Free Standard AU & NZ Shipping For All Book Orders Over $80!
Register      Login
Wildlife Research Wildlife Research Society
Ecology, management and conservation in natural and modified habitats
Shopping Cart: ( empty )
You are here: Home > Journals > WR > WR08086
RESEARCH ARTICLE
Contents Vol 36(2)

Small mammal populations in a eucalypt forest affected by fire and drought. I. Long-term patterns in an era of climate change

Harry F. Recher A E , Daniel Lunney B C and Alison Matthews B D
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations

A School of Natural Sciences, Edith Cowan University, Joondalup, WA 6027, Australia. Present address: PO Box 154, Brooklyn, NSW 2083, Australia.

B Department of Environment and Climate Change NSW, PO Box 1967, Hurstville, NSW 2220, Australia.

C School of Biosciences and Biotechnology, Murdoch University, Murdoch, WA 6150, Australia.

D Institute for Land, Water and Society, Charles Sturt University, PO Box 789, Albury, NSW 2640, Australia.

E Corresponding author. Email: hjrecher@bigpond.com

Wildlife Research 36(2) 143-158 https://doi.org/10.1071/WR08086
Submitted: 4 June 2008  Accepted: 29 September 2008   Published: 20 February 2009

Abstract

This paper reports a study of ground-dwelling, small mammals in coastal eucalypt forest in south-eastern Australia from 1970 through 2005. During this time, the study area burnt in an intense fire in December 1972 and was partially burnt in November 1980. Both fires were associated with prolonged drought. The mammals studied comprised two dasyurid marsupials, Antechinus agilis and A. swainsonii, two native murid rodents, Rattus fuscipes and R. lutreolus, and the introduced house mouse Mus musculus. After intensive sampling throughout the year from 1970 through 1972 to establish basic ecological and population parameters of the small mammal community, populations were sampled annually during late autumn and early winter before the onset of breeding. There were marked differences in the annual (autumn/winter) abundances of all species; numbers of A. agilis ranged from 4 to 142 individuals; A. swainsonii 0 to 43; R. fuscipes 4 to 54; R. lutreolus 0 to 11; M. musculus 0 to 23. Following the 1972 fire, numbers fell to the lowest level recorded during the study and each population subsequently disappeared from the plot between the 1973 and 1974 winter censuses. The less intense 1980 fire did not lead to extirpation, but numbers of A. agilis, A. swainsonii and R. fuscipes declined as drought conditions persisted through 1983. R. lutreolus occurred consistently only following the fires, when a grassy ground vegetation favoured by this species developed. Similarly, M. musculus colonised within two years of the fires and persisted on the plot for 3–4 years before disappearing. Following the fires, populations of the omnivorous R. fuscipes recovered first followed by the scansorial, insectivorous A. agilis and last by the fossorial, insectivorous A. swainsonii. Two primary conclusions emerged from this study. First, the intense fire of 1972 did not kill all the animals immediately, but led to the disappearance of each species from the plot over 18 months. Thus, intense fire had a delayed but catastrophic impact on small ground-dwelling mammals. The fluctuations in population levels, covering more than an order of magnitude, demonstrate that factors other than fire, such as rainfall and drought, drive the population dynamics of these small mammals. As stability and recovery are not features of local populations, long-term studies of benchmark populations are necessary to manage forest biodiversity.


Acknowledgements

We thank a great many people for assistance with the field work, particularly Bill O’Shea, and we also acknowledge Chris Belcher, Lyn Evans, Greg Gowing, Heimo Posamentier and Jay Settle for their contribution to the field program over the decades. We also acknowledge the help in the field of Paddy Lunney, Owen Lunney, Shaan Gresser, Greg Horrocks, Adele Reid, Peter Helman, Sue Churchill and Russell O’Shea. We are also grateful to the continuing assistance from past and present Service (now DECC) staff, particularly Allan Fox, David Hope, Kaylev Margus, Lyn Evans, Steve Dovey, Alan Jeffery, Marcus Sandford and Simon Loschiavo. Mike Calver, Chris Dickman, Peter Jarman and Ian Shannon commented on an early draft of the manuscript. Max Beukers of DECC is thanked for the GIS layers that enabled the map of the site to be prepared. The project was covered by the authority of the NSW NPWS, now DECC NSW, Animal Ethics Committee. Our research at Nadgee from 1969 to 1980 was funded by the Australian Museum and grants from the Ian Potter Foundation and the Australian Research Grants Commission to HFR. Since 1980, funding has been provided by the NSW NPWS, now DECC NSW and the NSW Environmental Trust (Research) to DL. Their support is gratefully acknowledged.


References

Anon. (1994). ‘Disaster Management.’ (Commonwealth of Australia: Canberra.)

Archer M. (Ed.) (1984). ‘Carnivorous Marsupials.’ (Surrey Beatty: Sydney.)

Armati P. J. , Dickman C. R. , and Hume I. D. (2006). ‘Marsupials.’ (Cambridge University Press: Cambridge.)

