2021-06-14 General Committee Meeting Minutes

GENERAL COMMITTEE MEETING MINUTES   14 JUNE 2021




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GENERAL COMMITTEE MEETING MINUTES                                                    14 JUNE 2021

   Protected areas        Great Sandy NP, Poona NP, Bribie Island NP, Noosa NP, Glass
                          House Mountains NP, Deepwater NP, Mooloolah River NP,
                          Tewantin NP, Burrum Coast NP, Pumicestone NP, Pipeclay
                          NP, Beerwah FR, Toorbul CP, Cooloola (Noosa River) RR,
                          Weyba Creek CP, Ningi Creek CP

   Special values         Habitat for threatened fauna species including the wallum
                          froglet Crinia tinnula. This ecosystem is known to provide
                          suitable habitat for koalas (Phascolarctos cinereus). 12.3.4a:
                          Habitat for threatened fauna species including the wallum
                          froglet Crinia tinnula. This ecosystem is known to provide
                          suitable habitat for koalas (Phascolarctos cinereus).

   Fire management        SEASON: Late summer to mid-winter (after rain).
   guidelines             INTENSITY: Planned and occasional unplanned burns
                          (typically of higher intensity) influence the ecology of
                          melaleuca ecosystems. INTERVAL: Heath 8-12 years, Sedge
                          12-20 years, Mixed grass/shrub 6-20 years. STRATEGY: Aim
                          for a 25-70% burn mosaic (in association with surrounding
                          ecosystems, as melaleuca ecosystems often just occur in patches
                          or along natural drainage lines). Fires may, depending on the
                          conditions and type of vegetation, burn areas larger than just the
                          melaleuca ecosystem. Ensure secure boundaries from non fire-
                          regime adapted ecosystems. Consider the needs of melaleuca
                          ecosystems based on understorey (i.e., heath dominated, sedge
                          dominated or mixed grass/shrub) when planning burns. High
                          soil moisture (or presence of water on the ground) is required,
                          as avoidance of peat-type fires must be maintained. ISSUES:
                          Fire regimes for melaleuca ecosystems require further fire
                          research. Melaleuca forests are fire-adapted, but too high an
                          intensity or frequent fire will slow or prevent regeneration and
                          lead to lower species richness (since these communities contain
                          numerous obligate seed regenerating species that require
                          sufficient fire intervals to produce seed). High intensity fires
                          may kill trees and lead to whipstick regeneration. Too frequent
                          fire may result in a net loss of nutrients over time from an
                          already nutrient poor system. Fire associations are significantly
                          influenced by understorey composition. Melaleuca communities
                          with a heath understorey should burn in a similar way to coastal
                          heath (8-12 years). Sedge understorey communities will burn in
                          association with the surrounding ecosystems (so will often burn
                          with them but sometimes not, such that these communities have
                          a slightly less fire frequency). Mixed understorey communities
                          burn in a similar way to dry sclerophyll, in association with the
                          surrounding dry sclerophyll, though somewhat less frequently
                          due to the additional moisture present in melaleuca
                          communities.

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