Scientists set to track Kangaroo Island’s post-bushfire ecosystem recovery

The Kangaroo Island dunnart (Sminthopsis aitkeni) is a small carnivorous marsupial found only on Kangaroo Island. The species was endangered before the recent fires, when catastrophically 95% of the remaining habitat was burnt.

Pat Hodgens of Kangaroo Island Land for Wildlife says the plant and soil data collected by TERN are incredibly valuable and complementary to the work of local fauna-based groups.

“TERN surveyed sites with dunnarts present before the recent fires and by re-revisiting these sites in October post-fire, we’re able to establish a big picture of ecosystem requirements of this endangered species.

“The in-depth data collection is an amazing opportunity not otherwise available. It is fantastic TERN monitors Australia’s ecosystems for the long-term.”

Image: Pat Hodgens of Kangaroo Island Land for Wildlife sets a camera trap to monitor the recovery of the endangered Kangaroo Island dunnart. Credit: Kangaroo Island Land for Wildlife

Another endangered species that could benefit from ongoing TERN monitoring is the green carpenter bee (Xylocopa aerata).

The last remaining population of green carpenter bees in South Australia is found on Kangaroo Island and entomologists warn that with the loss of large areas of long-unburnt banksia habitat, the future of the green carpenter bee is uncertain.

Dr Richard Glatz, Principal Scientist of D’Estrees Entomology & Science Services on Kangaroo Island, has been working with TERN since 2018 to record plants and soil property at plots with green carpenter bees.

“We have started looking at various locations to undertake specific surveys on the carpenter bees, so the TERN surveys will help us better understand the state of vegetation in the bees’ preferred habitats,” Dr Glatz says.

“There are numerous endemic, rare and undescribed invertebrates on Kangaroo Island and our understanding of invertebrate ecology is relatively poor, especially with regard to fire impacts.

Dr Glatz says the standardised nature of the TERN sites, and associated plant and soil data, provide great potential to establish invertebrate monitoring protocols there.

“This would help understand how specific components of Invertebrate communities—and their ecological functions—change over time, and to understand why these changes occur.”

“For the carpenter bee itself, the TERN sites could help us understand dynamics of the bees nest substrate (Banksia and yacca) within the broader plant community, or to assess the amount of available food resource associated with environmental variables such as rainfall or fire.”

Images: Local Kangaroo Island ecologists, including Dr Richard Glatz of D’Estrees Entomology & Science Services (right, in centre) are working with TERN to monitor green carpenter bee (below) habitat. Credit: Green carpenter bee, Louise Docker from Sydney, Australia / CC BY 2.0.

“The TERN sites could help us understand dynamics of the bees nest substrate within the broader plant community, or to assess the amount of available food resource associated with environmental variables such as rainfall or fire.”Dr Richard Glatz, D’Estrees Entomology & Science Services, the University of Adelaide and the South Australian Museum

Dr Nick Gellie, of the University of Adelaide and TERN’s Ecosystem Surveillance platform, says that the data collected before and after extreme events present a myriad of possibilities for Australian and international research and management communities.

“In particular, in the wake of such catastrophic fires in Australia, TERN’s ecosystem monitoring presents a positive and unique opportunity to gain critical insight into post-fire recovery and future management,” Dr Gellie says.

“In this instance, by revisiting the 12 burnt and unburnt sites on Kangaroo Island, TERN will be able to present a robust post-fire data snapshot—before-after and control and impact.

“Such detailed data provided by TERN are seldom available to researchers and decision-makers and will shed light on the dynamics of fire and ecosystem recovery in Australia’s important ecological communities.”