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EFFECTS OFPRESCRIBEDBURNING ON HERPTILES INSOUTHEASTERN QUEENSLAND DAVTDS. HANNAH ANDGEOFFREY C.SMITH Hannah D.S. & Smith. G.C 1995 1201: Theeffects ofprescribedbtwning onhcrpules lH southeastern Queensland. Memoirs ofthe Queensland Museum >8(2):529-53l. Brisbane. ISSN0079-8835. Studyofherptile faunaswithin native forests and managedexotic pine plantations, subject todifferentburningregime*,produced inconsistentresultswithrespect Intheeffectsoffire management on vertebrate diversity and species nchness. Abundance varied markedly among burning regimes in native forest areas (SPA1). Herptdes, diversity, burning, speciesrichness. DavidS, HannahamiGeoffreyC. Smith, QueenslandForestResearchInstitute, DP!Forest Service. 80MeiersRd, Indooroopdly. Queensland406H,Australia; 19June 1995. Informationonthelongtermeffectsofrepeated atea, systematic sampling targeted three lha & fireson faunaappearstobescant(Christensen quadrats percompartment7treatment. Abbott, 1989). There arc few studies on the ef- Systematicsampling involvedpitfall trappingwith fectsoffire on reptiles (Lunney et a!., 1991)and drift fences and active searching. Five pitfall traps. fewer on amphibians (Bamford, 1992). The 400 mm deep by 240mm diameter, placed at five Beerbunum Plantation Complex (centred on metreintervals,connectedbya300mmhighalumin- Beerburrum Forestry Office: 26' 571 S, 152*57' ium fry wiredrift fence, formed a pitfall line. There E), some 50 km north ofBrisbane, incorporates were 6 and 3 pitfall lines pertreatment in the SPA1 relativelyundisturbed nativeforestand managed and TPA, respectively. The SPA1 plots war Bin plantations of exotic pine. These have mainly \eyed over6consecutivedayseach (11-28January been bumt at2-3 year intervals There has been, 1994)amithe1PAover5consecutivedayseach .'\ however, no assessment ofthe impact ofthis or March-20April 1994).Therewere 180and75pitfall aonfythoetsheefrorfiersetsm.anagement regime on the fauna atrnadppTiPnAg,nirgehstpsecotifveeflfyo.rtApDeirvetrrseiattymeInntdeinxt(hSehaSnPnAonI & Thisstudyaimedtoprovideinformationon the Weaver, 1949) wascalculated foreach treatment diversity and density ofberptilcs in forests sub- based on pit trapping data. Study areas were also jecttodifferentburningregimes.Thenativeveg- actively and systematically searched Incidental re- etation study was located in Scientific Purpose cordswere madeinandaroundthestudyareas. Area J (SPA1). Vegetation types in the SPA1 Systematic pittrapping and active searches re- include heath, herblands,. shrublands, and Scrib- corded 133 individuals of 11 species of reptiles blyGum/Bloodwoodassociations. Firetreatment and263 individualsof4speciesofamphibiansin plotsconsistedofacontrol (unburntsince 1973), the SPAK and 54 individuals of 9 species of plots burnt dunng autumn-winter on a 3 year reptiles and 124 individuals of9 species ofam- cycle(lastburned 1991)andduringwinter-spring phibians it) the TPA (Table I), Identifications on a 5 year cycle (last burned 1993). Each plot were made by DH. With the exception of was approximately 1.5 ha, with two replicate Rhinoplocephulus boschmai cf. and Litoria brevipalmato, the species recorded were typical plots per treatment. Data from these replicates for forests of the region. The Rhinoplocephalus werepooled.Theplantation study was located in spp. was uncharacteristic of R. nigrescens and the Twins Plantation Area (TPA), established in was recorded as R. boschmai, L. brcvtpabnaia 1947-49 with Pinus elliotii, P carribaca var was unexpected from thepine plantation; but Ihe hondurensis. hybrids ofthese species, and rem- specimens caught and icleased in the TPA, con- nant riparian and swamp vegetation- Treatments formed fully with the description by Cogger were located in three separate compartments: a (1992). Specimens from the same locality haw- control (unburnt since establishment) and two sincebeenidentifiedbyG.Ingram(QldMuseum, treatments (without fire for 7 years and without pers. coram.). L brevipalmata is listed as rap.