THE native vegetation of both Mount Eccles (Budj Bim) and Mount Napier (Tapoc) - and an appropriate fire regime with it - is the subject of an upcoming talk in Hamilton by a University of Melbourne ecologist, presented by the Society for Growing Australian Plants.

The area is dominated by Manna Gum with a sub-canopy of Acacias and a ground layer of Bracken with the vegetation classified as Stony Rises Woodland that forms part of the Western Plains Woodland Ecological Fire Group.

This is a grouping of several similar vegetation types that is used to inform fire management according to the fire sensitivity of key indicator species.

Following concerns that the current fire management prescriptions may cause adverse ecological outcomes for the local densely treed vegetation, the project sought to revisit the fire sensitivity of species common to the Stony Rises Woodland within these two iconic locations.

Using a combination of on-ground vegetation surveys - including repeat surveys following the 2020 Mount Eccles fire, glasshouse trials examining soil seedbanks, and desktop modelling, this project addressed three key questions:

- What ecological impacts would fire applied at current recommended intervals have on the plant community?

- What is the most appropriate fire regime for Stony Rises Woodland?

- Are there other important factors that need to be considered when determining appropriate fire regimes for Stony Rises Woodland?

This talk will provide a summary of the scientific evidence produced from this research and how it will assist with the fuel management, high threat weeds, and koalas in Mount Eccles and Mount Napier.

The work will be presented by associate professor, Sabine Kasel, from The University of Melbourne, a forest ecologist passionate about the conservation and management of Victoria’s forest ecosystems and the biodiversity these forests support.

The talk is part of a schedule that includes the annual general meeting and will be held at HIRL on Wednesday, June 14 at 7.30pm.