The
ecology of Australia's tropical savannas is shaped by the
near-pervasive influence of fire. Constituting ∼20% of Australia's land
area, tropical savannas contribute >75% of the area burnt in
Australia each year. Across most of Australia's tropical savannas,
components of biodiversity are declining, including many species of
birds. This review seeks to assess whether that decline is linked to
current fire regimes. However, relevant studies are few, short-term and
opportunistic, and indicate rather than demonstrate the effects of fire.
There is no set of agreed paradigms for contextualising the
relationship between birds and fire regimes in this region or for any
management consequences. We conclude that the current fire regime is
suboptimal for many species of birds, particularly for granivores,
frugivores, hollow-dependent species and those that nest on or near the
ground. For conservation reserves, we recommend that fire management
protocols include the explicit targets that: (1) at least 25% of the
savanna landscape is at least 3 years unburnt; (2) at least 5% is at
least 10 years unburnt; (3) fire-sensitive non-savanna vegetation types
are increasing or stable and (4) populations of selected hollow-nesting,
ground-nesting, frugivorous and granivorous birds are increasing or
stable. We also identify key knowledge gaps that currently inhibit
conservation management.
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