After the Megafires: Effects of Fire Severity on Reptile Species Richness and Occupancy in South-Eastern Australia

Archer, ML; Letnic, M; Murray, BR; Webb, JK

After the Megafires: Effects of Fire Severity on Reptile Species Richness and Occupancy in South-Eastern Australia

Archer, ML Letnic, M Murray, BR Webb, JK

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Publisher:: MDPI
Publication Type:: Journal Article
Citation:: FIRE-SWITZERLAND, 2024, 7, (10)
Issue Date:: 2024-10

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Field	Value	Language
dc.contributor.author	Archer, ML
dc.contributor.author	Letnic, M
dc.contributor.author	Murray, BR
dc.contributor.author	Webb, JK
dc.date.accessioned	2024-11-22T00:21:06Z
dc.date.available	2024-11-22T00:21:06Z
dc.date.issued	2024-10
dc.identifier.citation	FIRE-SWITZERLAND, 2024, 7, (10)
dc.identifier.issn	2571-6255
dc.identifier.issn	2571-6255
dc.identifier.uri	http://hdl.handle.net/10453/182042
dc.description.abstract	<jats:p>The Australian megafires of 2019–2020 were considered catastrophic for flora and fauna, yet little is known about their impacts on reptiles. We investigated the impacts of the 2019–2020 megafires on reptiles in Morton National Park, New South Wales, in eastern Australia. To understand how fire severity affects reptile species richness and occupancy, we surveyed 28 replicate plots across unburnt areas and areas affected by high and low fire severity. We estimated reptile species richness and occupancy by performing systematic searches for reptiles during five sampling occasions in 2023, three years after the megafires. We measured vegetation structure and quantified the thermal environment in shelter sites used by reptiles. Vegetation structure varied significantly between burn severity groups. High-severity plots had the least canopy cover and the thinnest leaf litter depth but had a taller understorey with more stems. The thermal quality within reptile retreat sites did not differ between fire severity classes. Despite strong differences in post-fire vegetation structure, there was no evidence that fire severity affected reptile species richness or occupancy of the delicate skink, Lampropholis delicata. These results highlight the complexity of reptile responses to fires and contribute to increasing our understanding of the impacts of megafires on reptile communities.</jats:p>
dc.language	English
dc.publisher	MDPI
dc.relation.ispartof	FIRE-SWITZERLAND
dc.relation.isbasedon	10.3390/fire7100349
dc.rights	info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess
dc.subject.classification	3007 Forestry sciences
dc.subject.classification	4102 Ecological applications
dc.subject.classification	4104 Environmental management
dc.title	After the Megafires: Effects of Fire Severity on Reptile Species Richness and Occupancy in South-Eastern Australia
dc.type	Journal Article
utslib.citation.volume	7
pubs.organisational-group	University of Technology Sydney
pubs.organisational-group	University of Technology Sydney/Faculty of Science
pubs.organisational-group	University of Technology Sydney/Faculty of Science/School of Life Sciences
utslib.copyright.status	open_access	*
dc.rights.license	This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0). To view a copy of this license, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
dc.date.updated	2024-11-22T00:21:05Z
pubs.issue	10
pubs.publication-status	Published
pubs.volume	7
utslib.citation.issue	10

Abstract:

The Australian megafires of 2019–2020 were considered catastrophic for flora and fauna, yet little is known about their impacts on reptiles. We investigated the impacts of the 2019–2020 megafires on reptiles in Morton National Park, New South Wales, in eastern Australia. To understand how fire severity affects reptile species richness and occupancy, we surveyed 28 replicate plots across unburnt areas and areas affected by high and low fire severity. We estimated reptile species richness and occupancy by performing systematic searches for reptiles during five sampling occasions in 2023, three years after the megafires. We measured vegetation structure and quantified the thermal environment in shelter sites used by reptiles. Vegetation structure varied significantly between burn severity groups. High-severity plots had the least canopy cover and the thinnest leaf litter depth but had a taller understorey with more stems. The thermal quality within reptile retreat sites did not differ between fire severity classes. Despite strong differences in post-fire vegetation structure, there was no evidence that fire severity affected reptile species richness or occupancy of the delicate skink, Lampropholis delicata. These results highlight the complexity of reptile responses to fires and contribute to increasing our understanding of the impacts of megafires on reptile communities.

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http://hdl.handle.net/10453/182042