Fire on a tropical floodplain: a fine-scale fire history of coastal floodplains in the Northern Territory, Australia
Robin Leppitt A B * , Jay Evans A C D , Luke Einoder A E , Peter M. Kyne A , John C. Z. Woinarski A B and Stephen T. Garnett A B
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations
A Research Institute for the Environment and Livelihoods, Charles Darwin University, Darwin, NT 0909, Australia.
B Threatened Species Recovery Hub, National Environmental Science Program, Australia.
C Darwin Centre for Bushfire Research, Research Institute for Environment and Livelihoods, Charles Darwin University, Darwin, NT 0909, Australia.
D Bushfire and Natural Hazards Cooperative Research Centre, East Melbourne, Vic. 3002, Australia.
E Kakadu National Park, Jabiru, NT 0886, Australia.
* Correspondence to: robin.leppitt@gmail.com
International Journal of Wildland Fire 32(8) 1200-1211 https://doi.org/10.1071/WF22173
Submitted: 4 August 2022 Accepted: 16 May 2023 Published: 20 June 2023
© 2023 The Author(s) (or their employer(s)). Published by CSIRO Publishing on behalf of IAWF. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License (CC BY-NC-ND)
Abstract
Background: The coastal floodplains of northern Australia are fire-prone, but the impact of fire on floodplain biota is not well understood.
Aims: In this study, we sought to characterise the fire history of six adjacent floodplains in coastal Northern Territory, Australia.
Methods: We built a fine-scale 31-year fire history (1988–2018) to compare fire regimes on floodplains across land tenures and floodplain fire regimes with the surrounding savanna fire regime, determine the extent to which current fire regimes are meeting existing ecological fire thresholds, and investigate the relationship between rainfall totals and the extent of burning.
Key results: Floodplains in conservation reserves burnt more frequently than those on pastoral lands, and savannas burnt more often than floodplains. Current floodplain fire regimes comfortably meet existing ecological fire thresholds. The proportion of floodplain burning is inversely proportional to the amount of rain in the previous wet season.
Conclusions: Floodplain fire regimes vary markedly between land-use types, and floodplain fire regimes differ to those of savannas. The current management thresholds for floodplain fire regimes would benefit from further evidence of conservation outcomes.
Implications: For more effective floodplain fire management, research is needed to generate floodplain-specific thresholds that best conserve their considerable conservation value.
Keywords: fire, fire management, floodplain, invasive grasses, Kakadu National Park, northern Australia, traditional burning, tropics.
References
Andersen AN, Braithwaite RW, Cook GD, Corbett LK, Williams RJ, Douglas MM, Gill AM, Setterfield SA, Muller WJ (1998) Fire research for conservation management in tropical savannas: introducing the Kapalga fire experiment. Australian Journal of Ecology 23, 95–110.| Fire research for conservation management in tropical savannas: introducing the Kapalga fire experiment.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Andersen AN, Cook GD, Corbett LK, Douglas MM, Eager RW, Russell-Smith J, Setterfield SA, Williams RJ, Woinarski JCZ (2005) Fire frequency and biodiversity conservation in Australian tropical savannas: implications from the Kapalga fire experiment. Austral Ecology 30, 155–167.
| Fire frequency and biodiversity conservation in Australian tropical savannas: implications from the Kapalga fire experiment.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Andersen AN, Woinarski JCZ, Parr CL (2012) Savanna burning for biodiversity: fire management for faunal conservation in Australian tropical savannas. Austral Ecology 37, 658–667.
| Savanna burning for biodiversity: fire management for faunal conservation in Australian tropical savannas.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Archibald S, Nickless A, Govender N, Scholes RJ, Lehsten V (2010) Climate and the inter‐annual variability of fire in southern Africa: a meta‐analysis using long‐term field data and satellite‐derived burnt area data. Global Ecology and Biogeography 19, 794–809.
| Climate and the inter‐annual variability of fire in southern Africa: a meta‐analysis using long‐term field data and satellite‐derived burnt area data.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Australian Government (2016) ‘Kakadu National Park Management Plan 2016 - 2026.’ (Director of National Parks: Canberra, ACT)
Bayliss P, Yeomans K (1990) Seasonal distribution and abundance of Magpie Geese, Anseranas semipalmata Latham, in the Northern Territory, and their relationship to habitat, 1983-86. Wildlife Research 17, 15–38.
