Future Management

Building resilience

The Black Summer fires were the result of prolonged drought and hot and dry conditions during the spring and summer of 2019–2020. Observers agree the fires were a result of our changing climate and warn of similar climatic conditions and more frequent and intense fires into the future. It brings to light the importance of our rainforest ecosystems and the ever-increasing threats they face.

To manage past and future threats land managers are responding to the continual need to build resilience within these ecosystems at risk.

Actions include:

• bush regeneration

• protecting threatened species

• land and fire management in areas that surround rainforest areas

• visitor education and interpretation.

Rehabilitation and regeneration

Forest areas in NSW are increasingly vulnerable to weed invasion from the increasing rate of human induced change.

To manage and encourage regeneration of our forests bushcare and landcare volunteers undertake bush regeneration.

Bush regeneration practices in rainforest areas include:

• removal of weed species such as exotic vines from the canopy and other understory weeds in remnant areas

• the planting of endemic species in highly impacted or cleared rainforest areas

• regeneration of rainforest buffer zones and adjoining green corridors

Bush regeneration is conducted by professional bush regenerators and a large number of bushcare and landcare volunteers. The Australian Association of Bush Regenerators promotes and encourages best practice ecological restoration to ensure natural regeneration of natural areas occurs.

The First Aid for burned bushland series of videos produced by the Australian Association of Bush Regenerators provide volunteers information on how to undertake ecological weed management after the Black Summer Fires. The videos examine all forest areas but features of weed management are similar to that of rainforest ecosystems.

The Big Scrub

The Big Scrub Landcare Group is one of the largest landcare groups in Australia. The group undertake long term rehabilitation and restoration of the endangered lowland subtropical rainforest located in the Big Scrub region of the north coast of NSW between the towns of Byron Bay, Lismore and Ballina.

Working with private landowners, government and community groups, Big Scrub Landcare:

• seeks to improve remnant rainforest areas through the long-term control of weeds. This includes controlling initial weed infestations and any regrowth.

• restores rainforest in previously cleared areas. This includes planting to extend remnants, to improve connectivity between remnants and to convert weed infested areas into rainforest.

• in partnership with the Royal Botanic Gardens Sydney, are creating a living seed bank containing key rainforest species that will provide seed for restoration plantings with optimal genetic diversity that has the capacity to adapt to our changing climate, diseases and insects.

• in partnership, is undertaking research and fire assessment to inform post-fire recovery of rainforest ecosystems.

Activities

1. Access Big Scrub Landcare and explain their role in improving rainforest areas.

2. Investigate the role of Landcare NSW.

3. View the YouTube video Assisting regeneration post-fire why it's so important.

4. Access the Big Scrub Landcare Saving our Rainforests from Fire project.

5. Outline the measures bush regenerators are taking to restore rainforest areas post-fire.

6. Bush regenerators are primarily volunteers. How sustainable is this type of management?

7. Connect with your local bushcare group to learn more about the impacts of weeds on bushland areas and how they are being controlled in your local area.

8. Access the Habitat management guide—Rainforests: Ecological principles for the strategic management of weeds in rainforest habitats for a detailed account of weeds management in rainforest areas.

Protecting threatened species

The interaction between plants and animals ensure the productivity of the ecosystem and enhances its resilience. Each play an important role in the protection and promotion of the rainforest ecosystem.

The rainforest:

• provides habitat for a third of Australia's animal species, many of which are threatened

• plays an important role as a refuge during times of drought and fire. Animals from within the rainforest and from neighbouring eucalypt forests can seek refuge in the moist, fire resistant areas.

By providing habitat the rainforest benefits by the important role animals play in the productivity of a rainforest.

This includes:

• moving energy through the system through decomposition and nutrient cycling

• pollination and seed dispersal

• balancing species populations, and

• improving resilience in rainforest recovery.

As forest habitats are placed in increasing risk, actions to conserve threatened plant and animal rainforest species continue.

Saving our species

The NSW Government Saving our Species program is a threatened species conservation program with the aim of securing the future of over 1000 threatened plant and animal species in NSW. This task is now amplified with critical habitat impacted by the Black Summer Fires.

Read more at NSW Department of Planning, Industry and Environment Saving our Species.

