A5066427856- Fire effects on ecosystems
- Rangeland and Wildlife Management
- Ecology and Vegetation Dynamics Studies
- Fire dynamics and safety research
- Landslides and related hazards
- Plant Water Relations and Carbon Dynamics
- Soil erosion and sediment transport
- Forest ecology and management
- Aeolian processes and effects
- Tree Root and Stability Studies
- Species Distribution and Climate Change
- Plant responses to elevated CO2
- Forest Management and Policy
- Hydrology and Watershed Management Studies
- Plant Parasitism and Resistance
- Tree-ring climate responses
- Coastal wetland ecosystem dynamics
- Botany and Plant Ecology Studies
- Lichen and fungal ecology
- Soil and Water Nutrient Dynamics
- Soil and Unsaturated Flow
- Forensic Fingerprint Detection Methods
- Forest Biomass Utilization and Management
- Flood Risk Assessment and Management
- Remote Sensing and LiDAR Applications
The University of Melbourne
2016-2025
Ecosystem Sciences
2024-2025
University of Coimbra
2018
San Antonio College
2018
Ecological Society of America
2018
Forestry Tasmania
2012-2013
Abstract There are multiple pathways for vegetation to change following disturbances. Understanding those post‐disturbance is critical managing wildfire risk since fuel in a context. Across forest systems, there considerable debate about disturbance‐related changes fuels and flammability. This study investigated trajectories three disturbance types—high severity wildfire, low clear‐fell logging. Fuels were measured chrono‐sequence of 141 sites Mountain Ash ( Eucalyptus regnans )‐dominated...
Understanding spatial variation in wildland fuel is central to predicting wildfire behaviour as well current and future fire regimes. Vegetation (plant material) – both live (biomass) dead (necromass) constitutes most aspects of (hereafter ‘fuel’). It therefore likely that factors influencing vegetation structure composition climate, soils, disturbance also will influence associated hazard. Nonetheless, these relationships are poorly understood temperate environments. In this study, we used...
Abstract Fallen plant material such as leaves, needles and branches form litter beds which strongly influence fire ignition spread. Traits of the dominant species flammability directly by determining how individual leaves burn indirectly through structure bed. However, we are yet to determine relative importance these different drivers across a range from biomes. We undertook meta‐analysis, combining leaf trait, data for 106 North America, South Europe, Asia Australia. The dataset...
Vegetation is a key determinant of wildfire behaviour at field scales as it functions fuel. Past studies in the laboratory show that plant flammability, ability plants to ignite and maintain combustion, function their traits. However, way traits individual combine vegetation community affect flammability has received little attention. This study aims bridge gap between by linking metrics field-scale flammability. Across three prescribed burns, Eucalyptus-dominated damp dry forest, we...
Wildfires threaten human health, economies and the environment. Fuel management is a core activity of land managers to reduce detrimental impacts wildfires. Land also seek conserve biodiversity within their fuel programs. We sought understand how could be implemented achieve fire risk reduction conservation in same landscape. Specifically, we asked: (1) what vegetation attributes are desirable for wildfire conservation, they compatible? (2) combinations actions both objectives? used...
Field measurements of surface dead fine fuel moisture content (FFMC) are integral to wildfire management, but conventional measurement techniques limited. Automated sticks offer a potential solution, providing standardised, continuous and real-time measure moisture. As such, they used as an analogue for their performance in this context has not been widely evaluated. We assessed the ability automated predict FFMC across range forest types. combined concurrent stick from 27 sites (570...
Abstract Context Quantifying spatial and temporal variations in landscape flammability is important for implementing ecologically desirable prescribed burns gauging the level of fire risk across a landscape. Yet there paucity models that provide adequate detail about these purposes. Objectives Our aim was to quantify ignitability forested We asked: (1) How do fuel moisture meteorological variables interact affect ignitability? (2) Do thresholds ignition vary gradient forest types? (3) does...
Fire can result in hydro–geomorphic changes that are spatially variable and difficult to predict. In this research note we compile 294 infiltration measurements 10 other soil, catchment runoff erosion datasets from the eastern Victorian uplands south-eastern Australia argue higher aridity (a function of long-term mean precipitation net radiation) is associated with lower post-fire capacities, increasing chance surface strongly debris flows. Post-fire flows were only observed more arid...
High frequency wildfires can shift the structure and composition of obligate seeder forests initiate replacement with alternative vegetation states. In some forests, stable state is drier more easily burned by subsequent fires, driving a positive feedback that promotes further wildfire perpetuates Mountain Ash (Eucalyptus regnans (F.Muell.)) are highly valued for their biodiversity, water, timber carbon. Fires natural part lifecycle these but too frequent fires eliminate trigger transition...
Fires burning under marginal fire-weather conditions tend to be patchy in terms of their spatial coverage. This patchiness is partially driven by variability the ignitability fuel bed. An understanding fuel-bed through space and time would help fire managers more effectively carry out prescribed burns achieve desired levels burn coverage Eucalyptus forests. We sought identify key attributes influencing weather conditions. recorded ignition successes failures at 45 points within 5 operational...
Background Plant flammability is an important factor in fire behaviour and post-fire ecological responses. There consensus about the broad attributes (or axes) of but little consistency their measurement. Aims We sought to provide a pathway towards greater research by identifying subset preferred metrics for living plants. Methods Flammability was measured at branch scale using range 140 plant specimens apparatus that simulates approaching front. Key results identified metrics, which...
Abstract Effective hydraulic conductivity ( K e ) for Hortonian overland flow modeling has been defined as a function of rainfall intensity and runon infiltration assuming distribution saturated conductivities s ). But surface boundary condition during its interactions with the are not well represented in models. As result, mean value ), which is central parameter , varies between scales. Here we quantify this discrepancy large data set comprising four different methods scales from...
Abstract The forest microclimate shapes many aspects of functioning, including plant regeneration and wildfire occurrence. In complex landscapes with varying terrain, the varies at fine spatial scales (10–100 m 2 ). However, accurately mapping this variation remains challenging. Vapor pressure deficit (VPD) is an important microclimatic variable for growth fire activity, yet few studies have specifically focused on downscaling VPD. aim study was to examine drivers in-forest VPD in temperate...
Understanding the conditions when litter beds will ignite from firebrands is critical for predicting spot fire occurrence. Such research either field- or laboratory-based, with limited analysis to compare approaches. We examined ability of a laboratory method represent field-scale ignitability. The involved collecting litter-bed samples concurrently field experiments and then reconstructing burning in laboratory. measured number successful sustained ignitions (n = 5) 30 attempts). results...