Context

Interactions between multiple threats are driving biodiversity loss. In human-modified landscapes, the extent to which fire regimes threaten species may depend on the configuration of native vegetation in relation to the matrix of other land uses. Despite crucial implications for fire management, interactions between spatial pattern in fire history and the matrix are unstudied.

Objectives

We used a multi-scale analysis to address two questions: do mammals respond to the landscape-context effect of the extent of older vegetation or growth-stage diversity? If so, are responses influenced by the presence of matrix?

Methods

Camera traps were used to survey mammals in the fragmented heathy woodland of southeast Australia. We quantified the percent of older vegetation, growth-stage diversity and matrix presence using 16 concentric circles centred on sites, and examined species’ responses using generalised linear models.

Results

We modelled eight species and found the responses of five species to fire history were influenced by matrix availability. Four species (three macropods and the yellow-footed antechinus, Antechinus flavipes) responded positively to growth-stage diversity when matrix was absent and vice versa, indicating that species acquire different resources from multiple growth stages in the absence of matrix. Moreover, these results suggest that using prescribed fire to create a mosaic of growth stages at scales of 80–710 ha may have positive conservation outcomes for these species.

Conclusions

Our study highlights the importance of examining the consequences of interacting threats. Consideration of landscape context in fire management may lead to better conservation outcomes for mammals in human-modified landscapes.

中文翻译：

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火灾历史中哺乳动物对空间格局的反应取决于景观环境

语境

多种威胁之间的相互作用正在推动生物多样性的丧失。在人为改变的景观中，火灾对物种的威胁程度可能取决于与其他土地利用矩阵相关的本地植被的配置。尽管对火灾管理具有至关重要的意义，但仍未研究火灾历史中的空间格局与矩阵之间的相互作用。

目标

我们使用了多尺度分析来解决两个问题：哺乳动物是否响应较老植被或生长期多样性的景观背景影响？如果是这样，响应是否受基质的存在影响？

方法

相机陷阱被用来调查澳大利亚东南部零散的林地中的哺乳动物。我们使用以站点为中心的16个同心圆来量化较旧植被，生长阶段多样性和基质存在的百分比，并使用广义线性模型检查物种的响应。

结果

我们对8种物种进行了建模，发现5种物种对火灾历史的响应受基质可用性的影响。四种（3个macropods和黄足的Antechinus，的Antechinus北美散白蚁）积极响应成长阶段多样性当基质是缺席，反之亦然，这表明物种从多个生长阶段在不存在基质的获得不同的资源。此外，这些结果表明，使用规定的火种在80-710公顷的规模上形成生长阶段的马赛克，可能会对这些物种产生积极的保护效果。

结论

我们的研究强调了检查相互作用威胁的后果的重要性。在消防管理中考虑景观环境可能会导致在人工改造景观中对哺乳动物的保护效果更好。