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LEGACY RESEARCH

Fire regime guidelines for conservation of threatened species

Work Package 4 - Is it possible to protect threatened plants and animals using fire? Biodiversity is critical to healthy ecosystems and a key foundation of the environmental, social and economic well-being of New South Wales. This package addressed key knowledge gaps in fire management for biodiversity conservation.

Key Outcome: Provide fire managers with evidence to implement burning policies that protect threatened species as well as people and property


Many plant and animal species in NSW are adapted to a particular fire regime – that is, the frequency, intensity and season of fires that occur in their habitat – but can be threatened when this regime changes. However, our understanding of how species persist with fire over time is essentially limited to fire frequency. 


Researchers will measure and analyse the effects of other fire factors – including fire season and intensity – in order to understand how threatened species can persist under changing climate and fire regimes.


What they did:

  • Characterised the sensitivities of species to the intensity, frequency and season of fires

  • Compiled a comprehensive database about how different plant species respond to fire

  • Developed modelling to predict how threatened species will be affected under varying fire management scenarios

KEY PUBLICATIONS (ALPHABETICALLY BY LEAD AUTHOR)


  • Akçakaya, H. R., Rodrigues, A. S. L., Keith, D. A., Milner-Gulland, E. J., Sanderson, E. W., Hedges, S., Mallon, D. P., Grace, M. K., Long, B., Meijaard, E. & Stephenson, P. J. (2020). Assessing ecological function in the context of species recovery. Conservation Biology, 34, 561-571. https://doi.org/10.1111/cobi.13425

  • Auld, T. D., Keith, D. A., Gallagher, R. V., Tozer, M., Ooi, M. K. J., Le Breton, T., Allen, S., Yates, C., Van Leeuwen, S., Williams, R. J. & Mackenzie, B. D. E. (2022). Frameworks for identifying priority plants and ecosystems most impacted by major fires. Australian Journal of Botany, 70, 455-493. https://doi.org/10.1071/BT22009

  • Collette, J. C. & Ooi, M. K. J. (2020). Evidence for physiological seed dormancy cycling in the woody shrub Asterolasia buxifolia and its ecological significance in fire-prone systems. Plant Biology, 22, 745-749. https://doi.org/10.1111/plb.13105

  • Collette, J. C. & Ooi, M. K. J. (2021). Distribution of seed dormancy classes across a fire-prone continent: effects of rainfall seasonality and temperature. Annals of Botany, 127, 613-620. https://doi.org/10.1093/aob/mcaa203

  • Collette, J. C. & Ooi, M. K. J. (2021). Investigation of 18 physiologically dormant Australian native species: germination response, environmental correlations and the implications for conservation. Seed Science Research, 31, 30-38. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0960258520000422

  • Doyle, C. & Ooi, M. (2020). Moving threatened plants: Story and practice. Australasian Plant Conservation: Journal of the Australian Network for Plant Conservation, 28, 11-13. https://search.informit.org/doi/10.3316/informit.093593433256391

  • Dunker, B., Bull, C. M., Keith, D. A. & Driscoll, D. A. (2019). Season of fire influences seed dispersal by wind in a serotinous obligate seeding tree. Plant Ecology, 220, 405-416. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11258-019-00923-2

  • Gallagher, R. V., Allen, S., Mackenzie, B. D. E., Yates, C. J., Gosper, C. R., Keith, D. A., Merow, C., White, M. D., Wenk, E., Maitner, B. S., He, K., Adams, V. M. & Auld, T. D. (2021). High fire frequency and the impact of the 2019–2020 megafires on Australian plant diversity. Diversity and Distributions, 27, 1166-1179. https://doi.org/10.1111/ddi.13265

  • Gallagher, R. V., Allen, S. P., Mackenzie, B. D. E., Keith, D. A., Nolan, R. H., Rumpff, L., Gosper, C. R., Pegg, G., Van Leeuwen, S., Ooi, M. K. J., Yates, C. J., Merow, C., Williams, R. J., Nikolopoulos, E. I., Beaumont, L. J. & Auld, T. D. (2022). An integrated approach to assessing abiotic and biotic threats to post-fire plant species recovery: Lessons from the 2019–2020 Australian fire season. Global Ecology and Biogeography, 31, 2056-2069. https://doi.org/10.1111/geb.13478

