Burning in banksia woodlands: how does the fire-free period influence reptile communities?

Fire is an important management tool for both hazard reduction burning and maintenance of biodiversity. The impact of time since last fire on fauna is an important factor to understand as land managers often aim for prescribed burning regimes with specific fire-free intervals. However, our current u...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:PloS one 2012-04, Vol.7 (4), p.e34448
Main Authors: Valentine, Leonie E, Reaveley, Alice, Johnson, Brent, Fisher, Rebecca, Wilson, Barbara A
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Agriculture
Animals
Biodiversity
Biology
Burning
Conservation of Natural Resources
Ecosystem
Engineering
Fauna
Fires
Forests
Habitats
Land management
Myrtaceae
National parks
Population Dynamics
Prescribed burning
Prescribed fire
Reptiles
Reptiles - physiology
Skin
Small mammals
Terrestrial environments
Vegetation
Vegetation type
Western Australia
Woodlands
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Summary:Fire is an important management tool for both hazard reduction burning and maintenance of biodiversity. The impact of time since last fire on fauna is an important factor to understand as land managers often aim for prescribed burning regimes with specific fire-free intervals. However, our current understanding of the impact of time since last fire on fauna is largely unknown and likely dependent on vegetation type. We examined the responses of reptiles to fire age in banksia woodlands, and the interspersed melaleuca damplands among them, north of Perth, Western Australia, where the current prescribed burning regime is targeting a fire-free period of 8-12 years. The response of reptiles to fire was dependent on vegetation type. Reptiles were generally more abundant (e.g. Lerista elegans and Ctenophorus adelaidensis) and specious in banksia sites. Several species (e.g. Menetia greyii, Cryptoblepharus buchananii) preferred long unburnt melaleuca sites (>16 years since last fire, YSLF) compared to recently burnt sites (16 YSLF). The terrestrial dragon C. adelaidensis and the skink Morethia obscura displayed a strong response to fire in banksia woodlands only. Highest abundances of the dragon were detected in the recently burnt (35 YSLF) banksia woodlands, while the skink was more abundant in older sites. Habitats from a range of fire ages are required to support the reptiles we detected, especially the longer unburnt (>16 YSLF) melaleuca habitat. Current burning prescriptions are reducing the availability of these older habitats.
ISSN:1932-6203
1932-6203
DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0034448