Fire, fragmentation and small mammals; synergistic impacts on ecosystem dynamics

Citation

Land & Water Australia. 2009. Fire, fragmentation and small mammals; synergistic impacts on ecosystem dynamics. [Online] (Updated June 23rd, 2009)
Available at: http://lwa.gov.au/node/2967 [Accessed Tuesday 12th of March 2013 02:28:55 PM ].

There is currently an important and unique opportunity to examine this question in some detail in southwestern Australia by using a mixture of natural and targeted experiementation. A series of sites is available within which native mammal populations have been reintroduced or have increased recently due to predator control. There are also sites that have been subjected to either no fire or known fire treatments in the recent past, and also areas that are likely to be burned in the near future. We propose to use this range of opportunities to develop an understanding of how fire and native mammal grazing interact to affect composition and structure and hence impact on the future success of biodiversity conservation in fragmented systems.

Project Objectives

Survey the structure and composition of plant communities in remnants where native herbivore grazing regimes differ;
Determine the effect of native herbivores on plant population dynamics with the use of exclosures; and
Determine the impact of native herbivores on natural recruitment and planted seedlings of targeted species.