West Pittwater RFS members were fortunate enough to get a visit from Rachel Whitely from Hornsby Council’s Biodiversity Team (and a member of Headquarters Brigade) on Saturday 4 November to discuss the importance of the correct fire regime for threatened species.
Whilst the Australian bush has developed to tolerate and/or require fire for regeneration, different species and communities vary hugely in their resilience to this impact.
The RFS have three threatened species lists available for reference for firefighters. These cover Plants, Animals and Threatened Ecological Communities and list the scientific names, common names and the appropriate fire regimes for each category.
When conducting a hazard reduction, there are many other sensitive areas that firefighters need to be aware of:
Creeks and Riparian Zones: We have many of these in the West Pittwater area. Fauna use creek lines as a refuge and we need to avoid burning within 10 metres of water as these zones will not regenerate if burnt.
Hollow-bearing Trees; These are very important for habitat and need to be protected. A minimum of a one-metre wide hand tool line will reduce the chance of fire climbing the tree. You can also remove any loose bark around the bottom of the tree. The denser the vegetation, steeper slope and hotter the burn intensity, the wider your hand tool line needs to be.
Nests and Burrows: creating a hand-tool line around the opening of any nests and burrows gives fauna a buffer from the fire (in the 19/20 fires, a number of different fauna were found co-habiting in wombat burrows for survival).
Aboriginal sites and places: These can be scar trees, rock art/engravings and tessellated pavements. Fire on a rock engraving or tessellated pavement can crack the stone so again use a hand-tool line around the perimeter.
Flagging tape on plants: These can indicate a research area so query any such sightings before burning (usually blue, pink or orange tape).
Checklist before you burn:
- Do you have a map of the burn area?
- Do you have a burn plan?
- What is the ideal burn intensity?
- Where will I be lighting up?
- Do I need to use dots, dashes or a line with the drip torch ( this determines rate of fire spread and the intensity)?
- Are there any hollows, nests, burrows or creeks I need to avoid and, if so, have hand-tool lines been put in to protect them?
- Can you access the above with a live reel to extinguish fires if needed?
Threatened Species found on the Northern Beaches.
Grevillia Caleyi – only grows on three ridge tops in the entire world – Duffy’s Forest/Terrey Hills, Belrose & Ingleside. The plant is killed by fire but seeds regenerate from the seedbank after fire. Too frequent fires means the plant cannot seed enough to replenish the seedbank (needs 15-20 years).Seeds only have a few years in which they are viable and need fire to germinate.
Glossy Black Cockatoos. These are considered Vulnerable in NSW. They feed on Allocasuarina trees and nest in large Eucalyptus trees with hollows. If you can identify Allocasuarinas, in the area, avoid burning or extinguish fire before it climbs the trees.
Pittwater & Wagstaffe Spotted Gum Forest. This is an Endangered Ecological Community and can be found close to the waterfront in Pittwater and the Barrenjoey Peninsula. Should not be burnt more than once every 10 years.
Scrub Turpentine, critically endangered in NSW and the Commonwealth. Found along the Towlers Bay Trail. Will not tolerate fire.
Littoral Rainforest, Endangered in NSW. Found within 2km of the ocean. Not tolerant of fire, need to use control lines to prevent impact to this community.
Seagrass Meadows and Posidonia Australis. Endangered. Found in shallow estuaries and coastal areas between the low tide mark and ? Habitat for fish and White Seahorse. Damaged by boat propellers, anchors etc.
Handy Resources:
- Trees Near Me app
- iNaturalist app
- Seed Map website
- Northern Beaches Council website
- National Parks and Wildlife Service website
- Fisheries website
- Frog ID app
- Australian Birds app (free & paid versions)