  • Grace, M. K., Akçakaya, H. R., Bennett, E. L., Brooks, T. M., Heath, A., Hedges, S., Hilton-Taylor, C., Hoffmann, M., Hochkirch, A., Jenkins, R., Keith, D. A., Long, B., Mallon, D. P., Meijaard, E., Milner-Gulland, E. J., Rodriguez, J. P., Stephenson, P. J., Stuart, S. N., Young, R. P., Acebes, P., Alfaro-Shigueto, J., Alvarez-Clare, S., Andriantsimanarilafy, R. R., Arbetman, M., Azat, C., Bacchetta, G., Badola, R., Barcelos, L. M. D., Barreiros, J. P., Basak, S., Berger, D. J., Bhattacharyya, S., Bino, G., Borges, P. a. V., Boughton, R. K., Brockmann, H. J., Buckley, H. L., Burfield, I. J., Burton, J., Camacho-Badani, T., Cano-Alonso, L. S., Carmichael, R. H., Carrero, C., Carroll, J. P., Catsadorakis, G., Chapple, D. G., Chapron, G., Chowdhury, G. W., Claassens, L., Cogoni, D., Constantine, R., Craig, C. A., Cunningham, A. A., Dahal, N., Daltry, J. C., Das, G. C., Dasgupta, N., Davey, A., Davies, K., Develey, P., Elangovan, V., Fairclough, D., Febbraro, M. D., Fenu, G., Fernandes, F. M., Fernandez, E. P., Finucci, B., Földesi, R., Foley, C. M., Ford, M., Forstner, M. R. J., García, N., Garcia-Sandoval, R., Gardner, P. C., Garibay-Orijel, R., Gatan-Balbas, M., Gauto, I., Ghazi, M. G. U., Godfrey, S. S., Gollock, M., González, B. A., Grant, T. D., Gray, T., Gregory, A. J., Van Grunsven, R. H. A., Gryzenhout, M., Guernsey, N. C., Gupta, G., Hagen, C., Hagen, C. A., Hall, M. B., Hallerman, E., Hare, K., Hart, T., Hartdegen, R., Harvey-Brown, Y., Hatfield, R., Hawke, T., Hermes, C., Hitchmough, R., et al. (2021). Testing a global standard for quantifying species recovery and assessing conservation impact. Conservation Biology, 35, 1833-1849. https://doi.org/10.1111/cobi.13756

  • Keith, D. A. (2022). Transcending the disaster paradigm: Understanding persistence of animal populations in fire-prone environments. Global Change Biology, 28, 341-342. https://doi.org/10.1111/gcb.15925

  • Keith, D. A., Allen, S. P., Gallagher, R. V., Mackenzie, B. D. E., Auld, T. D., Barrett, S., Buchan, A., English, V., Gosper, C., Kelly, D., Mcillwee, A., Melrose, R. T., Miller, B. P., Neldner, V. J., Simpson, C. C., Tolsma, A. D., Rogers, D., Van Leeuwen, S., White, M. D., Yates, C. J. & Tozer, M. G. (2022). Fire-related threats and transformational change in Australian ecosystems. Global Ecology and Biogeography, 31, 2070-2084. https://doi.org/10.1111/geb.13500

  • Keith, D. A., Benson, D. H., Baird, I. R. C., Watts, L., Simpson, C. C., Krogh, M., Gorissen, S., Ferrer-Paris, J. R. & Mason, T. J. (2023). Effects of interactions between anthropogenic stressors and recurring perturbations on ecosystem resilience and collapse. Conservation Biology, 37, e13995. https://doi.org/10.1111/cobi.13995

  • Keith, D. A., Dunker, B. & Driscoll, D. A. (2020). Dispersal: The Eighth Fire Seasonality Effect on Plants. Trends in Ecology & Evolution, 35, 305-307. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tree.2019.12.001

