Pressures on biodiversity - Fire

As there is no continent-wide method of measuring changes that can be directly attributed to fire across all species and habitats, examples of changes that appear to be directly attributable to this cause is at present the only useful indicator of the pressure of fire on biodiversity.

Other indicators for this issue:

Land — Direct pressure of human activities on the land - Species introduction and species change

The introduction of new species to a location can impact on the fire fuel load, for example, some prolific introduced species may make an area more fire prone by increasing fuel loads, while the high grazing pressure of introduced herbivores can reduce fuel loads.

Established fire regimes may favour native, fire resistant plant species over introduced plant species. However, changed fire regimes may alter the balance of favour towards introduced species. Complex issues can arise where non-native pioneer vegetation rescues land that has been devastated by fire but then competes with native species attempting to reestablish themselves.

As there is no continent-wide method of measuring changes in species mix that can be directly attributed to fire across all species and habitats, examples of species that are showing impacts that appear to be directly attributable to fire is at present the only useful indicator of the relationship between fire and species change.

Other indicators for this issue: