Spatial and temporal drivers of mammal and reptile distributions in fire-prone landscapes

Abstract

Fire is a key disturbance process in >50% of terrestrial ecosystems where species are often adapted to specific fire regimes. However, ongoing changes to fire regimes now represent a considerable threat to biodiversity, including mammals and reptiles in Australia. Despite this, there are large knowledge gaps around how different types of fire – or ‘pyrodiversity’ – affect biodiversity and how fire interacts with other key drivers of animal populations. This thesis explored the drivers of mammal and reptile distributions in fire-prone mallee woodlands, to answer key questions of wider relevance to fire-prone ecosystems. First, I explored the influence of daily meteorological conditions on s..