Beyond bushfire severity: mapping the ecological impact of bushfires on the Gondwana Rainforests of Australia World Heritage Area

Bushfire severity mapping in Queensland's Gondwana Rainforests World Heritage Area properties following the 2019/20 wildfires was found to under-predict ecological impact, particularly in closed-canopy rainforests. This oversight biased against prioritizing rainforest-dependent threatened fauna for assessment and recovery resource allocation. The study introduces an approach that incorporates fire tolerance of vegetation communities to extend bushfire severity mapping, predicting potential ecological impact on ecosystems and priority species. By prioritizing threatened species based on ecological impact rather than fire severity alone, post-fire surveys and monitoring can be more effectively targeted, directing resources and recovery actions towards areas of greatest concern.

Laidlaw, M. J., Hines, H. B., Melzer, R. I., & Churchill, T. B. (2022). Beyond bushfire severity: mapping the ecological impact of bushfires on the Gondwana Rainforests of Australia World Heritage Area. Australian Zoologist, 42(2), 502–513. https://doi.org/10.7882/az.2022.027