TITLE:
Facilitating Regeneration of an Iconic Canopy Species with Specific Niche Requirements
AUTHORS:
Katinka X. Ruthrof, George Matusick, Leonie E. Valentine, Giles E. St. J. Hardy
KEYWORDS:
Ashbed, Fire, Eucalyptus gomphocephala, Community Involvement, Restoration
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Forestry,
Vol.5 No.4,
April
9,
2015
ABSTRACT: Natural regeneration is a critical component of forest ecosystems
sustainability. Local extinction can occur without adequate regenerationor
seedling recruitment prior to adult senescence. The urban and peri-urban environment
is particularly challenging for recruitment. For example, although many forest
species have specific requirements involving fire events, few opportunities
associated with fire exist in contemporary urban and peri-urban environments. For
our study species, Eucalyptus
gomphocephala, en masse recruitment
can occur in ashbeds following a hot fire. However, this may not occur
following low-intensity, fuel reduction burns that are prescribed for many E. gomphocephala woodlands and forests. Nevertheless,
ashbeds could be created by constructing and burning coarse woody debris (CWD)
piles. In a series of collaborative case studies involving community groups,
NGOs and Local and State Government agencies, we investigated whether seedling
recruitment could be facilitated through broadcast seeding after: a) creating
CWD piles prior to a low intensity, prescribed burn; b) naturally-occurring
ashbeds following a hot summer wildfire; and c) creating CWD piles and then
burning the piles only. We found that regeneration of this post-fire, canopy
gap regenerator can be facilitated by broadcast seeding naturally occurring or
created ashbeds. However, it seems that protection from seed harvesters and
herbivores is vital. These case studies provide tools that can be used to
preserve the natural demographics in populations with specific regeneration
requirements in a range of environments by leveraging natural recruitment
processes and community involvement. Importantly, it is the conservation of
these urban and peri-urban ecosystems that will be vital in maintaining
connection between people and the environment into the future.