| Seasonal distribution and abundance of Magpie Geese, Anseranas semipalmata Latham, in the Northern Territory, and their relationship to habitat, 1983-86.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Bowman DMJS, Fensham RJ (1991) Response of a monsoon forest‐savanna boundary to fire protection, Weipa, northern Australia. Australian Journal of Ecology 16, 111–118.
| Response of a monsoon forest‐savanna boundary to fire protection, Weipa, northern Australia.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Bowman DMJS, Panton WJ (1993) Decline of Callitris intratropica RT Baker & HG Smith in the Northern Territory: implications for pre-and post-European colonization fire regimes. Journal of Biogeography 20, 373–381.
| Decline of Callitris intratropica RT Baker & HG Smith in the Northern Territory: implications for pre-and post-European colonization fire regimes.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Bowman DMJS, Williamson GJ, Johnston FH, Bowman CJW, Murphy BP, Roos CI, Trauernicht C, Rostron J, Prior LD (2022) Population collapse of a Gondwanan conifer follows the loss of Indigenous fire regimes in a northern Australian savanna. Scientific Reports 12, 9081
| Population collapse of a Gondwanan conifer follows the loss of Indigenous fire regimes in a northern Australian savanna.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Boyden J, Bayliss P, Kennett R, Christophersen P, Lawson V, McGregor S, Begg G (2003) ‘Vegetation change analysis on Boggy Plain, South Alligator River, using remote sensing: Report on preliminary analyses.’ (Australian Government, Department of the Environment and Heritage, Supervising Scientist: Darwin, NT)
Campbell HA, Loewensteiner DA, Murphy BP, Pittard S, McMahon CR (2021) Seasonal movements and site utilisation by Asian water buffalo (Bubalus bubalis) in tropical savannas and floodplains of northern Australia. Wildlife Research 48, 230–239.
| Seasonal movements and site utilisation by Asian water buffalo (Bubalus bubalis) in tropical savannas and floodplains of northern Australia.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Cowie ID, Short PS, Madsen MO (2000) ‘Floodplain flora: A flora of the coastal floodplains of the Northern Territory, Australia.’ (Australian Biological Resources Study: Darwin, Australia)
Crowley G, Garnett S, Shephard S (2009) Impact of storm‐burning on Melaleuca viridiflora invasion of grasslands and grassy woodlands on Cape York Peninsula, Australia. Austral Ecology 34, 196–209.
| Impact of storm‐burning on Melaleuca viridiflora invasion of grasslands and grassy woodlands on Cape York Peninsula, Australia.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Douglas MM, O’Connor RA (2004) Weed invasion changes fuel characteristics: para grass (Urochloa mutica (Forssk.) TQ Nguyen) on a tropical floodplain. Ecological Management & Restoration 5, 143–145.
| Weed invasion changes fuel characteristics: para grass (Urochloa mutica (Forssk.) TQ Nguyen) on a tropical floodplain.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Dyer R, Jacklyn PM, Partridge I, Russell-Smith J, Williams R (2001) ‘Savanna burning: understanding and using fire in northern Australia.’ (Tropical Savannas CRC: Darwin)
Edwards A, Kennett R, Price O, Russell-Smith J, Spiers G, Woinarski J (2003) Monitoring the impacts of fire regimes on vegetation in northern Australia: an example from Kakadu National Park. International Journal of Wildland Fire 12, 427–440.
| Monitoring the impacts of fire regimes on vegetation in northern Australia: an example from Kakadu National Park.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
ESRI (2015) ‘ArcMap 10.4.’ (ESRI: Redlands, CA)
Evans J, Russell-Smith J (2020) Delivering effective savanna fire management for defined biodiversity conservation outcomes: an Arnhem Land case study. International Journal of Wildland Fire 29, 386–400.
| Delivering effective savanna fire management for defined biodiversity conservation outcomes: an Arnhem Land case study.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Finlayson CM (2005) Plant ecology of Australia’s tropical floodplain wetlands: a review. Annals of Botany 96, 541–555.
| Plant ecology of Australia’s tropical floodplain wetlands: a review.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Finlayson CM, Lowry J, Bellio MG, Nou S, Pidgeon R, Walden D, Humphrey C, Fox G (2006) Biodiversity of the wetlands of the Kakadu Region, northern Australia. Aquatic Sciences 68, 374–399.
