Impacts of fire on riparian ecosystems: a study on purple-crowned fairy-wrens

Niki Teunissen

niki.teunissen@monash.edu

@NikiTeunissen

Riparian zones: biodiversity hotspots

• High species diversity

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• Cool wet microclimate

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• Refuge from fire

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Riparian zones: sensitive to threats

B. Murphy

• Climate change > more riparian fire:
• More frequent droughts
• More large flood events

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• Important to understand impact of fire on riparian communities

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Pettit & Naiman 2007

Purple-crowned fairy-wren: a riparian indicator

Endangered

Annie creek & Adcock river

Mornington Wildlife Sanctuary

The purple-crowned fairy-wren project

• Ongoing since 2005

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• Annie creek & Adcock river: 15 km

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• Colour-banded birds

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Long-term study: following birds through life

19 years

2254 colour-banded birds

Long-term study: following birds through life

How does fire affect riparian zones?

Low- and high-intensity fire at Mornington

Low- and high-intensity fire at Mornington

High-intensity fire damaged riparian habitat

Pre-fire

2 months post-fire

8 months post-fire

2 years post-fire

Low- and high-intensity fire reduced bird density

-20%

-50%

P = 0.03

Low-intensity fire reduced breeding success

Pre-fire

Post-fire

1 year post-fire

P < 0.01

High-intensity fire reduced survival

-30%

During fire

2-8 mo post-fire

P < 0.01

Riparian zones are sensitive to fire

What this means for fire management

• Aim to minimise extent and�intensity of riparian fire

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• High value sites: create protective buffer

What this means for aerial burning

• Even wet season burns can negatively impact riparian zones

What this means for aerial burning

• Even wet season burns can negatively impact riparian zones

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• Aerial burn lines often run parallel & upwind of creeks
• Potential for long stretches to be exposed to fire at once
• How does this impact creeklines?

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What this means for aerial burning

• Illustration of risks involved with burning near creeks

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• Take extra care when introducing fire to/near riparian habitat, to get timing and execution right (especially in dry years)

Recommendations for riparian fire management

• Talk with traditional owners: how can aerial burning better mimic traditional methods of burning

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• Think about conditions throughout day/season when planning burn lines (creeklines can also burn during the wet/early dry)

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• Increase two-way learning & research on how�early dry season burning affects creeklines

Thanks

Extra slides

Long-term study: finding dispersers

Fire did not affect dispersal

P = 0.26

P = 0.52

Low-intensity fire reduced breeding success

-80%