Walpole-Nornalup National Park - Department of Environment and ...

European settlement. Coastal areas in the Walpole-Nornalup National Park were also burnt regularly
from the 1850s to the 1970s to promote fodder for grazing cattle.
Many major wildfires in the Park have caused structural and visual deterioration of some forest areas
in the Hilltop, Giants and Bellanger Beach areas and in the Ficifolia block around Peaceful Bay.
Since the early 1970s prescribed bums have been carried out in the Park as part of a regular fuel
reduction burning program.
Behaviour
Fire behaviour is affected by the amount and type of fuel, air temperature, fuel dryness, wind speed
and topography (Sneeuwjagt and Peet, 1985). Four major fuel types exist in the Park: karri-tingle,
jarrah, swamp-flats, and heath. Each fuel type accumulates fuel at different rates and has different
fire spread characteristics.
The Walpole area experiences strong winds during summer, usually from the north-east in the
morning and the south-east in the afternoon. Strong winds from the north-west in summer and
autumn can fan intense, fast moving wildfires. The topography of the Park includes steep slopes and
gullies that make wildfires difficult and dangerous to control, and can promote erratic and severe fire
behaviour.
Ecology
Although there have been few studies published on the response of the biota to fire regimes in
Australia it is possible to make fairly accurate and reliable predictions when surveys are coupled with
a good knowledge of the life history strategies of the component organisms (Burrows et al., 1987,
Hopkins and Saunders, 1987, Wardell-Johnson et al., 1989b). Therefore, guidance on the fire
response of plants in the Walpole area is now available (Wardell-Johnson, data).
However, little data is available on the effects of fire on red tingle, particularly in the early years after
regeneration. The species is unique to the Walpole-Nornalup area and may be a relict of earlier
eucalypt forests that invaded the southern beech forest, millions of years ago when rainfall fell below
1800 mm. per annum (Main, pers. comm., 199 1).
Although much is known about vertebrates, little information is available on seral preferences for
invertebrates. Main (1987 and 1991) suggests that certain vulnerable invertebrates occurring only in
the Walpole area once existed in rainforest that rarely, if ever, experienced fire. These organisms
pre-date the increased occurrence of fire in this environment.
The longevity, fire response, origin, dieback disease response and flowering or active period of plants
provide guidance on the sensitive flora and plant communities with respect to fire management
(Wardell-Johnson et al., 1989b). These attributes have been recorded, where possible, for the 429
species occurring in 145 regularly monitored quadrats in the Park (the fire response of 72 species is
unknown). Table 5 lists the numbers of species according to response categories following fire.
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