Warrumbungle National Park fire management program
This research project examines the way different plant species in Warrumbungle National Park survived the 2013 wildfire and how long they’ll need to fully recover and become resilient to future bushfires.
Read more about Warrumbungle National Park fire management program
Fire management in national parks uses zones to identify areas that are managed for different goals. The Asset Protection Zone (APZ) has a goal to protect life and property. The Strategic Fire Advantage Zone (SFAZ) has a main goal to reduce fire intensity across large areas. The Land Management Zone (LMZ) has a goal to conserve biodiversity and protect cultural heritage.
Within each of these zones, two sets of guidelines are applied: biodiversity fire thresholds and fuel hazard thresholds.
This project tests how well the existing NSW biodiversity thresholds correspond with the observed post-fire recovery in Warrumbungle National Park, and documents how long different species take to recover and become resilient to a future fire. This information will fill a key knowledge-gap for the north-western slopes, and the results will be used to refine the Fire Biodiversity Guidelines for the region.
The project also aims to measure the rate and patterns of fuel accumulation following the fire. This information will be used to refine the fuel hazard thresholds applied to Warrumbungle National Park and improve future fire management planning for the reserve.