MODIS time series as a tool for monitoring fires and their effects on savanna bird diversity
Noam Levin A E , Sarah Legge B , Bronwyn Price C D , Michiala Bowen C , Emily Litvack A , Martine Maron C and Clive McAlpine C
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations
A Department of Geography, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem 91905, Israel.
B Australian Wildlife Conservancy, Mornington Wildlife Sanctuary, PMB 925, Derby, WA 6728, Australia.
C The University of Queensland, Landscape Ecology and Conservation Group, Centre for Spatial Environmental Research, School of Geography, Planning and Environmental Management, Brisbane, Qld 4072, Australia.
D Forest and Parks Division, Department of Sustainability and Environment, Victoria, 3/8 Nicholson Street, East Melbourne, Vic. 3002, Australia.
E Corresponding author. Email: noamlevin@mscc.huji.ac.il
International Journal of Wildland Fire 21(6) 680-694 https://doi.org/10.1071/WF11031
Submitted: 27 February 2011 Accepted: 12 January 2012 Published: 27 June 2012
Abstract
In this study, we aimed to explore the effect of fires on bird diversity in Australia’s tropical savannas. Bird surveys were conducted at 69 sites between 2005 and 2007 to estimate bird species richness and abundance within the Mornington Sanctuary, the Kimberley, north-west Australia. We used MODIS (Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer) and Landsat satellite imagery to map fire scars and to quantify vegetation cover parameters, and QuickBird imagery to map the percentage tree cover. Bird species richness and abundance were higher in areas exhibiting minimum seasonal and interannual changes, e.g. in riparian areas, near water and where tree cover was high. We found a significant negative effect of fire on bird diversity following the extensive late dry-season fires of 2006. These findings support the view that intense and large fires are threatening biodiversity and reinforce the importance of reducing the occurrence of late dry-season fires, which are the most severe and extensive. MODIS satellite imagery was found to provide a cost-effective approach to monitoring savanna landscapes, assessing the state of vegetation and monitoring fire dynamics.
Additional keywords: biodiversity, fire scars, Landsat, NDVI, primary productivity, QuickBird.
References
Andersen A, Cook GD, Williams RJ (Eds) (2003) ‘Fire in Tropical Savannas: The Kapalga Experiment.’ Ecological Studies. (Springer-Verlag: New York)Andersen A, 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 |
Archer S, Schimel DS, Holland EA (1995) Mechanisms of shrubland expansion: land use, climate or CO2? Climatic Change 29, 91–99.
| Mechanisms of shrubland expansion: land use, climate or CO2?Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Bernstein LS, Adler-Golden SM, Sundberg RL, Levine RY, Perkins TC, Berk A, Ratkowski AJ, Hoke ML (2004) A new method for atmospheric correction and aerosol optical property retrieval for Vis-SWIR multi- and hyperspectral imaging sensors: QUAC (Quick Atmospheric Correction). In ‘IEEE International Geoscience and Remote Sensing Symposium Proceedings (25th) (IGARSS 2005)’, 25–29 July 2005, Seoul, South Korea. Available at http://www.dtic.mil/cgi-bin/GetTRDoc?AD=ADA452963 [Verified 29 May 2012]
Bino G, Levin N, Darawshi S, van der Hal N, Reich-Solomon A, Kark S (2008) Landsat-derived NDVI and spectral unmixing accurately predict bird species richness patterns in an urban landscape. International Journal of Remote Sensing 29, 3675–3700.
| Landsat-derived NDVI and spectral unmixing accurately predict bird species richness patterns in an urban landscape.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Bliege Bird RB, Bird DW, Codding BF, Parker CH, Jones JH (2008) The ‘fire stick farming’ hypothesis: Australian Aboriginal foraging strategies, biodiversity, and anthropogenic fire mosaics. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 105, 14 796–14 801.
| The ‘fire stick farming’ hypothesis: Australian Aboriginal foraging strategies, biodiversity, and anthropogenic fire mosaics.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 1:STN:280:DC%2BD1cnjsFCrsw%3D%3D&md5=57a426cb7ffea4e74c677f5214c44336CAS |
Boschetti L, Brivio PA, Eva H, Gallego J, Baraldi A, Grégoire JM (2006) A sampling method for the retrospective validation of global burned area products. IEEE Transactions on Geoscience and Remote Sensing 44, 1765–1773.
