Handbook

Australia is the most fire-prone continent in the world, and its flora and fauna have evolved in the presence of fire over millions of years. Yet altered fire regimes imperil many species, and fire management is a critical component of conservation in Australia. This subject explores ecological aspects of fire in the Australian environment including fire as a physical disturbance (fire behaviour) and the fire regime (including timing, frequency, severity and spatial patterning). The subject explores changes in Australian fire regimes over time, from Indigenous use of fire prior to European colonisation, through to contemporary fire management (including the continuation and resumption of Indigenous fire regimes). Students will explore the ways in which plants and animals have adapted to particular fire regimes, and how changes in fire regimes affect ecosystems and the biota inhabiting them. Students will discuss current issues in fire ecology and learn how to apply ecological principles to fire management. Finally, we explore the effects of global climate change on fire regimes, and the flow on effects of changes in fire regimes on ecosystems.