BUSHFIRE SCIENCE INFORMATION REPORT 2: 
How do the native forest of south eastern Australia survive bushfire?

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Fact Sheet

Key Findings

Powerpoint

• Fire has exerted a selective force on Australian vegetation for at least 60 million years. Australia’s plants and animals are therefore well adapted to “fire regimes”, i.e., the typical patterns of fires occurring in a landscape. 
  Most of the plants in the eucalypt forests of southern Australia have traits that enable them to tolerate infrequent, high intensity fires and recurrent low to moderate intensity fires. The two main fire response strategies are resprouting and seeding. 
  
  
• Most of the eucalypt forests are dominated by tree species that can recover quickly after bushfire by resprouting, providing structural and ecological stability to the forests.
  
  
• Some eucalypt forests are dominated by tree species that respond to crown scorch by releasing seeds. These seeder trees need long fire-free periods in which to grow and mature. 
  The survival and recovery of many animal populations depends on unburnt patches.
  
  
• Fire regimes are expected to change as a consequence of climate change. Altered fire regimes, including increasing frequency and intensity of fires, can change the composition and structure of forest ecosystems. 
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• The persistence of rainforest patches within the fire-prone landscapes of southern Australia is at risk and in need of special management interventions.