Wildlife

The impacts on native fauna species after the 2019-2020 fires were devastating. Initial assessments reported that 80 million animals perished in NSW.

Actions for immediate recovery and conservation of wildlife impacted by fire can be viewed at:

• NSW Department of Planning, Industry and Environment - Wildlife and conservation bushfire recovery: immediate response January 2020 report.

• NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service strategies to protect and restore wildlife populations.

Protecting wildlife is a priority for land managers in managing and ensuring rainforests are able to regenerate naturally after natural and human induced disturbances.

The Nightcap Oak

After the Black Summer fires, scientists are now in the field monitoring rainforest regeneration. The Nightcap oak, a mature phase rainforest species is resprouting from its stump. Still highly vulnerable to outside influences, it is hoped the Nightcap oak and the surrounding rainforest will survive.

Read more in the ABC News article Precious nightcap oak survives the carnage of bushfire with show of uplifting resilience.

The Wollemi Pine

The Wollemi Pine is a critically endangered plant species with links to the Jurassic period. Often called the 'dinosaur tree' only 100 mature plants survive in a remote gorge in the Wollemi National Park. Bushfire is one of its most significant threats.

During the Black Summer Fires a rescue effort to save the trees was undertaken.

View the YouTube video (04.56min) ABC News: The Wollemi Pines pre-date the dinosaurs, but they were nearly wiped out in the NSW fires to assess the actions taken to save the Wollemi Pines.

A seed bank

The Royal Botanical Garden PlantBank conducts research and collects seeds and plant cuttings in a seed bank. It is an insurance policy for species genetic diversity.

The Rainforest Seed Conservation Project seeks to learn more about seedbanking and germination of rainforest species.

Read more at the Royal Botanic Gardens Sydney and Rainforest Seed Conservation Project.

Activities

1. Select TWO threatened rainforest animal species to identify the measures for their protection under the Saving our Species project.

• Hastings river mouse

• Parma wallaby

• Pouched frog

• Stuttering frog

• Rufous scrub bird

• Albert’s lyrebird

2. Explain why the Nightcap Oak is still vulnerable.

3. Justify the measures taken to rescue the Wollemi Pine during the Black Summer Fires.

4. Explain how a seed bank will enhance rainforest resilience.

Fire management

The NSW government manages fire in National Parks and reserves. The fire management strategies aim to protect life, property and community and environmental assets in the event of a bushfire. The strategies have been developed through the Living with Fire in NSW National Parks – A strategy for managing bushfires in national parks and reserves 2012-2021.

Strategies:

• Enhance bushfire management capacity to ensure bushfires are controlled safely and damage/loss to life, property, environment values and cultural heritage is minimised. This includes adequate equipment, personnel and infrastructure.

• Manage risks through planning, fire prevention, awareness, mitigation, preparedness, response and recovery.

• Share best practice fire management knowledge through research, monitoring, evaluation and review.

• Engage with community to partner with fire fighting services and to improve community understanding of the role of fire in the environment and increase shared responsibility for bushfire risk management.

Visitor education

Human visitation in National Parks and nature reserves can lead to:

• land clearing and development for visitor infrastructure including walking tracks, car parking and service facilities

• damage to vegetation

• litter and contamination of water bodies

• wildlife feeding and disturbance

• erosion from inappropriate track use

The main aim in managing the impacts of visitation is to educate the public on rainforest ecosystems and to limit access to sensitive regeneration areas.

Conducting fieldwork

Complete the following activities to guide fieldwork investigations in contemporary management strategies.

Key fieldwork inquiry questions:

• What evidence of management can be observed?

• How effective are the management strategies in supporting ecological sustainability?

• How will our results be recorded?

• How do we draw conclusions?

For further assistance in conducting fieldwork contact:

• NSW Department of Education Environmental and Zoo Education Centres

• NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service.

Pre-work

Prior to fieldwork, access government plans of management and information from National Parks and Wildlife Service, local council and local bushcare groups' websites for the area under investigation.

1. Examine contemporary management strategies.

2. Identify local threatened plant and animal species.

3. Create a list of management features you wish to observe in the field.

4. How will you determine if the management is successful?

On the ground assessment

Previous fieldwork investigations provided an insight into the nature and functioning of the rainforest ecosystem. This informed the observations for assessing vulnerability and resilience in the rainforest. This understanding allows geographers to assess current management strategies that will inform future management of these ecosystems at risk.

