Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item:
https://hdl.handle.net/1959.11/12394
Title: | The bark of eucalypt trees: habitat quality for arthropods and impact of fire | Contributor(s): | Croft, Peter (author); Reid, Nick (author) ; Hunter, John T (author) | Publication Date: | 2012 | Handle Link: | https://hdl.handle.net/1959.11/12394 | Abstract: | The bark of eucalypt trees is a significant habitat attribute of forests and woodlands, with different bark types supporting varying populations of invertebrate and vertebrate fauna. Bark also contributes to fuel load in wildfires and hazard reduction burning, with a concomitant loss of habitat and modification of habitat resources. We compared the composition and abundance of tree trunk invertebrates inhabiting four eucalypt bark types and determined the impact of burning the bark on population abundance and community composition. Trees of four bark types (gum, box, stringy bark, iron bark) were selected at three sites and arthropod traps placed on burnt and unburnt trees of each type. Traps were left in place for 12 days and arthropod preferences for the four bark types (burnt and unburnt) were analysed. The total number of arthropods differed between bark types, with stringy bark and iron bark supporting the largest numbers of invertebrates and the most diverse communities. Burnt stringy bark and gum bark had reduced arthropod abundance compared to unburnt bark. The study highlights an ecological consequence of fire on an aspect of invertebrate habitat, with flow-on effects for vertebrates, that should be considered in fire management, as greater areas of land are subject to frequent hazard reduction burning in eastern Australia. | Publication Type: | Journal Article | Source of Publication: | Pacific Conservation Biology, 18(3), p. 186-193 | Publisher: | Surrey Beatty & Sons | Place of Publication: | Australia | ISSN: | 2204-4604 1038-2097 |
Fields of Research (FoR) 2008: | 050202 Conservation and Biodiversity | Fields of Research (FoR) 2020: | 410401 Conservation and biodiversity | Socio-Economic Objective (SEO) 2008: | 820104 Native Forests | Socio-Economic Objective (SEO) 2020: | 260204 Native forests | Peer Reviewed: | Yes | HERDC Category Description: | C1 Refereed Article in a Scholarly Journal | Publisher/associated links: | http://pcb.murdoch.edu.au/toc/pcb_contents_v18.html#issue3 |
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Appears in Collections: | Journal Article School of Environmental and Rural Science |
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