Effects of fire on vegetation and arthropods in a coastal heath, south-east Queensland

Abstract

Fire is an important part of many Australian ecosystems, and determining how it affects different vegetation communities and associated fauna is of particular interest to land managers. Here, we report on a study that used sites established during a 39-year fire experiment in coastal heathland in southeastern Queensland to compare arthropod abundance and vegetation in 1.5-2.6 ha sites that were (i) long unburnt, (ii) burnt every 5 years and (iii) burnt every 3 years. We found that the abundance of ants was more than four times higher in the frequently burnt sites compared to long unburnt sits. Moreover, long unburnt sites had greater dominance of Xanthorrhoea johnsonii and Caustis recurvata, whereas burnt sites had greater cover of Lomandra filiformis, Leucopogon margarodes and Leucopogon leptospermoides. Our findings show that frequent fire can alter vegetation structure and composition, and this is matched by an increase in the relative dominance of ants in the arthropod community.