  • Kirchhoff, C., Callaghan, C. T., Keith, D. A., Indiarto, D., Taseski, G., Ooi, M. K. J., Le Breton, T. D., Mesaglio, T., Kingsford, R. T. & Cornwell, W. K. (2021). Rapidly mapping fire effects on biodiversity at a large-scale using citizen science. Science of The Total Environment, 755, 142348. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.142348

  • Krogh, M., Gorissen, S., Baird, I. R. C. & Keith, D. A. (2022). Impacts of the Gospers Mountain Wildfire on the flora and fauna of mining-impacted Newnes Plateau Shrub Swamps in Australia’s Eastern Highlands. Australian Zoologist, 42, 199-216. https://doi.org/10.7882/AZ.2022.023

  • Le Breton, T. D., Lyons, M. B., Nolan, R. H., Penman, T., Williamson, G. J. & Ooi, M. K. J. (2022). Megafire-induced interval squeeze threatens vegetation at landscape scales. Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment, 20, 327-334. https://doi.org/10.1002/fee.2482

  • Le Breton, T. D., Natale, S., French, K., Gooden, B. & Ooi, M. K. J. (2020). Fire-adapted traits of threatened shrub species in riparian refugia: implications for fire regime management. Plant Ecology, 221, 69-81. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11258-019-00993-2

  • Mackenzie, B. D. E., Auld, T. D., Keith, D. A. & Ooi, M. K. J. (2021). Fire Seasonality, Seasonal Temperature Cues, Dormancy Cycling, and Moisture Availability Mediate Post-fire Germination of Species With Physiological Dormancy. Frontiers in Plant Science, 12. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpls.2021.795711

  • Mason, T. J., Krogh, M., Popovic, G. C., Glamore, W. & Keith, D. A. (2021). Persistent effects of underground longwall coal mining on freshwater wetland hydrology. Science of The Total Environment, 772, 144772. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.144772

  • Mason, T. J., Popovic, G. C., Mcgillycuddy, M. & Keith, D. A. (2023). Effects of hydrological change in fire-prone wetland vegetation: An empirical simulation. Journal of Ecology, 111, 1050-1062. https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2745.14078

  • Miller, R. G., Tangney, R., Enright, N. J., Fontaine, J. B., Merritt, D. J., Ooi, M. K. J., Ruthrof, K. X. & Miller, B. P. (2019). Mechanisms of Fire Seasonality Effects on Plant Populations. Trends in Ecology & Evolution, 34, 1104-1117. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tree.2019.07.009

  • Miller, R. G., Tangney, R., Enright, N. J., Fontaine, J. B., Merritt, D. J., Ooi, M. K. J., Ruthrof, K. X. & Miller, B. P. (2020). Fire Seasonality Effect on Post-Fire Wind Dispersal: Response to Keith, Dunker, and Driscoll. Trends in Ecology & Evolution, 35, 307. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tree.2019.12.009

  • Miller, R. G., Tangney, R., Enright, N. J., Fontaine, J. B., Merritt, D. J., Ooi, M. K. J., Ruthrof, K. X. & Miller, B. P. (2020). Fire Seasonality Mechanisms Are Fundamental for Understanding Broader Fire Regime Effects. Trends in Ecology & Evolution, 35, 869-871. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tree.2020.08.002

  • Ondik, M. M., Bennell, M., Davies, R. J. P., Ooi, M. K. J. & Muñoz-Rojas, M. (2022). Fire and land use impact soil properties in a Mediterranean dry sclerophyll woodland. Journal of Environmental Management, 324, 116245. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2022.116245

  • Ooi, M. K. J. (2019). The importance of fire season when managing threatened plant species: A long-term case-study of a rare Leucopogon species (Ericaceae). Journal of Environmental Management, 236, 17-24. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2019.01.083

  • Paroissien, R., Hedges, L., Porter, J. & Ooi, M. (2020). Germination of the rarely seen Pink Flannel Flower (’Actinotus forsythii’; Apiaceae). Australasian Plant Conservation: Journal of the Australian Network for Plant Conservation, 28, 3-5. https://search.informit.org/doi/10.3316/informit.093425736515067