Baker A. , Diekman B. , and Sparks M. (Eds) (2003). ‘Bushfires: Managing the Risk.’ (Nature Conservation Council of NSW Inc.: Sydney.)

Banks S. C. , and Taylor A. C. (2004). Genetic analyses in fauna conservation: issues and applications to Australian forests. In ‘Conservation of Australia’s Forest Fauna’. 2nd edn. (Ed. D. Lunney.) pp. 576–590. (Royal Zoological Society of NSW: Sydney.)

Banks, S. C. , Finlayson, G. R. , Lawson, S. J. , Lindenmayer, D. B. , Paetkau, D. , Ward, S. J. , and Taylor, A. C. (2005a). The effects of habitat fragmentation on demography and genetic variation in a marsupial carnivore, Antechinus agilis. Biological Conservation 122, 581–597.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | Bradstock R. A. , Keith D. A. , and Auld T. D. (1995). Fire and conservation: imperatives and constraints on managing for diversity. In ‘Conserving Biodiversity: Threats and Solutions’. (Eds R. A. Bradstock, T. D. Auld, D. A. Keith, R. T. Kingsford, D. Lunney and D. Sivertsen.) pp. 323–332. (Surrey Beatty: Sydney.)

Bradstock R. A. , Williams J. E. , and Gill A. M. (Eds) (2002). ‘Flammable Australia: the Fire Regimes and Biodiversity of a Continent.’ (Cambridge University Press: Cambridge.)

Brown C. , and Tohver L. (Eds) (2000). ‘Bushfire: Looking to the Future.’ (Envirobook: Sydney.)

Bureau of Meteorology (1983). Drought Review, Australia. No. 148. March 1983. Bureau of Meteorology, Melbourne.

Calver, M. , and Dell, J. (1998). Conservation status of mammals and birds in southwestern Australian forests. II. Is there evidence of direct links between forestry practices and species decline and extinction? Pacific Conservation Biology 4, 315–325.
Cary G. , Lindenmayer D. , and Dovers S. (Eds) (2003). ‘Australia Burning: Fire Ecology, Policy and Management Issues.’ (CSIRO Publishing: Melbourne.)

Catling P. C. , and Newsome A. E. (1981). Response of the Australian vertebrate fauna to fire: an evolutionary approach. In ‘Fire and the Australian Biota’. (Eds A. M. Gill, R. H. Groves and I. R. Noble.) pp. 273–310. (Australian Academy of Science: Canberra.)

Australian Bureau of Meteorology (2007). ‘Climate Change in Australia: Technical Report 2007.’ (CSIRO Publishing: Melbourne.)

Dickman, C. R. (1989). Demographic responses of Antechinus stuartii (Marsupialia) to supplementary food. Australian Journal of Ecology 14, 387–398.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | Dickman C. R. (2007). ‘A Fragile Balance: the Extraordinary Story of Australian Marsupials.’ (Mallon Publishing: Melbourne.)

Dickman C. R. , and Steeves T. E. (2004). Use of habitat by mammals in eastern Australian forests: are common species important in forest management. In ‘Conservation of Australia’s Forest Fauna’. 2nd edn. (Ed. D. Lunney.) pp. 761–773. (Royal Zoological Society of NSW: Sydney.)

Dickman, C. R. , Lunney, D. , and Matthews, A. (2000). Ecological attributes and conservation of native rodents in New South Wales. Wildlife Research 27, 347–355.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | EPA (2000). ‘New South Wales State of the Environment 2000 Report.’ (Environment Protection Authority: Sydney.)

Fox, A. (1978). The 72 fire on Nadgee Nature Reserve. Parks and Wildlife 2, 5–24.
Fox B. J. (1996). Long-term studies of small-mammal communities from disturbed habitats in eastern Australia. In ‘Long-term Studies of Vertebrate Communities’. (Eds M. L. Cody and J. A. Smallwood.) pp. 467–501. (Academic Press: San Diego.)

Fox, B. J. , and McKay, G. M. (1981). Small mammal response to pyric successional changes in eucalypt forest. Australian Journal of Ecology 6, 29–41.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | Gill A. M. , Woinarski J. C. Z. , and York A. (1999). ‘Australia’s Biodiversity – Responses to Fire.’ (Department of Environment and Heritage: Canberra.)

Griffiths T. (2001). ‘Forests of Ash. An Environmental History.’ (Cambridge University Press: Melbourne.)

Hall, S. (1980). The diets of two coexisting species of Antechinus (Marsupialia: Dasyuridae). Australian Wildlife Research 7, 365–378.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | Jones M. , Dickman C. , and Archer M. (Eds). (2003). ‘Predators with Pouches: The Biology of Carnivorous Marsupials.’ (CSIRO Publishing: Melbourne.)

