Where do they all come from? Animal movement immediately following a hummock grassland fire.

Abstract

A fire through hummock grassland in Western Queensland adjacent to a gas pipeline trench resulted in a 650% increase in the number of animals that were recovered from the trench in the seven days following the fire compared to the seven days prior. Those lizard species that shelter within spinifex or grass clumps, such as Tiliqua multifasciata, Ctenotus leonhardii, C. pantherinus, Lialis burtonis and Strophurus elderi had the largest increases, and the mammals Pseudomys desertor and Planigale tenuirostris showed similar increases. Species that typically shelter in burrows or ground cracks showed a decline in numbers recorded following the fire. Seven days after the fire event 91 animals were removed from the last 3km of open trench. However, no animals were ever observed moving across the burnt areas during the day. So where they came from and when they travelled remains unanswered.