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5. a Review of Fire Management on Central Australian Conservation Reserves: Towards Best Practice

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5. a Review of Fire Management on Central Australian Conservation Reserves: Towards Best Practice 5. A review of fire management on central Australian conservation reserves: towards best practice Angus Duguid Chris Brock Kasia Gabrys Contributing author information A. Duguid: Department of Natural Resources, Environment, the Arts and Sport, PO Box 2533, Alice Springs, Northern Territory 0871, Australia C. Brock: Department of Natural Resources, Environment, the Arts and Sport, PO Box 2533, Alice Springs, Northern Territory 0871, Australia K. Gabrys: Department of Natural Resources, Environment, the Arts and Sport, PO Box 2533, Alice Springs, Northern Territory 0871, Australia Acknowledgements This document is a synthesis of practices and ideas from many people, particularly rangers and scientists of the Parks and Wildlife Service of the Northern Territory. Among the many rangers some individuals have made particularly significant contributions. Notably, Dennis Matthews was a vocal advocate for the importance of using fire to protect biodiversity. He combined innovation and ecological insight to strategic planning of fire management, training and implementation of prescribed burns. He also made the time to record many of his ideas in written form. The conclusion of his long involvement with the parks service, in 2005, increased the challenge to new generations to build understanding of fire and to continue to find better ways of managing fire. Of course Dennis was not alone in his endeavours, and there have been many other prominent contributors in the parks service, including Chris Day, Grant Allan, Brenda Pitts and Darren Schunke. Phil Cowan was an active partner in cleaning up GIS data on parks and finalising new data-recording arrangements. The following people advised on specific elements or provided constructive comment on drafts of this chapter: David Albrecht, Grant Allan, Glenn Edwards, Mike Heywood, Peter Latz, Catherine Nano, Chris Pavey, Andrew Schubert and Carly Steen. Kathy McConnell assisted with editing. 210 Desert Knowledge CRC Desert Fire: fire and regional land management in the arid landscapes of Australia Ch 5: A review of fire management on central Australian conservation reserves: towards best practice pp. 209–308 Contents 5.1 Summary ........................................................................................................................................ ��������������������� 215 5.1.1 Recommendations ............................................................................................................... ��������������������� 217 5.2 Introduction .................................................................................................................................... ��������������������� 217 5.2.1 The need to review and document park fire management .................................................. ��������������������� 217 5.2.2 Scope �������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 218 5.2.3 Sources and methods used .................................................................................................. ��������������������� 220 5.2.4 Structure .................................................................................................................................................. 221 5.3 Background ecological issues – a new synthesis for park fire management ................................. ��������������������� 221 5.3.1 Background to fire regimes ................................................................................................. ��������������������� 221 5.3.2 Fuel types and patterns of fuel accumulation...................................................................... ��������������������� 225 5.3.3 Plant responses to fire: individuals and community succession ......................................... ��������������������� 230 5.3.4 Fauna responses .................................................................................................................. ��������������������� 235 5.4 Review of existing guidelines and practices .................................................................................. ��������������������� 240 5.4.1 Anticipating the inevitable (1984)....................................................................................... ��������������������� 240 5.4.2 Fire management manual for central Australian parks and reserves (1989) ..................... ��������������������� 240 5.4.3 Biophysical mapping in parks manual (2000) .................................................................... ��������������������� 241 5.4.4 Fire management – Finke Gorge National Park (2005) ..................................................... ��������������������� 242 5.4.5 Comparison with interstate practices ................................................................................. ��������������������� 243 5.4.6 Review of unpublished aspects of previous fire management on PWSNT reserves .......... ��������������������� 243 5.4.7 Key experiences of the abundant fuels and extensive wildfires following 2000–01 rains in central Australia ............................................................................................. ��������������������� 247 5.5 Current best practice ...................................................................................................................... ��������������������� 251 5.5.1 Aims and philosophy for best practice fire management .................................................... ��������������������� 251 5.5.2 Fire management regimes ................................................................................................... ��������������������� 253 5.5.3 Planning fire management .................................................................................................. ��������������������� 261 5.5.4 Annual planning and reporting documents ......................................................................... ��������������������� 265 5.5.5 Implementing prescribed burns ........................................................................................... ��������������������� 267 5.5.6 Other methods for creating fire breaks and fuel reduction.................................................. ��������������������� 276 5.6 Recommendations for overcoming barriers to best practice .......................................................... ��������������������� 279 5.6.1 Overview of barriers and solutions ..................................................................................... ��������������������� 279 5.6.2 Key barriers to best practice and recommended actions ..................................................... ��������������������� 279 5.7 References ...................................................................................................................................... ��������������������� 286 5.8 Appendices ..................................................................................................................................... ��������������������� 292 Appendix 1: Key species of non-spinifex native grass fuels ....................................................... ��������������������� 292 Appendix 2: Fire tolerance/sensitivity of key plant species ........................................................ ��������������������� 293 Appendix 3: Checklist for conducting a prescribed burn ............................................................ ��������������������� 306 Appendix 4: Personal equipment list for prescribed burning and wildfire fighting ..................... ��������������������� 307 Appendix 5: Draft policy on volunteer involvement and staff qualifications .............................. ��������������������� 308 Desert Fire: fire and regional land management in the arid landscapes of Australia Desert Knowledge CRC 211 Ch 5: A review of fire management on central Australian conservation reserves: towards best practice pp. 209–308 Figures Figure 5.1: Fuel weight of spinifex in relation to time since fire ......................................................... ��������������������� 226 Figure 5.2: Change in spinifex hummock height in relation to time since fire .................................... ��������������������� 227 Figure 5.3: Change in spinifex hummock profile moisture content in relation to time since fire ....... ��������������������� 227 Figure 5.4: Cover of vegetation and bare ground in relation to time since fire ................................... ��������������������� 228 Figure 5.5: Various factors that impact on medium-sized mammal populations that exemplify why fire cannot be referred to in isolation when discussing fire and fauna ................................... ��������������������� 235 Tables Table 5.1: Summary of barriers and recommended actions ................................................................. ��������������������� 285 Table 5.2: Tall trees (important for hollows and roosting)................................................................... ��������������������� 295 Table 5.3: Mallees (*Mallees almost always occur with spinifex) ...................................................... ��������������������� 297 Table 5.4: Low trees/large shrubs ....................................................................................................... ��������������������� 298 Table 5.5: Woody species dispersed by birds eating fruits .................................................................. ���������������������
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