Fuel manipulation with herbicide treatments to reduce fire hazard in young pine (Pinus elliottii × P. caribaea) plantations in south-east Queensland, Australia
Tom Lewis A B C E and Joanne De Faveri D
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations
A Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, Agri-Science Queensland, University of the Sunshine Coast, Locked Bag 4, Maroochydore District Centre, Qld 4558, Australia.
B Environmental Futures Centre, Griffith University, Gold Coast Campus, PMB 50, Gold Coast Mail Centre, Qld 9726, Australia.
C University of the Sunshine Coast, Sippy Downs Drive, Sippy Downs, Qld 4556, Australia.
D Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, Agri-Science Queensland, Maroochy Research Station, PO Box 5083 Sunshine Coast Mail Centre, Nambour, Qld 4560, Australia.
E Corresponding author: Email: tom.lewis@daff.qld.gov.au
International Journal of Wildland Fire 21(8) 992-1003 https://doi.org/10.1071/WF11101
Submitted: 10 January 2011 Accepted: 20 March 2012 Published: 30 July 2012
Abstract
Wildfire represents a major risk to pine plantations. This risk is particularly great for young plantations (generally less than 10 m in height) where prescribed fire cannot be used to manipulate fuel biomass, and where flammable grasses are abundant in the understorey. We report results from a replicated field experiment designed to determine the effects of two rates of glyphosate (450 g L–1) application, two extents of application (inter-row only and inter-row and row) with applications being applied once or twice, on understorey fine fuel biomass, fuel structure and composition in south-east Queensland, Australia. Two herbicide applications (~9 months apart) were more effective than a once-off treatment for reducing standing biomass, grass continuity, grass height, percentage grass dry weight and the density of shrubs. In addition, the 6-L ha–1 rate of application was more effective than the 3-L ha–1 rate of application in periodically reducing grass continuity and shrub density in the inter-rows and in reducing standing biomass in the tree rows, and application in the inter-rows and rows significantly reduced shrub density relative to the inter-row-only application. Herbicide treatment in the inter-rows and rows is likely to be useful for managing fuels before prescribed fire in young pine plantations because such treatment minimised tree scorch height during prescribed burns. Further, herbicide treatments had no adverse effects on plantation trees, and in some cases tree growth was enhanced by treatments. However, the effectiveness of herbicide treatments in reducing the risk of tree damage or mortality under wildfire conditions remains untested.
Additional keywords: fuel loading, fuel structure, plantation management, plant composition, tree growth, wildfire risk.
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