Mosaic Map: NRM funded projects
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Managing fire on Kangaroo Island
2006 experimental burn site on Hog Bay Road
Tates Grass Trees regrowing after fire
David Taylor (project officer) at 2004 experimental burn site
While fire can be destructive, it can also help spread new life – as long as it hits the right place at the right time.
That's why the Kangaroo Island Natural Resources Management Board has been taking a very close look at fire patterns across the island.
“Kangaroo Island still has a significant amount of native vegetation, and over the years, we have had sizeable fires,” Jeanette Gellard, Kangaroo Island Natural Resources Management Board General Manager said “But there was a concern we had not always managed fires in the optimum way for biodiversity.
“Historically, the focus of fire management has been on the protection of life and property which is incredibly important. But this project has enabled us to investigate the most appropriate fire management techniques that also focus on what is best for our vegetation.”
Funding
To help with this endeavour, the Australian Government has provided the Kangaroo Island Natural Resources Management Board with more than $250,000. Support was also provided by the South Australian Department for Environment and Heritage, Kangaroo Island Council, the South Australian Country Fire Service, local botanists and the community.
Activities
The Board set out to map the island in terms of fuel hazards, types of vegetation, and fire history.
“We conducted surveys to understand how much fuel was in each area, and identified vegetation association and age structures across the island,” Jeanette said.
Many species of Australian plants need fire to regenerate, so an important aspect of the project involved studying the relationship between fire and plant species on the island.
“If fire occurs too frequently, the seed bank is lost over time, and if it's too long between fires, the vegetation can become very old and dominated by just a few species, rather than many,” Jeanette said.
“So we determined what vegetation associations needed fire and how often.”
Achievements
Having combined all this information into a fire management plan, currently being finalised, the Kangaroo Island community will in the future have a much easier task in managing fire.
“Using the information we uncovered, we were able to determine the timeframe in which fire should go through each area,” Jeanette said.
“We have identified areas which should be managed for fire exclusion because fire had hit them too recently, and areas that would benefit from prescribed burning.”
More information
- Jeanette Gellard, Kangaroo Island Natural Resource Management Board General Manager: (08) 8553 0111 or gellard.jeanette@bigpond.com
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