Fire in Southern Australia - Fire in Mediterranean Ecosystems - page 204

Major vegetation
group

Area
(km 2 ) Climatic regions Structure Dominants Habitat Land uses Current fire regimes

Eucalypt open
forests

High rainfall
Mediterranean,
high aseasonal
rainfall, temperate
and coastal
subtropical (E1,
D5, F3-4)

150 000 Trees 10-30 m tall.
Shrubby
understory on
sandy/rocky
infertile soils.
Grassy understory
with shrubs on
deeper more fertile
soils.

Eucalyptus ,
Angophora ,
Corymbia ,
Callitris
subdominant.

500 mm annual
rainfall, wide-
ranging soils
including lateritic
duricrusts in the
southwest.
Mountainous and
undulating terrain.
Variations in
structure (woodland
variants) in rocky,
shallow soils.

Significant areas cleared
for grazing and
agriculture up to early
twentieth century.
Commercial forestry and
extensive conservation
reserves. Extensive
interfaces with urban
and rural development.

Fire intervals 5-20 yrs
common. Fire
intensity highly
variable (500-
50 000 kW/m).
High fire intensities
(crown fire)
possible under
severe weather.
1-6% p.a. treated
by prescribed fire.

>

Mallee
woodlands and
shrublands

Mediterranean,
semi-arid and
aseasonal rainfall
areas
(e.g. inland NSW).
(E1-3,6)

200 000 Mallee Eucalyptus
spp. are
multistemmed,
5-6 m in height.

Eucalyptus spp.
Melaleuca ,
Acacia ,
Allocasuarina
Callitris and
Hakea .

< 400 annual mm
rainfall on sandy,
calcareous and
siliceous substrates,
including dune-
fields and
sandsheets in
coastal and inland
environments.

Extensively cleared for
cropping until late
twentieth century. Large
and small remnants.
Large intact expanse on
southern coast of WA
and SA. Large areas in
conservation reserves.

Fire intervals chiefly
in 10-50-yr range.
Limited
suppression access
and resources in
sparsely inhabited
regions. Limited
use of prescribed
fire for wildfire
abatement
purposes.

Other shrublands
and heathlands

Mediterranean,
semi-arid and
aseasonal rainfall
areas, including
coastal subtropical
(E13,6, D5, F3-4)

130 000 < 5 m with dense
canopies of
obligate seeders
common. Heaths
< 1-2 m.

Highly varied: e.g.
Allocasuarina ,
Banksia , Bursaria ,
Dodonaea ,
Eremophila ,
Hakea , Grevillea ,
Kunzea ,
Leucopogon ,
Melaleuca .

Variable fire
frequencies in
5-30-yr range.
High frequencies
adjacent to urban
development. Small
areas subject to
prescribed fire for
asset protection.

Infertile and/or
waterlogged sites,
on rock or sand in
coastal, inland and
mountainous
environments.

Coastal heath/shrubland
extensively cleared for
mining, agriculture and
urban development.
Other communities
exploited for grazing in
dry inland. Considerable
areas in conservation
reserves.

Vegetation groupings are based on the National Vegetation Information System classification (Dept. of the Environment 2007 ) , with approximate extant area given
and bioclimate based on Hutchinson et al. ( 2005 ). More detailed descriptions are contained in Beadle ( 1981 ) and Groves ( 1994 ).