| Biodiversity of the wetlands of the Kakadu Region, northern Australia.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Franklin DC, Whitehead PJ, Pardon G, Matthews J, McMahon P, McIntyre D (2005) Geographic patterns and correlates of the decline of granivorous birds in northern Australia. Wildlife Research 32, 399–408.
| Geographic patterns and correlates of the decline of granivorous birds in northern Australia.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Fraser BF, Lawson V, Morrison S, Christophersen P, McGreggor S, Rawlinson M (2003) Fire management experiment for the declining partridge pigeon, Kakadu National Park. Ecological Management & Restoration 4, 94–102.
| Fire management experiment for the declining partridge pigeon, Kakadu National Park.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Gill A, Ryan P, Moore P, Gibson M (2000) Fire regimes of World Heritage Kakadu National Park, Australia. Austral Ecology 25, 616–625.
| Fire regimes of World Heritage Kakadu National Park, Australia.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Grice T, Nicholas M, Williams P, Collins E (2010) Using fire to manage para grass in wetlands: a Queensland case study. In ‘Kakadu National Park Landscape Symposia Series 2007–2009 Symposium 3: Fire management’, 23–24 April 2008. (Kakadu National Park)
Haynes CD (1985) The pattern and ecology of munwag: Traditional Aboriginal fire regimes in north-central Arnhemland [Northern Territory] [Conference Paper]. In ‘Proceedings of the Ecological Society of Australia’, Australia. (Darwin Institute of Technology)
Heim RJ, Hölzel N, Heinken T, Kamp J, Thomas A, Darman GF, Smirenski SM, Heim W (2019) Post-burn and long-term fire effects on plants and birds in floodplain wetlands of the Russian Far East. Biodiversity and Conservation 28, 1611–1628.
| Post-burn and long-term fire effects on plants and birds in floodplain wetlands of the Russian Far East.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Heinl M, Neuenschwander A, Sliva J, Vanderpost C (2006) Interactions between fire and flooding in a southern African floodplain system (Okavango Delta, Botswana). Landscape Ecology 21, 699–709.
| Interactions between fire and flooding in a southern African floodplain system (Okavango Delta, Botswana).Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Heinl M, Frost P, Vanderpost C, Sliva J (2007) Fire activity on drylands and floodplains in the southern Okavango Delta, Botswana. Journal of Arid Environments 68, 77–87.
| Fire activity on drylands and floodplains in the southern Okavango Delta, Botswana.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Kleindl WJ, Rains MC, Marshall LA, Hauer FR (2015) Fire and flood expand the floodplain shifting habitat mosaic concept. Freshwater Science 34, 1366–1382.
| Fire and flood expand the floodplain shifting habitat mosaic concept.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Kruskal WH, Wallis WA (1952) Use of ranks in one-criterion variance analysis. Journal of the American Statistical Association 47, 583–621.
| Use of ranks in one-criterion variance analysis.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Leppitt R, Einoder L, Kyne PM, Woinarski JCZ, Garnett S (2022) Understanding habitat use of the Endangered Alligator Rivers Yellow Chat Epthianura crocea tunneyi to inform monitoring and management. Bird Conservation International 32, 423–438.
| Understanding habitat use of the Endangered Alligator Rivers Yellow Chat Epthianura crocea tunneyi to inform monitoring and management.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Lonsdale WM, Miller IL (1993) Fire as a management tool for a tropical woody weed: Mimosa pigra in Northern Australia. Journal of Environmental Management 39, 77–87.
| Fire as a management tool for a tropical woody weed: Mimosa pigra in Northern Australia.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
López García MJ, Caselles V (1991) Mapping burns and natural reforestation using Thematic Mapper data. Geocarto International 6, 31–37.
| Mapping burns and natural reforestation using Thematic Mapper data.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Lucas D, Gapindi M, Russell-Smith J (1997) Cultural perspectives of the South Alligator River floodplain: continuity and change. In ‘Tracking Knowledge in Northern Australian Landscapes’. (Eds DB Rose, A Clarke) pp. 120–140. (Northern Australian Research Unit: Darwin)
Madsen T, Ujvari B, Shine R, Buttemer W, Olsson M (2006a) Size matters: extraordinary rodent abundance on an Australian tropical flood plain. Austral Ecology 31, 361–365.
