Fire Responses in Four Rare Plant Species at Gibraltar Range National Park, Northern Tablelands, NSW

Abstract

Fire responses are reported in four rare species at Gibraltar Range National Park following hazard reduction burning. 'Acacia barringtonensis' Tindale, 'Grevillea rhizomatosa' P.M. Olde & N.R. Marriot, Persoonia rufa L.A.S. Johnson & P. H. Weston and 'Telopea aspera' M.D. Crisp & P.H. Weston were the species investigated. In each species, individuals were tagged prior to a hazard reduction fire and their fates followed for 34 months. In 'Acacia barringtonensis', individuals survived fire and resprouted from buds at the base of stems and from rhizomes but the resprouts were heavily browsed by insects and Swamp Wallabies ('Wallabia bicolor' Desmarest). In 'Grevillea rhizomatosa', individuals survived and resprouted from underground rhizomes and no seedlings were found after fires. After fire in Persoonia rufa, all scorched plants died but seedling recruitment occurred from a soil-stored seed. In 'Telopea aspera', most burnt individuals resprouted from basal shoots and survived despite heavy post-fire grazing pressure. Increasing fire frequencies by hazard-reduction burning may threaten the survival of all four species, and it is suggested that other methods of reducing fuel be used to manage fire in this area of Gibraltar Range National Park.