In March there was a deliberately lit fire in Star Swamp Bushland Reserve. Last month, after time and rain, we went to see how the regeneration was progressing and it was amazing. The birds were singing everywhere. Ben from Nuts about Natives told me the dead looking zamias would be fine and they were sprouting up everywhere (from their burnt base).
Xanthorrhoea (Xanthorrhoea preissii) and zamia (Macrozamia riedlei) were the most noticeably green after being burnt totally black by the fire. Many of the trees (including tuart, jarrah, marri and banksia) had dead leaves or none at all, but were sprouting leaves at the base or from branches. Some trees had not sprouted back because the fire had killed them, but their death makes way for other plants to sprout nearby where previously they would have been shaded or not had enough resources available. The seeds of many indigenous plants will not grow until after fire and so the fire was just what they needed.
The spaces opened up by the fire also allow invasive species to spread, which we saw happening. Their seeds don’t survive fire, unlike indigenous plants, so only wind blown or animal carried seeds were growing.
The reserve is only 96 hectares and in the middle of suburban housing, so there are no indigenous mammals, but there are reptiles such as snakes and lizards. Because they can’t move as fast as other animals many may have been killed, but not all the area of the reserve was burnt and so reptiles from the unburnt parts can recolonise the regenerated land. The birds did not seem disturbed a week after the fire (although there were none in the still-hot parts) when we went to Star Swamp in March because they would have been able to fly away from the fire. Most birds nest from winter to summer, and by March offspring would hopefully have left the nest. Some species may breed any time of the year, such as Willy wagtails and some Wattlebirds and Honeyeaters.
The burning of mature trees provides hollows which are used by a number of bird species for nesting. Hopefully some were created, high enough in the trees to enable future nesting.
There is a semi-permanent freshwater lake, hence the name Star Swamp, and this was burnt. There would not have been much water at the time because it was the end of summer and frogs, insects, etc may have perished in the fire, although they might have been eggs buried deep enough to survive.
Despite the coming back to life of the bush, the fire was arson and lit at the end of summer, a time of high temperatures, winds and little rain for months. It should not have happened, but Australian plants and animals have evolved to survive such occurrences and it was beautiful to see this endurance in action.
See more photos of the fire and subsequent regeneration at Star Swamp.
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