| A sampling method for the retrospective validation of global burned area products.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Bowman DMJS, Walsh A, Milne DJ (2001) Forest expansion and grassland contraction within a eucalyptus savanna matrix between 1941 and 1994 at Litchfield National Park in the Australian monsoon tropics. Global Ecology and Biogeography 10, 535–548.
| Forest expansion and grassland contraction within a eucalyptus savanna matrix between 1941 and 1994 at Litchfield National Park in the Australian monsoon tropics.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Bowman DMJS, Prior LDP, Williamson G (2010) The roles of statistical inference and historical sources in understanding landscape change: the case of feral buffalo in the freshwater floodplains of Kakadu National Park. Journal of Biogeography 37, 195–199.
| The roles of statistical inference and historical sources in understanding landscape change: the case of feral buffalo in the freshwater floodplains of Kakadu National Park.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Burnham KP, Anderson DR (2002) ‘Model Selection and Multi-model Inference: a Practical Information-theoretic Approach.’ 2nd edn (Springer: New York)
Cohen J (1960) A coefficient of agreement for nominal scales. Educational and Psychological Measurement 20, 37–46.
| A coefficient of agreement for nominal scales.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Connell JH (1978) Diversity in tropical rain forests and coral reefs. Science 199, 1302–1310.
| Diversity in tropical rain forests and coral reefs.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 1:STN:280:DC%2BC3cvmtVCnuw%3D%3D&md5=a54c7fed8566e6c3444d43e3b916ba73CAS |
Corbett LC, Andersen AN, Müller WJ (2003) Terrestrial vertebrates. In ‘Fire in Tropical Savannas: the Kapalga Experiment’. (Eds AN Andersen, GD Cook, RJ Williams) pp. 126–52. (Springer-Verlag: New York)
Davis MA, Peterson DW, Reich PB, Crozier M, Query T, Mitchell E, Huntington J, Bazakas P (2000) Restoring savanna using fire: impact on the breeding bird community. Restoration Ecology 8, 30–40.
| Restoring savanna using fire: impact on the breeding bird community.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Franklin DC (1999) Evidence of disarray amongst granivorous bird assemblages in the savannas of northern Australia, a region of sparse human settlement. Biological Conservation 90, 53–68.
| Evidence of disarray amongst granivorous bird assemblages in the savannas of northern Australia, a region of sparse human settlement.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 |
Gillespie TW, Foody GM, Rocchini D, Giorgi AP, Saatchi S (2008) Measuring and modelling biodiversity from space. Progress in Physical Geography 32, 203–221.
| Measuring and modelling biodiversity from space.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Gottschalk TK, Huettmann F, Ehlers M (2005) Thirty years of analysing and modelling avian habitat relationships using satellite imagery data: a review. International Journal of Remote Sensing 26, 2631–2656.
| Thirty years of analysing and modelling avian habitat relationships using satellite imagery data: a review.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Jones R (1969) Fire-stick farming. Australian Natural History 16, 224–228.
Kerr JT, Ostrovsky M (2003) From space to species: ecological applications for remote sensing. Trends in Ecology & Evolution 18, 299–305.
| From space to species: ecological applications for remote sensing.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Key CH, Benson NC (1999) Measuring and remote sensing of burn severity: the CBI and NBR. Poster abstract. In ‘Proceedings Joint Fire Science Conference and Workshop, Vol. II’, Boise, ID, 15–17 June 1999. (Eds LF Neuenschwander, KC Ryan) p. 284. (University of Idaho and International Association of Wildland Fire: Boise, ID)
Legge S, Murphy S, Heathcote J, Flaxman E, Augustyn J, Crossman M (2008) The short-term effects of an extensive and intense fire on vertebrate fauna in the tropical savannas of the Central Kimberley, northern Australia. Wildlife Research 35, 33–43.
| The short-term effects of an extensive and intense fire on vertebrate fauna in the tropical savannas of the Central Kimberley, northern Australia.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Legge S, Kingswood R, Swan D, Murphy S, Maher B (2009) EcoFire: prescribed burning program 2009. Report by Australian Wildlife Conservancy and Rangelands NRM (Natural Resource Management). Available at http://www.shapeourworld.com.au/_public/download/EcoFire_Ops_report_Aug_09_med_res.pdf [Verified 29 May 2012]
Legge S, Murphy S, Kingswood R, Swan D, Maher B (2010) EcoFire 2007–2009: central and north Kimberley fire pattern analysis. Report by Australian Wildlife Conservancy and Rangelands NRM (Natural Resource Management), report 20100514. Available at http://www.australianwildlife.org/images/file/Ecofire_09_report_20100514%5B1%5D.pdf [Verified 29 May 2012]
Legge S, Murphy S, Kingswood R, Maher B, Swan D (2011) EcoFire: restoring the biodiversity values of the Kimberley region by managing fire. Ecological Management & Restoration 12, 84–92.