  • Price, O. F., Mikac, K., Wilson, N., Roberts, B., Critescu, R. H., Gallagher, R., Mallee, J., Donatiou, P., Webb, J., Keith, D. A., Letnic, M. & Mackenzie, B. D. E. (2023). Short-term impacts of the 2019–20 fire season on biodiversity in eastern Australia. Austral Ecology, 48, 3-11. https://doi.org/10.1111/aec.13247

  • Ramos, D. M., Valls, J. F. M., Borghetti, F. & Ooi, M. K. J. (2019). Fire cues trigger germination and stimulate seedling growth of grass species from Brazilian savannas. American Journal of Botany, 106, 1190-1201. https://doi.org/10.1002/ajb2.1345

  • Santos, J. L., Hradsky, B. A., Keith, D. A., Rowe, K. C., Senior, K. L., Sitters, H. & Kelly, L. T. (2022). Beyond inappropriate fire regimes: A synthesis of fire-driven declines of threatened mammals in Australia. Conservation Letters, 15, e12905. https://doi.org/10.1111/conl.12905

  • Santos, J. L., Sitters, H., Keith, D. A., Geary, W. L., Tingley, R. & Kelly, L. T. (2022). A demographic framework for understanding fire-driven reptile declines in the ‘land of the lizards'. Global Ecology and Biogeography, 31, 2105-2119. https://doi.org/10.1111/geb.13520

  • Tangney, R., Merritt, D. J., Callow, J. N., Fontaine, J. B. & Miller, B. P. (2020). Seed traits determine species' responses to fire under varying soil heating scenarios. Functional Ecology, 34, 1967-1978. https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2435.13623

  • Tangney, R., Miller, R. G., Enright, N. J., Fontaine, J. B., Merritt, D. J., Ooi, M. K. J., Ruthrof, K. X. & Miller, B. P. (2020). Seed Dormancy Interacts with Fire Seasonality Mechanisms. Trends in Ecology & Evolution, 35, 1057-1059. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tree.2020.09.008

  • Tangney, R., Paroissien, R., Le Breton, T. D., Thomsen, A., Doyle, C. a. T., Ondik, M., Miller, R. G., Miller, B. P. & Ooi, M. K. J. (2022). Success of post-fire plant recovery strategies varies with shifting fire seasonality. Communications Earth & Environment, 3, 126. https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-022-00453-2

  • Taseski, G. M., Keith, D. A., Dalrymple, R. L. & Cornwell, W. K. (2021). Shifts in fine root traits within and among species along a fine-scale hydrological gradient. Annals of Botany, 127, 473-481. https://doi.org/10.1093/aob/mcaa175

  • Thomsen, A. M. & Ooi, M. K. J. (2022). Shifting season of fire and its interaction with fire severity: Impacts on reproductive effort in resprouting plants. Ecology and Evolution, 12, e8717. https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.8717

  • Tozer, M., Ooi, M., Simpson, C., Wilkins, K. & Zylstra, P. (2021). How the severe fires of 2019-2020 promoted regeneration of the rare Bendethera shrublands. Australasian Plant Conservation: Journal of the Australian Network for Plant Conservation, 29, 12-15. https://search.informit.org/doi/10.3316/informit.780963742505727

  • Ward, M., Tulloch, A., Stewart, R., Possingham, H. P., Legge, S., Gallagher, R. V., Graham, E. M., Southwell, D., Keith, D., Dixon, K., Yong, C., Carwardine, J., Cronin, T., Reside, A. E. & Watson, J. E. M. (2022). Restoring habitat for fire-impacted species’ across degraded Australian landscapes. Environmental Research Letters, 17, 084036. https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/ac83da

  • Zirondi, H. L., Ooi, M. K. J. & Fidelis, A. (2021). Fire-triggered flowering is the dominant post-fire strategy in a tropical savanna. Journal of Vegetation Science, 32, e12995. https://doi.org/10.1111/jvs.12995


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