From Ashes to dust: The role of land use in determining fire frequency and erosion risk in rural NSW

Abstract

.The Australian landscape is known to burn. Fire in NSW is commonly associated with instances of catastrophic forest wildfire that periodically burn vast quantities of land within the near coastal regions. However, various practices of managed burning are recognised to occur throughout the state. The frequency of fire is linked to various forms of land degradation. The risks of accelerated soil erosion increase when groundcover is removed from burning, therefore it is essential for the management of erosion to identify conditions of frequent burning. Fire management practices, linked to land uses, are likely to affect fire frequencies, however, the association between land use and fire frequency has remained unmeasured, until now. This thesis provides insight into the extent of fire frequency within rural NSW by use of a GIS driven comparison of associated fire densities across a 15-year sampling period. It argues land use to predetermine fire frequency in NSW, presenting evidence of distinct influences to the distribution, magnitude and seasonality of fire activity within the state. Analysis was conducted on a range of spatial scales, over a series of chapters, from state-level to local areas within the Riverina region. The Riverina was determined to be a considerable influence on total fire detections within the state, as well as the producer of the highest fire frequencies within NSW, due to the composition of land uses within. This research challenges common perceptions relating to the frequency of fire within select land uses. The knowledge provided may also prove beneficial to both local land management entities and community groups to identify erosion risks in areas that require intervention at a regional level. Show more