| EcoFire: restoring the biodiversity values of the Kimberley region by managing fire.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Legge S, Webb, T, Swan D, Maher B, Lawler P (2012) EcoFire: 2004–2011 fire pattern analysis central and north Kimberley. Report by Australian Wildlife Conservancy and Rangelands NRM (Natural Resource Management). Available at http://www.austraianwildlife.org [Verified 12 June 2012]
Levin N, McAlpine C, Phinn S, Price B, Pullar D, Law B, Kavanagh RP (2009) Mapping forest patches and scattered trees from SPOT images and testing their ecological importance for woodland birds in a fragmented agricultural landscape. International Journal of Remote Sensing 30, 3147–3169.
| Mapping forest patches and scattered trees from SPOT images and testing their ecological importance for woodland birds in a fragmented agricultural landscape.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Lopez-Garcia 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 |
Miller JD, Thode AE (2007) Quantifying burn severity in a heterogeneous landscape with a relative version of the delta Normalized Burn Ratio (dNBR). Remote Sensing of Environment 109, 66–80.
| Quantifying burn severity in a heterogeneous landscape with a relative version of the delta Normalized Burn Ratio (dNBR).Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Mills MSL (2004) Bird community responses to savanna fires: should managers be concerned. South African Journal of Wildlife Research 34, 1–11.
Murphy SA, Legge SM, Heathcote J, Mulder E (2010) The effects of early and late-season fires on mortality, dispersal, physiology and breeding of red-backed fairy-wrens (Malurus melanocephalus). Wildlife Research 37, 145–155.
| The effects of early and late-season fires on mortality, dispersal, physiology and breeding of red-backed fairy-wrens (Malurus melanocephalus).Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Parr CL, Andersen AN (2006) Patch mosaic burning for biodiversity conservation: a critique of the pyrodiversity paradigm. Conservation Biology 20, 1610–1619.
| Patch mosaic burning for biodiversity conservation: a critique of the pyrodiversity paradigm.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Petty AM, Douglas MM (2010) Scale relationships and linkages between woody vegetation communities along a large tropical floodplain river, north Australia. Journal of Tropical Ecology 26, 79–92.
| Scale relationships and linkages between woody vegetation communities along a large tropical floodplain river, north Australia.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Price O, Edwards A, Connors G, Woinarski J, Ryan G, Turner A, Russell-Smith J (2005) Fire heterogeneity in Kakadu National Park: 1980–2000. Wildlife Research 32, 425–433.
| Fire heterogeneity in Kakadu National Park: 1980–2000.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Rocchini D, Balkenhol N, Carter GA, Foody GM, Gillespie TW, He KS, Kark S, Levin N, Lucas K, Luoto M, Nagendra H, Oldeland J, Ricotta C, Southworth J, Neteler M (2010) Remotely sensed spectral heterogeneity as a proxy of species diversity: recent advances and open challenges. Ecological Informatics 5, 318–329.
| Remotely sensed spectral heterogeneity as a proxy of species diversity: recent advances and open challenges.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Roy DP, Lewis PE, Justice CO (2002) Burned area mapping using multi-temporal moderate spatial resolution data – a bi-directional reflectance model-based expectation approach. Remote Sensing of Environment 83, 263–286.
| Burned area mapping using multi-temporal moderate spatial resolution data – a bi-directional reflectance model-based expectation approach.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Roy DP, Boschetti L, Ju J (2008) The Collection 5 MODIS burned area product – global evaluation by comparison with the MODIS active fire product. Remote Sensing of Environment 112, 3690–3707.
| The Collection 5 MODIS burned area product – global evaluation by comparison with the MODIS active fire product.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, Craig R, Gill AM, Smith R, Williams J (2002) Australian fire regimes: contemporary patterns (April 1998–March 2000) and changes since European settlement. Department of the Environment and Heritage, Australia State of the Environment Second Technical Paper Series (Biodiversity). (Canberra, ACT) Available at http://www.environment.gov.au/soe/2001/publications/technical/fire/index.html [Verified 29 May 2012]
Russell-Smith J, Yates C, Edwards A, Allan GE, Cook GD, Cooke P, Craig R, Heath B, Smith R (2003) Contemporary fire regimes of northern Australia, 1997–2001: change since Aboriginal occupancy, challenges for sustainable management. International Journal of Wildland Fire 12, 283–297.
