Effect of experimental fire on seedlings of Australian and Gondwanan trees species from a Tasmanian montane vegetation mosaic

A study on the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area challenges the long-held assumption that Gondwanan relictual species are less fire-tolerant compared to Australian species. Researchers exposed seedlings of five dominant tree species, including the rainforest plant Nothofagus cunninghamii, to simulated wildfire conditions using a propane burner flame for varying durations (0–60 seconds). While most seedlings (93%) were topkilled by fire, resprouting ability was strongly correlated with species identity rather than exposure duration or seedling size. Surprisingly, Nothofagus cunninghamii demonstrated robust resprouting, contrary to expectations, while few eucalypt seedlings recovered. The findings highlight the complexity of fire recovery mechanisms in Tasmanian flora and underscore the need for further research to better understand post-fire resilience in this unique ecosystem.

Prior, L. D., French, B. J., & Bowman, D. M. J. S. (2018). Effect of experimental fire on seedlings of Australian and Gondwanan trees species from a Tasmanian montane vegetation mosaic. Australian Journal of Botany, 66(7), 511–517. https://doi.org/10.1071/bt18124