| Size matters: extraordinary rodent abundance on an Australian tropical flood plain.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Madsen T, Ujvari B, Shine R, Olsson M (2006b) Rain, rats and pythons: Climate‐driven population dynamics of predators and prey in tropical Australia. Austral Ecology 31, 30–37.
| Rain, rats and pythons: Climate‐driven population dynamics of predators and prey in tropical Australia.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
McGregor S, Lawson V, Christophersen P, Kennett R, Boyden J, Bayliss P, Liedloff A, McKaige B, Andersen AN (2010) Indigenous wetland burning: conserving natural and cultural resources in Australia’s World Heritage-listed Kakadu National Park. Human Ecology 38, 721–729.
| Indigenous wetland burning: conserving natural and cultural resources in Australia’s World Heritage-listed Kakadu National Park.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Pereira JMC, Sá ACL, Sousa AMO, Silva JMN, Santos TN, Carreiras JMB (1999) Spectral characterisation and discrimination of burnt areas. In ‘Remote sensing of large wildfires’. (Ed. E Chuvieco) pp. 123–138. (Springer: Berlin)
Petty AM, Werner PA, Lehmann CER, Riley JE, Banfai DS, Elliott LP (2007) Savanna responses to feral buffalo in Kakadu National Park, Australia. Ecological Monographs 77, 441–463.
| Savanna responses to feral buffalo in Kakadu National Park, Australia.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Pleniou M, Koutsias N (2013) Sensitivity of spectral reflectance values to different burn and vegetation ratios: A multi-scale approach applied in a fire affected area. ISPRS Journal of Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing 79, 199–210.
| Sensitivity of spectral reflectance values to different burn and vegetation ratios: A multi-scale approach applied in a fire affected area.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
R Core Team (2017) ‘R: A language and environment for statistical computing.’ (R Foundation for Statistical Computing: Vienna)
Roberts SJ (1993) Fire on the Gapalg (floodplain): contemporary aboriginal and other burning patterns in Kakadu National Park, northern Australia. Fire in wetlands: a management perspective. In ‘Proceeding of the Tall Timbers Fire Ecology Conference’. pp. 31–38. (Tall Timbers Research Station: Florida)
Robinson CJ, Whitehead P (2003) Cross-cultural management of pest animal damage: a case study of feral buffalo control in Australia’s Kakadu National Park. Environmental Management 32, 445–458.
| Cross-cultural management of pest animal damage: a case study of feral buffalo control in Australia’s Kakadu National Park.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Russell-Smith J, Edwards AC (2006) Seasonality and fire severity in savanna landscapes of monsoonal northern Australia. International Journal of Wildland Fire 15, 541–550.
| Seasonality and fire severity in savanna landscapes of monsoonal northern Australia.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Russell-Smith J, Ryan PG, Durieu R (1997) A LANDSAT MSS-Derived fire history of Kakadu National Park, monsoonal northern Australia, 1980–94: seasonal extent, frequency and patchiness. Journal of Applied Ecology 34, 748–766.
| A LANDSAT MSS-Derived fire history of Kakadu National Park, monsoonal northern Australia, 1980–94: seasonal extent, frequency and patchiness.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Russell-Smith J, Ryan PG, Klessa D, Waight G, Harwood R (1998) Fire regimes, fire‐sensitive vegetation and fire management of the sandstone Arnhem Plateau, monsoonal northern Australia. Journal of Applied Ecology 35, 829–846.
| Fire regimes, fire‐sensitive vegetation and fire management of the sandstone Arnhem Plateau, monsoonal northern Australia.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Russell-Smith J, Whitehead PJ, Cook GD, Hoare JL (2003) Response of Eucalyptus‐dominated savanna to frequent fires: lessons from Munmarlary, 1973–1996. Ecological Monographs 73, 349–375.
| Response of Eucalyptus‐dominated savanna to frequent fires: lessons from Munmarlary, 1973–1996.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Russell‐Smith J, Evans J, Edwards AC, Simms A (2017) Assessing ecological performance thresholds in fire‐prone Kakadu National Park, northern Australia. Ecosphere 8, e01856
| Assessing ecological performance thresholds in fire‐prone Kakadu National Park, northern Australia.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Sharp BR, Whittaker RJ (2003) The irreversible cattle‐driven transformation of a seasonally flooded Australian savanna. Journal of Biogeography 30, 783–802.