* in firefor2years). Therewasnoregularburning,as Queensland (QDEH, 1993) along with Cnnm per the SPAL Compartments averaged 25ha in tinntda, themostcommonlycaugfalspeciestoihe 530 MEMOIRSOFTHEQUEENSLANDMUSEUM TABLE 1 Native1Vegetation PinePlantation Species Unburnt 3yrburn 5yrburn Incidental Unburnt 2yrsnofire 7yrsnofire Incidental REPTILES Agamidae Amphiboluntsnobbi 1 2 ! Diporiphoraaustralis 2(1) 1(5) Pogonabarbata -d) -d) Varanusvarius -0) Scincidae Calyptotusscutirostrum 1 Cryptoblepharusvirgatus -12) -(2) -(4) -(3) Ctenotusarcantts - 1(0 3d) Eulampristenuis Present Haemisphaeriodongerrardh 2 -ili Lampropholisumicuta 4 I Lampropholisdelicatal 14(11) 9(19) 7(38) 2(20) -(3) 5(9) Lygisaurusfoliorum 1 Tiliquascincoides 1 Colubridae Dendrelaphispunctulata -d) Tropidonophismairii Present Present Elapidae Demansiapsammophis ! -(1) Hemiaspissignata -(1) -(1) Rhinoplocephatusboschmai Present Rhinoplocephalusnigrescens -d) Pygopodidae Lialisburtonis Present AMPHIBIANS Myobatrachidae Adelotusbrevis 1 1 Crinititinnula 37(4) 38(14) 30(24) 1 Limnadynastesornatus I Limnodynastesperonii 2(2) -(9) 11 21 15 Limnadynastesterraereginae 2(2) 5 4 Pseudophrynecoriacea 1 1 2 Hylidae Litoriabrevipalmata -(2) -(3) 8 Litoriacaerulea Present Litoriafattax Present Present Litorialatopalmata -<T> Litorianasuta -(2) Bufonidae Bufomarinus 4(2) 18(6) 47(13) 22(1) 11(10) 9 TOTALNUMBERS 61(22) 79(46) 93(95) 42(30) 34(19) 42(11) NUMBEROFSPECIES 9 12 10 5 13 9 9 3 SHANNON INDEX 1.18 1.56 1.25 1.91 1.26 2.42 EFFECTSOFBURNINGON HERPTILES 531 SPA1. The introduced Bufo marinus was com- species composition was different in the pine mon in both study areas. It associated signifi- plantation compared to native vegetation. cantly with the treatment burned every 5 years ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS (fired 6monthspreviously)andavoidedthecon- trol (A2=41.8, df=2, P<0.05) in the SPA1. In contrast, itassociated significantly with thecon- ThankstoGlendaHeadand PeterSchellenber- trol inthe TPA (JP=7.0, df=2, P<0.05). gerforlogisticalsupport;toPatrickCouper,Glen The treatment burnt every 3 years (fired two Ingram and Greg Czechura for assistance with andahalfyearspreviously) withintheSPA1 and identification. This project was supportedby the the treatment without fire for7 years in the TPA DPI Forest Service. yielded the highest Diversity Indices. The3 year LITERATURECITED burnt treatment within the SPA1 and the control wbeirtshi(npitth-etTraPppAinrgetaunrdnseedatrhcehhiingghceosmtbsipneecdie)s;nthuemr-e BAMFtOiRmeD,aMf.te1r992f.iTreheiumppoanctoHfeflirieoapnodriunscreeaysreiin,g werenosignificantdifferencesamongtreatments Limnodynastes dorsalis and Myobatrachus within either the SPA1 or TPA. The study sug- gouldii (Anura: Leptodactylidae) in Banksia gests thatfire management does not consistently woodlandnearPerth,WesternAustralia. Wildlife affectdiversity andspeciesrichness ofherptiles. Research 19: 169-78. However, abundance did vary markedly among COGGER,H.S. 1992.ReptilesandamphibiansofAus- burning regimes in the SPA1 (X?=42.3, df=2, LUNNtEraYli,a. (D.R,eeEdBBYo,okPs.:&SydOn'eyC)O.NNELL, M. 1991. P<0.05), with more than expected numbers oc- Effects of logging and fireon small mammals in curring within the treatment burnt every 5 years Mumbulla State Forest, near Bega, New South (fired 6 months previously) and fewer in the Wales.Australian Wildlife Research 14: 163-81. QUEENSLAND DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRON- unburnt control; differences were partly ex- plained by B. marinus captures, but also MENT AND HERITAGE 1993. Preliminary list Lampropholisdelicatacaptures. ofrare and threatened vertebratesin Queensland. (Department ofEnvironment and Heritage: Bris- The numbers of species (excluding incidental bane), records)werecomparablebetweentheSPA1 and SHANNON, C.R & WEAVER,W. 1949. The mathe^ TPA(15and 18respectively),despitedifferences matical theory ofcommunication. (University of in trapping and searching effort. Nevertheless, Illinois: Urbana). TABLE 1. Numbers ofherptilescapturedinpitfall trapsand by active searching (inparentheses) incontrol and firetreatmentsin SPA1 andTPA.Otherincidental recordsare provided foreachstudy area.Shannon index for pittrappingonly.