Cover

Contents

FOREWORD

PREFACE

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

1. GENERAL INTRODUCTION

How this book was written

The structure of the book

Background scientific articles

Common and scientific names

Caveats

2. THE 2009 BLACK SATURDAY FIREs

Introduction

Key questions

The importance of commencing work immediately after fire

Fire severity and past disturbance history

Landscape traps

Extra work to be done and knowledge gaps to be filled

Lessons learned and management implications

3. THE FOREST AND ITS PLANTS

Introduction

The flora of montane ash forests

Key questions

When is a tree ‘mature’ and when does it develop hollows?

Historical perspectives on old growth forest

Post-fire regeneration of montane ash forest

The response of mosses and lichens to fire

The effects of fire, logging and salvage logging on tree ferns

Extra work to be done and knowledge gaps to be filled

Lessons learned and management implications

4. LARGE OLD TREES AND THE 2009 FIREs

Introduction

Key questions

Fire, drought and populations of large old hollow-bearing trees

Projections of the future abundance of large old hollow-bearing trees

Large old hollow-bearing trees and the status of old growth forest

Extra work to be done and knowledge gaps to be filled

Lessons learned and management implications

5. CARBON STOCKS

Introduction

Key questions

Carbon stocks in montane ash forests

The effects of wildfire on carbon stocks

Forest carbon stocks and logging

Extra work to be done and knowledge gaps to be filled

Lessons learned and management implications – carbon emissions abatement,logging operations and plantation timber

6. THE RESPONSE OF POSSUMS AND GLIDERS TO FIRE

Introduction

Key questions.

Fire and arboreal marsupials

Fire refugia and arboreal marsupials

The special case of fire and the Mountain Brushtail Possum

Population Viability Analysis – assessing the effectiveness of the reserve system for Leadbeater’s Possum

Extra work to be done and knowledge gaps to be filled

Lessons learned and management implications

7. SMALL TERRESTRIAL MAMMALS

Introduction

Key questions

Post-fire recovery in small terrestrial mammals

Extra work to be done and knowledge gaps to be filled

Lessons learned and management implications

8. THE RESPONSE OF BIRDS TO FIRE

Introduction

Key questions

Fire effects on birds in montane ash forests

The effects of prior occurrence on post-fire occurrence

Extra work to be done and knowledge gaps to be filled

Lessons learned and management implications

9. THE RESPONSE OF INVERTEBRATES TO FIRE

Introduction

Key questions

The responses of beetles to fire

Extra work to be done and knowledge gaps to be filled

Lessons learned and management implications

10. MANAGING A POST-FIRE FOREST LANDSCAPE

Introduction

Forest restoration strategies

Key objective 1 – Conserve existing important structures, habitats and other key areas

Key objective 2 – Restore and expand populations of key species and key structures, restore patterns of old growth landscape cover and restore key ecosystem processes

Key objective 3 – Restore key ecosystem processes

An expanded National Park as a key part of forest restoration in montane ash forests

Positive interactions and co-benefits of a suite of forest restoration strategies

Priority actions

Altered logging regimes as part of forest restoration

Extra work to be done and knowledge gaps to be filled

Concluding remarks

11. THE FUTURE

Introduction

The critical value of long-term research and monitoring

The importance of forest reform

Montane ash forests and climate change

An alternative vision for montane ash forests

The importance of ongoing monitoring and its link to environmental accounts

Future work

Concluding remarks

References

APPENDIX – Common and scientific names of species mentioned in this book

Index