Mosaic burning research

The Box Ironbark experimental mosaic burning project is under way. The project is the joint responsibility of DSE, Parks Victoria and Latrobe and Deakin universities. Research in the project will be based around 16 planned mosaic burns of 100 ha each in the Heathcote Rushworth forest. Eight of the burns were conducted in Autumn last year, and eight in Spring. Half of them aimed at 35-50% burn coverage and half at 75-90%.

The project’s monitoring program focuses on questions like:

–How do different mosaic burns affect the composition of plant communities?

–Does burning stimulate germination of additional plant species from the soil seed store?

–Do mosaic burns cause changes in the density of tree stems in the forest?

–Are logs, stumps and areas of deep litter lost at disproportionate rates due to high flammability?

–Do planned burns alter the composition of woodland bird communities?

–How does fire affect the movements, foraging behaviour and breeding success of individual birds?

–Do burns result in an increase in the home range size of the Yellow-footed Antechinus?

–Do fires result in a loss of den sites for the Yellow-footed Antechinus?

You can get more details and keep abreast of news about this project by getting on the mailing list for its newsletter. Write to the project officer, Greg Holland at Deakin Uni: greg.holland@deakin.edu.au

 

 

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