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Ruscalleda-Alvarez J, Cliff H, Catt G, Holmes J, Burrows N, Paltridge R, Russell-Smith J, Schubert A, See P, Legge S. Right-way fire in Australia's spinifex deserts: An approach for measuring management success when fire activity varies substantially through space and time. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2023; 331:117234. [PMID: 36646040 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2023.117234] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2022] [Revised: 12/25/2022] [Accepted: 01/04/2023] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Indigenous Australians used fire in spinifex deserts for millennia. These practices mostly ceased following European colonisation, but many contemporary Indigenous groups seek to restore 'right-way fire' practices, to meet inter-related social, economic, cultural and biodiversity objectives. However, measuring and reporting on the fire pattern outcomes of management is challenging, because the spatio-temporal patterns of right-way fire are not clearly defined, and because spatio-temporal variability in rainfall makes fire occurrence highly variable in these desert environments. We present an approach for measuring and reporting on fire management outcomes to account for spatio-temporal rainfall variability. The purpose is to support Indigenous groups to assess performance against their management targets, and lay the groundwork for developing an accredited method for valuing combined social, cultural and biodiversity outcomes. We reviewed fire management plans of desert Indigenous groups to identify spatial fire pattern indicators for right-way fire in spinifex deserts. We integrated annual rainfall surfaces with time-since fire mapping (using Landsat imagery) to create a new spatial dataset of accumulated rainfall-since-last-fire, that better represents post-fire vegetation recovery as categorised by local Indigenous people. The fire pattern indicators were merged into a single score using an environmental accounting approach. To strengthen interpretation, we developed an approach for identifying a control area with matching vegetation and fire history, up to the point of management. We applied these methods to a 125,000 ha case study area: Durba Hills, managed by the Martu people of Western Australia. Using a 20-year time series, we show that since right-way fire management at Durba Hills was re-introduced (2009), the fire pattern indicators have improved compared to those in the matched control area, and the composite result is closer to the fine-scaled mosaic of right-way fire pattern targets. Our approach could be used by Indigenous groups to track performance, and inform annual fire management planning. As the indicators are standardised for rainfall variation, results from multiple sites can be aggregated to track changes in performance at larger scales. Finally, our approach could be adapted for other fire-prone areas, both in Australia and internationally with high spatio-temporal rainfall variability, to improve management planning and evaluation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jaume Ruscalleda-Alvarez
- Research Institute of Environment and Livelihoods, Charles Darwin University, Casuarina, Darwin, NT, 0810, Australia.
| | - Hannah Cliff
- Indigenous Desert Alliance, 587 Newcastle St, West Perth, WA, 6005, Australia.
| | - Gareth Catt
- Indigenous Desert Alliance, 587 Newcastle St, West Perth, WA, 6005, Australia.
| | - Jarrad Holmes
- Indigenous Desert Alliance, 587 Newcastle St, West Perth, WA, 6005, Australia; PEC Consultants (People, Environment, Carbon), Lake Barrine, Qld, 4884, Australia.
| | - Neil Burrows
- Neil Burrows, FireNinti, 21 Sandra Way, Rossmoyne, WA, 6148, Australia.
| | - Rachel Paltridge
- Indigenous Desert Alliance, 587 Newcastle St, West Perth, WA, 6005, Australia.
| | - Jeremy Russell-Smith
- Research Institute of Environment and Livelihoods, Charles Darwin University, Casuarina, Darwin, NT, 0810, Australia.
| | | | - Peter See
- Country Needs People, Level 9, 121 Marcus Clarke Street, Canberra City, ACT, 2601, Australia.
| | - Sarah Legge
- Research Institute of Environment and Livelihoods, Charles Darwin University, Casuarina, Darwin, NT, 0810, Australia; Fenner School of Environment and Society, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, 2602, Australia.
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Tudor EP, Lewandrowski W, Tomlinson S. Integrating animal physiology into the adaptive management of restored landscapes. ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2023:10.1007/s00267-023-01800-5. [PMID: 36781454 PMCID: PMC10372129 DOI: 10.1007/s00267-023-01800-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2022] [Accepted: 01/31/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Global-scale ecological changes and intensifying habitat destruction and have caused alarming declines in wildlife populations, resulting in a great need for concerted efforts towards their conservation. Despite this, animals are frequently overlooked in restoration and management initiatives and therefore populations often do not reassemble following disturbance without re-establishing habitat that meets their abiotic and biotic requirements. However, restoration ecologists broadly lack insight into the physiological mechanisms that can govern the responses of fauna to environmental change and management. Therefore, we conducted a literature search for studies reporting a mechanistic understanding of faunal habitat suitability and selection in restored landscapes to deliver an updated perspective on the integration of animal ecophysiology and restoration ecology. Of the 75,442 studies that we identified discussing ecological restoration in the last 50 years, only 8,627 (11.4%) did so in the context of fauna from which 912 studies (1.2%) examined habitat selection, 35 studies (0.05%) integrated physiology and only 15 studies (0.02%) explored thermal biology, despite temperature being one of the most pervasive drivers of physiological functioning. To combat this, we developed a conceptual framework that can guide restoration ecophysiology and promote innovative, multidisciplinary research through an established adaptive management structure. While physiological tools and approaches are currently underutilised in restoration practice, integrating them into ecological restoration, and environmental management more broadly, will offer exciting new opportunities to describe, explain and predict the responses of fauna to environmental change occurring, and that yet to come.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily P Tudor
- School of Molecular and Life Sciences, Curtin University, Bentley, WA, 6102, Australia.
