Implications of altered fire regimes for birds of dry sclerophyll forest under climate change

Abstract

Climate change is driving increases in forest fire activity around the world. Consequently, recent and future research into the implications for affected biota, and its translation into policy and management, is of vital importance for the conservation of forest biodiversity. The dry sclerophyll forests of south-eastern Australia are affected by changing fire regimes, including having recently been extensively burnt. In this review, we synthesise contemporary research into the responses of dry sclerophyll forest birds to fire regimes, with a focus on contrasts in levels of time since fire, fire severity, fire frequency, and their interactions. We identify and discuss high-priority knowledge gaps and management issues in this domain. Recent studies have gained insights into the complexity of the effects of fire on birds by, for example, showing how avian fire responses are influenced by climate variability. In dry sclerophyll forests, most species that responded to time since fire were less likely to occur where it was short. There were mixed positive and negative responses to increasing fire severity and/or frequency among species in these forest bird assemblages. Given that quantification of the risk of extinction of rare and uncommon birds under increased fire activity is challenging, options for investigating their fire response are proposed. Availability of habitat for birds that flourish where fire is recent, severe and/or regular is unlikely to decline given current trends. We present a management approach that conceptualises large blocks of biologically connected forest with longer fire ages, but otherwise differing fire histories, as biodiversity reservoirs.