Fire intensity effects on post-fire fuel recovery in Eucalyptus open forests of south-eastern Australia

Abstract

This is a study of the re-accumulation of bushfire fuels following both prescribed fire of low fireline intensity (<700 kW m −1 ) and wildfire of high intensity (>10,000 kW m −1 ) in Australian Eucalyptus open forests of differing annual rainfall. Repeated measurements over 5 to 7 years of litter, elevated fuels, coarse woody debris, and bark revealed more rapid fuel recovery in higher rainfall forests compared with lower rainfall forests, following prescribed fire. In prescribed-burnt forests with mean annual rainfall 900–950 mm all fuel categories recovered to very high within seven years, with elevated fuels exceeding pre-fire loads by up to 200%. No fuels in prescribed-burnt forests with..