Invertebrate community succession following fire in buttongrass moorlands

Buttongrass moorlands dominate the landscape of western Tasmania and the ecosystem is recognised as having world heritage value. The vegetation is highly flammable and was probably frequently burnt by Aborigines prior to European settlement. Land managers are increasingly using fire in buttongrass moorland to prevent a build-up of fuel loads to avoid catastrophic fires that could destroy fire sensitive ecosystems (as has happened in the past), as well as life and property. Little is known about the effects of fire on fauna in buttongrass moorlands and this study investigates the effects of low intensity fires (<500kW/m) on invertebrates using two complimentary experimental designs: (1) site-scale, replicated BACI design with up to three years of pre-burn data and up to seven years post-burn data, and (2) landscape-scale, replicated space-for-time substitutions aimed at providing insights into the effects of fire over longer time scales (1-54 yrs).