Burning season influences the response of bird assemblages to fire in tropical savannas

Published source details Valentine L.E., Schwarzkopf L., Johnson C.N. & Grice A.C. (2007) Burning season influences the response of bird assemblages to fire in tropical savannas. Biological Conservation, 137, 90-101.
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This study is summarised as evidence for the following.

	Action	Category
	Use prescribed burning on Australian sclerophyll forest Action Link
	Use prescribed burning on savannas Action Link

Use prescribed burning on Australian sclerophyll forest

A randomised, controlled study in January-March 2001 in eucalypt and riparian woodland at three sites along seasonally dry watercourses in northeast Queensland, Australia (Valentine et al. 2007), found no significant differences in overall bird species richness between 10 ha plots burned during the dry season (August 2000), the wet season (December 1999) or unburned plots. Two species were more abundant in the dry season burned compared to unburned sites, while one was more abundant in the dry season burned areas than under other treatments and two species were less abundant after burns. Two other species’ responses varied depending on which forest type they were in. Follow-up surveys in 2004 found no differences in species richness between fire treatments.
Use prescribed burning on savannas

A replicated, controlled study in January-March 2001 and 2004 in open eucalypt and riparian woodland along three creeks in Queensland, Australia (Valentine et al. 2007), found that plots burned in the dry season of 2000 had significantly fewer birds in 2004 than control (unburned) sites, whilst sites burned in the wet season of 2000 had higher abundances. Species richness did not vary in 2004. However, several species showed short-term changes in abundance after fire: three species were more abundant in dry-season burned sites in 2001; two were less abundant after burns. Pied butcherbirds Cracticus nigrogularis were more abundant in burned eucalypt sites and little friarbirds Philemon citreogularis were more abundant in dry season burnt sites and riparian habitat of wet season burnt sites.