| Contemporary fire regimes of northern Australia, 1997–2001: change since Aboriginal occupancy, challenges for sustainable management.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Sheuyange A, Oba G, Weladji RB (2005) Effects of anthropogenic fire history on savanna vegetation in north-eastern Namibia. Journal of Environmental Management 75, 189–198.
| Effects of anthropogenic fire history on savanna vegetation in north-eastern Namibia.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Tucker CJ (1979) Red and photographic infrared linear combinations for monitoring vegetation. Remote Sensing of Environment 8, 127–150.
| Red and photographic infrared linear combinations for monitoring vegetation.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Turner W, Spector S, Gardiner N, Flodeland M, Sterling E, Steininger M (2003) Remote sensing for biodiversity science and conservation. Trends in Ecology & Evolution 18, 306–314.
| Remote sensing for biodiversity science and conservation.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Vigilante T, Bowman DMJS, Fisher R, Russell-Smith J, Yates C (2004) Contemporary landscape burning patterns in the far North Kimberley region of north-west Australia: human influences and environmental determinants. Journal of Biogeography 31, 1317–1333.
| Contemporary landscape burning patterns in the far North Kimberley region of north-west Australia: human influences and environmental determinants.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Whitehead PJ, Bowman DMJS, Preece N, Fraser F, Cooke P (2003) Customary use of fire by indigenous peoples in northern Australia: its contemporary role in savanna management. International Journal of Wildland Fire 12, 415–425.
| Customary use of fire by indigenous peoples in northern Australia: its contemporary role in savanna management.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Williams RJ, Duff GA, Bowman DMJS, Cook GD (1996) Variation in the composition and structure of tropical savannas as a function of rainfall and soil texture along a large-scale climatic gradient in the Northern Territory, Australia. Journal of Biogeography 23, 747–756.
| Variation in the composition and structure of tropical savannas as a function of rainfall and soil texture along a large-scale climatic gradient in the Northern Territory, Australia.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Woinarski JCZ, Ash AJ (2002) Responses of vertebrates to pastoralism, military land use and landscape position in an Australian tropical savanna. Austral Ecology 27, 311–323.
| Responses of vertebrates to pastoralism, military land use and landscape position in an Australian tropical savanna.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Woinarski JCZ, Brock C, Fisher A, Milne D, Oliver B (1999) Response of birds and reptiles to fire regimes on pastoral land in the Victoria River District, Northern Territory. The Rangeland Journal 21, 24–38.
| Response of birds and reptiles to fire regimes on pastoral land in the Victoria River District, Northern Territory.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Woinarski JCZ, Brock C, Armstrong M, Hempel C, Cheal D, Brennan K (2000) Bird distribution in riparian vegetation in the extensive natural landscape of Australia’s tropical savanna: a broad-scale survey and analysis of a distributional database. Journal of Biogeography 27, 843–868.
| Bird distribution in riparian vegetation in the extensive natural landscape of Australia’s tropical savanna: a broad-scale survey and analysis of a distributional database.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Woinarski JCZ, Milne DJ, Wanganeen G (2001) Changes in mammal populations in relatively intact landscapes of Kakadu National Park, Northern Territory, Australia. Austral Ecology 26, 360–370.
| Changes in mammal populations in relatively intact landscapes of Kakadu National Park, Northern Territory, Australia.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Yibarbuk D, Whitehead PJ, Russell-Smith J, Jackson D, Godjuwa C, Fisher A, Cooke P, Choquenot D, Bowman DMJS (2001) Fire ecology and Aboriginal land management in central Arnhem Land, northern Australia: a tradition of ecosystem management. Journal of Biogeography 28, 325–343.
| Fire ecology and Aboriginal land management in central Arnhem Land, northern Australia: a tradition of ecosystem management.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Yu Q, Gong P, Clinton N, Biging G, Kelly M, Schirokauer D (2006) Object-based detailed vegetation classification with airborne high spatial resolution remote sensing imagery. Photogrammetric Engineering and Remote Sensing 72, 799–811.