1. View the gallery of images to observe contemporary management strategies.

2. Assess the effectiveness of the management strategies for ecological sustainability.

Managing for a changing climate

Climate projections for the short and long term future predict:

• temperatures will increase

• hot days and heat waves will become more frequent

• rainfall will decrease

• rainfall extremes will become more intense and more frequent

• there will be more frequent and intense wildfires

• sea levels will rise.

Climate change scenarios require new approaches to rainforest management.

It requires:

• improved bushfire emergency planning, prevention, response and recovery

• more resources for ecosystem research and monitoring

• more resources for managing weeds and feral animals

• First Nations training and education on Country

• a reduction in greenhouse emissions to reduce the impacts of climate change.

The Royal Commission into National Natural Disaster Arrangements

The scale and extent of the Black Summer Fires and resulting loss of life, property and environmental damage has led to an examination of current management strategies with a focus on fire. The Royal Commission into National Natural Disaster Arrangements was undertaken in 2020 to review the coordination, preparedness for, response to and recovery from disasters as well as improving resilience and adapting to changing climatic conditions and mitigating the impact of natural disasters.

The recommendations handed down in October 2020 included:

• the need to improve climate projection modelling and mapping areas at risk

• the need to engage First Nations Peoples in land and fire management

• the need to reduce greenhouse emissions to slow the rate of global warming.

View ABC News Bushfire royal commission's final report issues warning to Australia over climate change for analysis of the report.

The full report is available at the Royal Commission into National Natural Disaster Arrangements.

Mapping risk

Adapt NSW

The NSW government in preparation for a changing climate provides information and climate projections for land managers, businesses and government agencies to guide strategies for adaptation and building resilience.

Adapt NSW provides short and long term climate projections for regions in NSW and offers spatial data for rainfall, fire, heat and cold nights.

1. Go to the NSW Climate projections map to view the climate projections for rainforest regions as previously identified.

2. Outline the fire risks for the regions using the Forest Fire Danger Index (FFDI).

3. The Royal Commission into National Natural Disaster Arrangements recommended smaller scale climate projections. In your opinion what other information could be used to predict bush fire risk.

SEED

SEED is the NSW government Sharing and Enabling Environmental Data SEED initiative utilises spatial technologies to view environmental data.

The NSW Bush Fire Prone Land data set shows areas that are considered high risk for bush fire. The information is used by local governments to incorporate bushfire protection measures when developing land. How else might this information be used?

Interact with the SEED map to view areas that are bush fire prone.

1. Launch the SEED map

2. Initiate your search by selecting 'I want to'

3. Select 'layer catalog'

4. Type in 'NSW Bush Fire Prone Land'

5. Select 'OK'

6. Zoom in to view a rainforest area under investigation or use the menu options to search for a location, address or point of interest (POI).

Activity

Explain how spatial data can assist in the recovery and future management of rainforest ecosystems.

Connecting to Country and traditional management

The Royal Commission into National Natural Disaster Arrangements Report states:

'Indigenous land management is an example of how local knowledge has successfully informed land management, and it has done so for tens of thousands of years. Indigenous land management draws on a deep knowledge of Australia’s landscapes. It is based on cultural understandings of Country, is tailored to specific places, and engages local people in development and implementation. Partly for these reasons, Indigenous land management differs widely across Australia.

There is a growing recognition of the value of Indigenous land and fire management practices as a way to mitigate the effects of bushfires and improve disaster resilience. Governments should continue to engage with Traditional Owners to explore the relationship between Indigenous land management and disaster resilience.'

Royal Commission into National Natural Disaster Arrangements Report 28 October 2020

Activities

1. Access Aboriginal joint management of parks to outline how the NSW Government is engaging Aboriginal Peoples in managing national parks, reserves and other areas.

2. View the YouTube video (07.51min) ABC Big Weather: Preparing for the fire season with cultural burning to explain the role of cultural burning.

3. Learn more about Indigenous land and fire management at the Firesticks Alliance.

4. Explain why the Royal Commission into National Natural Disaster Arrangements recommended the need to engage with Aboriginal Peoples to mitigate the effects of bushfire.