Keith, D. A. , and Bedward, M. (1999). Native vegetation of the South East Forests region, Eden, New South Wales. Cunninghamia 6, 1–218.
Leonard B. (1972). The effect of fire upon selected small mammals and leaf litter fauna in sclerophyll forest in south east Australia. M.Sc. Thesis, Monash University, Melbourne.

Lindenmayer, D. B. , Cunningham, R. B. , and Peakall, R. (2005). The recovery of populations of bush rat Rattus fuscipes in forest fragments following major population reduction. Journal of Applied Ecology 42, 649–658.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | Lucas C. , Hennessy K. , Mills G. , and Bathols J. (2007). ‘Bushfire Weather in Southeast Australia: Recent Trends and Projected Climate Change Impacts.’ Consultancy report prepared for The Climate Institute of Australia, Bushfire CRC and Australian Bureau of Meteorology. CSIRO, Canberra.

Lunney D. (Ed.) (2004). ‘Conservation of Australia’s Forest Fauna.’ 2nd edn. (Royal Zoological Society of NSW: Sydney.)

Lunney D. (2008). Rattus fuscipes. In ‘The Mammals of Australia’. 3rd edn. (Ed. S. van Dyck and R. Strahan.) (Reed Books: Sydney.)

Lunney, D. , Cullis, B. , and Eby, P. (1987). Effects of logging and fire on small mammals in Mumbulla State Forest, near Bega, New South Wales. Australian Wildlife Research 14, 163–181.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | NPWS (1999). ‘NSW Biodiversity Strategy.’ (NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service: Sydney.)

Parrott, M. L. , Ward, S. J. , Temple-Smith, P. D. , and Selwood, L. (2007). Effects of drought on weight, survival and breeding success of agile antechinus (Antechinus agilis), dusky antechinus (A. swainsonii) and bush rats (Rattus fuscipes). Wildlife Research 34, 437–442.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | Pyne S. J. (1991). ‘Burning Bush. A Fire History of Australia.’ (Henry Holt and Co.: New York.)

Recher H. F. , and Christensen P. E. (1981). Fire and the evolution of the Australian biota. In ‘Ecological Biogeography of Australia. Vol. 1’. (Ed. A. Keast.) pp. 137–162. (W. Junk: The Hague.)

Recher, H. F. , Lunney, D. , and Posamentier, H. (1975). A grand natural experiment. The Nadgee wildfire. Australian Natural History 18, 154–163.
Recher H. F. , Lunney D. , and Posamentier H. (1978). Effects of wildfire on small mammals at Nadgee Nature Reserve, New South Wales. In ‘Proceedings of the 3rd Fire Ecology Symposium, Monash University and Forests Commission Victoria’. pp. 30–36. (Forests Commission of Victoria: Melbourne.)

Recher, H. F. , Majer, J. D. , and Ganeshanandam, S. (1996a). Seasonality of canopy invertebrate communities in eucalypt forests of eastern and western Australia. Australian Journal of Ecology 21, 64–80.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | Sutherland E. F. , Lunney D. , Matthews A. , and Recher H. F. (2004). Post-fire observations of the eastern pygmy possum Cercartetus nanus in Nadgee Nature Reserve and Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park New South Wales. In ‘The Biology of Australian Possums and Gliders’. (Eds R. L. Goldingay and S. M. Jackson.) pp. 230–236. (Surrey Beatty: Sydney.)

Tasker E. M. , and Dickman C. R. (2004). Small mammal community composition in relation to cattle grazing and associated burning in eucalypt forests of the Northern Tablelands of New South Wales. In ‘Conservation of Australia’s Forest Fauna’. 2nd edn. (Ed. D. Lunney.) pp. 721–740. (Royal Zoological Society of NSW: Sydney.)

Tyndale-Biscoe H. (2005). ‘Life of Marsupials.’ 2nd edn. (CSIRO Publishing: Melbourne.)

Wettenhall R. L. (1975). ‘Bushfire Disaster.’ (Angus and Robertson: Sydney.)

Whelan R. J. (1995). ‘The Ecology of Fire.’ (Cambridge University Press: Cambridge.)

Williams J. E. and Gill A. M. (1995). ‘The Impact of Fire Regimes on Native Forests in Eastern New South Wales.’ (NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service: Sydney.)

Wilson B. A. (1996). Fire effects on vertebrate fauna and implications for fire management and conservation. In ‘Fire and Biodiversity: the Effectiveness of Fire Management’. Biodiversity Series, Paper No. 8. pp. 131–147. (Department of Environment, Sport and Territories: Canberra.)

Wilson, B. A. , and Friend, G. R. (1999). Responses of Australian mammals to disturbance: a review. Australian Mammalogy 21, 87–105.
York A. (1999). Long-term effects of repeated prescribed burning on forest invertebrates: management implications for the conservation of biodiversity. In ‘Australia’s Biodiversity – Responses to Fire’. (Eds A. M. Gill, J. C. Z. Woinarski and A. York.) pp. 181–266. (Department of Environment and Heritage: Canberra.)