Response of two locally endemic threatened eucalypt mallees to recent severe bushfire in the Shoalhaven Region, New South Wales
- The 2019–20 bushfires in eastern New South Wales were intensive and extensive, with 62% of the native vegetation of the south coast region burnt in a series of large fires. Many of the listed threatened plant species in the region were significantly impacted, including most of the regionally endemic species. This study investigated the responses of two locally endemic mallee species, Eucalyptus langleyi and Eucalyptus sturgissiana (family Myrtaceae) to the fire in the northern Shoalhaven region. A six-month study post-fire found that both species recovered well by vegetative means but recruitment from seedling was apparently absent. A loss 1 – 3% of plants due to fire was recorded from monitored populations. The importance of such a loss to the long-term viability of these species is unknown, especially given the likelihood of more frequent and intense fires in the future.
Deutsches Urheberrecht