Key questions and understandings
- When to burn, why does it matter?
- What adaptations do some plants have to fire?
- How do plants and animals respond in different ways to
fire?
- How does research and technology help us to understand the
impact of fire and manage it for conservation?
Savanna plants have adaptations
(survival strategies) to resist and respond to fire. Some plants
depend on fire in their environment to reproduce. However, some
plants are fire sensitive (especially obligate seeders) such as the
cypress pine (Callitris intratropica). Some animals take
advantage of fire to provide prey while other animals such as
seed-eating birds are
sensitive to fire.
Different fire regimes (i.e. size, frequency, intensity and
patchiness) effect plants and animals in different ways depending
on the species. Patch burning / mosaic approach helps maintain
diversity in a landscape or ecosystems. Introduced plant species
such as Gamba grass effect ecosystems through changed fire
regimes.
 |
|
Students can manipulate the Flames model to
understand the impact of fire.
|
Scientific models like the
Flames
model, enable us to understand how the timing and frequency of fire
influences ecosystems in the long-term.
Simulation models integrate all the current scientific
understanding and simulate management scenarios in a way that
wouldn't be possible with field trials or using historic
data.
It is recommended that students have a basic understanding of
the potential impacts of invasive grasses before exploring the
Flames
model simulation by "meeting" Dr Samantha Setterfield (in Savanna Walkabout module).
Students could:
- identify and compare features and attributes between fire
tolerant and fire-sensitive plant species;
- identify the impact of fire on animal species (e.g. partridge
pigeon, frill-neck lizard, Leichhardt's grasshopper)
- use the Flames
model to observe, predict and explain what happens with different
burning frequencies on specific plant species - e.g. woollybutt,
stringbark and Gamba grass;
- explain why fire can be a destructive force or a useful
tool.
