Study

The effects of burning on the understorey composition of 11-13 year-old rehabilitated bauxite mines in Western Australia - vegetation characteristics

  • Published source details Grant C.D. & Loneragan W.A. (1999) The effects of burning on the understorey composition of 11-13 year-old rehabilitated bauxite mines in Western Australia - vegetation characteristics. Plant Ecology, 145, 291-305.

Actions

This study is summarised as evidence for the following.

Action Category

Use prescribed fire: effect on understory plants

Action Link
Forest Conservation
  1. Use prescribed fire: effect on understory plants

    A replicated, controlled study in 1994-1996 in Mediterranean jarrah Eucalyptus marginata forest in Western Australia (GRANT & Loneragan 1999) found that prescribed fire in restored forest sites increased plant species richness and density, but decreased plant cover. The density of all plants was higher in burned (35/m2) and native forest (32/m2) than unburned plots (6/m2), while their cover was lower in burned (10%) than unburned plots (48%) and native forest (60%). Weed density was higher in burned (6/m2) than unburned plots (3/m2) and native forest (2/m2). The number of native plant species was higher in burned (40/80 m2) than unburned plots (28/80 m2) and the highest in native forest (64/80 m2), while plant diversity was lower in unburned and burned plots (Shannon–Weiner index: 2.3 in both) than native forest (3.2). Data were collected in 1995-1996 in 5-10 burned (prescribed fire in 1994-1995) and five unburned plots (20 × 20 m) in each of three bauxite mine sites rehabilitated in 1981, 1982 and 1983, and in ten similar size plots in native forest sites (control).

     

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