Chemical composition of post-fire epicormic foliage affects nutritional quality for folivores

Abstract

Forest fires can cause major changes in stand structure and habitat suitability for forest wildlife. For species that browse on foliage, the tree's fire response strategy plays a major role in post-disturbance population recovery. Trees that exhibit high mortality and regrow from seed (i.e. obligate seeders) may not provide foraging habitat for tree-dwelling fauna for decades, while trees that regenerate vegetatively, such as epicormic resprouters, can provide feeding resources within days of a fire through rapidly emerging shoots. However, the chemical composition of these leaves is of critical importance for folivores. Specialist species such as koalas (Phascolarctos cinereus) or southern ..