| The irreversible cattle‐driven transformation of a seasonally flooded Australian savanna.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Skeat AJ, East TJ, Corbett LK (1996) Impact of feral water buffalo. In ‘Landscape and Vegetation Ecology of the Kakadu Region, Northern Australia’. (Eds CM Finlayson, I Von Oertzen) pp. 155–177. (Kluwer Academic Publishers: Dordecht)
van Wilgen BW, Govender N, Smit IPJ, MacFadyen S (2014) The ongoing development of a pragmatic and adaptive fire management policy in a large African savanna protected area. Journal of Environmental Management 132, 358–368.
| The ongoing development of a pragmatic and adaptive fire management policy in a large African savanna protected area.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Wang L, Qu JJ (2007) NMDI: A normalized multi‐band drought index for monitoring soil and vegetation moisture with satellite remote sensing. Geophysical Research Letters 34, L20405
| NMDI: A normalized multi‐band drought index for monitoring soil and vegetation moisture with satellite remote sensing.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Wang L, Qu JJ (2009) Satellite remote sensing applications for surface soil moisture monitoring: A review. Frontiers of Earth Science in China 3, 237–247.
| Satellite remote sensing applications for surface soil moisture monitoring: A review.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Ward DP, Petty A, Setterfield SA, Douglas MM, Ferdinands K, Hamilton SK, Phinn S (2014) Floodplain inundation and vegetation dynamics in the Alligator Rivers region (Kakadu) of northern Australia assessed using optical and radar remote sensing. Remote Sensing of Environment 147, 43–55.
| Floodplain inundation and vegetation dynamics in the Alligator Rivers region (Kakadu) of northern Australia assessed using optical and radar remote sensing.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Werner PA (2014) The rise and fall of the Asian water buffalo in the monsoonal tropics of northern Australia. In ‘Invasion Biology and Ecological Theory: Insights from a Continent in Transformation’. (Eds HHT Prins, IJ Gordon) pp. 452–496. (Cambridge University Press: New York)
Woinarski JCZ, Legge S (2013) The impacts of fire on birds in Australia’s tropical savannas. Emu-Austral Ornithology 113, 319–352.
| The impacts of fire on birds in Australia’s tropical savannas.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Woinarski JCZ, Winderlich S (2014) A strategy for the conservation of threatened species and threatened ecological communities in Kakadu National Park | 2014-2024. (Kakadu National Park)
Woinarski JCZ, Tidemann SC, Kerin S (1988) Birds in a tropical mosaic - the distribution of bird species in relation to vegetation patterns. Wildlife Research 15, 171–196.
| Birds in a tropical mosaic - the distribution of bird species in relation to vegetation patterns.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Woinarski JCZ, Williams RJ, Price O, Rankmore B (2005) Landscapes without boundaries: wildlife and their environments in northern Australia. Wildlife Research 32, 377–388.
| Landscapes without boundaries: wildlife and their environments in northern Australia.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Woinarski JCZ, Legge S, Fitzsimons JA, Traill BJ, Burbidge AA, Fisher A, Firth RSC, Gordon IJ, Griffiths AD, Johnson CN, McKenzie NL, Palmer C, Radford I, Rankmore B, Ritchie EG, Ward S, Ziembicki M (2011) The disappearing mammal fauna of northern Australia: context, cause, and response. Conservation Letters 4, 192–201.
| The disappearing mammal fauna of northern Australia: context, cause, and response.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Woodroffe CD, Thom B, Chappell J, Wallensky E, Grindrod J (1987) Relative sea level in the South Alligator River region, north Australia, during the Holocene. Search (Sydney) 18, 198–200.
Xu H (2006) Modification of normalised difference water index (NDWI) to enhance open water features in remotely sensed imagery. International Journal of Remote Sensing 27, 3025–3033.
| Modification of normalised difference water index (NDWI) to enhance open water features in remotely sensed imagery.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Yates CP, Edwards AC, Russell-Smith J (2008) Big fires and their ecological impacts in Australian savannas: size and frequency matters. International Journal of Wildland Fire 17, 768–781.
| Big fires and their ecological impacts in Australian savannas: size and frequency matters.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
