The impact of fire, in oldgrowth forest of the Walpole-Nornalup National Park, on short-range endemic invertebrates and their forest floor communities.
Project aim:

To do an inventory of the differences in species compositions of the arthropod litter communities containing both undescribed species and short range endemics, at forest sites, both long unburnt, prescribed burnt and burnt in a recent wildfire.

Anticipated project outcomes:

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Inventory of the majority of arthropod species in the litter community and the establishment of the Nuyts Collection (approx. 700 species mostly new or undescribed).

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Comparison of species compositions of microhabitats such as forest floor litter, tree butt litter, hollow butt litter and perched litter/moss microhabitats on logs.

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Comparison of species compositions following differing fire regimes.

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Documentation of the impacts on short-range endemics of differing fire regimes.

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Comparison of taxa such as spiders and beetles as bio-indicators of post-fire responses of the whole forest floor litter community





Anticipated users of the knowledge to be gained and technology transfer strategy:

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Education of the local community through production of Discovery Centre displays, talks and photographic field guides.

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Supply of ecological information to local tour guides and operators.

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Education and attraction of tourists.

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Provision of a large species collection of an entire litter community for the use of university students, and local and international taxonomic specialists.

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Provision of a database, analysis and report of the species compositions of sites with different fire ages for the use of fire managers and planners in oldgrowth forest parks to conserve their biodiversity.

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Refining this pilot study method for potential use by regional community groups throughout Western Australia.