- Kings Park Science, Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions, Kattidj Close, Kings Park, WA, 6005, Australia.
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA, 6009, Australia.
| | - Wolfgang Lewandrowski
- Kings Park Science, Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions, Kattidj Close, Kings Park, WA, 6005, Australia
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA, 6009, Australia
| | - Sean Tomlinson
- School of Molecular and Life Sciences, Curtin University, Bentley, WA, 6102, Australia
- Kings Park Science, Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions, Kattidj Close, Kings Park, WA, 6005, Australia
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, 5005, Australia
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Cross SL, Bradley HS, Tudor EP, Craig MD, Tomlinson S, Bamford MJ, Bateman PW, Cross AT. A life‐of‐mine approach to fauna monitoring is critical for recovering functional ecosystems to restored landscapes. Restor Ecol 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/rec.13540] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Sophie L. Cross
- ARC Centre for Mine Site Restoration, School of Molecular and Life Sciences Curtin University Kent Street, Bentley WA 6102 Australia
| | - Holly S. Bradley
- ARC Centre for Mine Site Restoration, School of Molecular and Life Sciences Curtin University Kent Street, Bentley WA 6102 Australia
| | - Emily P. Tudor
- School of Molecular and Life Sciences Curtin University Kent Street, Bentley WA 6102 Australia
| | - Michael D. Craig
- School of Biological Sciences University of Western Australia Stirling Highway, Nedlands WA 6009 Australia
- Environmental and Conservation Sciences Murdoch University South Street, Murdoch WA 6150 Australia
| | - Sean Tomlinson
- ARC Centre for Mine Site Restoration, School of Molecular and Life Sciences Curtin University Kent Street, Bentley WA 6102 Australia
- School of Biological Sciences University of Adelaide North Terrace, Adelaide SA 5000 Australia
| | - Michael J. Bamford
- School of Biological Sciences University of Western Australia Stirling Highway, Nedlands WA 6009 Australia
- Bamford Consulting Ecologists 23 Plover Way, Kingsley WA 6026 Australia
| | - Philip W. Bateman
- School of Molecular and Life Sciences Curtin University Kent Street, Bentley WA 6102 Australia
| | - Adam T. Cross
- ARC Centre for Mine Site Restoration, School of Molecular and Life Sciences Curtin University Kent Street, Bentley WA 6102 Australia
- EcoHealth Network 1330 Beacon St, Suite 355a, Brookline MA 02446 U.S.A
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Tomlinson S, Tudor EP, Turner SR, Cross S, Riviera F, Stevens J, Valliere J, Lewandrowski W. Leveraging the value of conservation physiology for ecological restoration. Restor Ecol 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/rec.13616] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Sean Tomlinson
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Adelaide, North Terrace Adelaide South Australia 5000 Australia
- School of Molecular and Life Sciences, Curtin University Bentley Western Australia 6102 Australia
- Kings Park Science, Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions Kings Park, Western Australia 6005 Australia
| | - Emily P. Tudor
- School of Molecular and Life Sciences, Curtin University Bentley Western Australia 6102 Australia
- Kings Park Science, Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions Kings Park, Western Australia 6005 Australia
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Western Australia Crawley Western Australia 6009 Australia
| | - Shane R. Turner
- Kings Park Science, Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions Kings Park, Western Australia 6005 Australia
- ARC Centre for Mine Site Restoration, School of Molecular and Life Sciences, Curtin University Bentley WA 6102 Australia
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Western Australia Crawley Western Australia 6009 Australia
| | - Sophie Cross
- ARC Centre for Mine Site Restoration, School of Molecular and Life Sciences, Curtin University Bentley WA 6102 Australia
| | - Fiamma Riviera
- ARC Centre for Mine Site Restoration, School of Molecular and Life Sciences, Curtin University Bentley WA 6102 Australia
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Western Australia Crawley Western Australia 6009 Australia
| | - Jason Stevens
- Kings Park Science, Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions Kings Park, Western Australia 6005 Australia
- ARC Centre for Mine Site Restoration, School of Molecular and Life Sciences, Curtin University Bentley WA 6102 Australia
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Western Australia Crawley Western Australia 6009 Australia
| | - Justin Valliere
- Department of Biology California State University Dominguez Hills Carson California 90747 US
| | - Wolfgang Lewandrowski
- Kings Park Science, Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions Kings Park, Western Australia 6005 Australia
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Western Australia Crawley Western Australia 6009 Australia
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Cross SL, Craig MD, Tomlinson S, Dixon KW, Bateman PW. Using monitors to monitor ecological restoration: Presence may not indicate persistence. AUSTRAL ECOL 2020. [DOI: 10.1111/aec.12905] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Sophie L. Cross
- ARC Centre for Mine Site Restoration; School of Molecular and Life Sciences; Curtin University; Kent Street Bentley Perth WA 6102 Australia
| | - Michael D. Craig
- School of Biological Sciences; University of Western Australia; Crawley WA Australia
- School of Veterinary and Life Sciences; Murdoch University; Murdoch WA Australia
| | - Sean Tomlinson
- ARC Centre for Mine Site Restoration; School of Molecular and Life Sciences; Curtin University; Kent Street Bentley Perth WA 6102 Australia
| | - Kingsley W. Dixon
- ARC Centre for Mine Site Restoration; School of Molecular and Life Sciences; Curtin University; Kent Street Bentley Perth WA 6102 Australia
| | - Philip W. Bateman
- Behavioural Ecology Laboratory; School of Molecular and Life Sciences; Curtin University; Bentley Perth WA Australia
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