DOI: 10.5061/dryad.6s2b0p9
title: Data from: Combining optimization and simulation modelling to measure the cumulative impacts of prescribed fire and wildfire on vegetation species diversity

description: 1. Growth-stage optimisation (GSO) offers a new approach to biodiversity
 conservation in fire-prone regions through estimating the optimal
 distribution of vegetation growth stages that maximises a species
 diversity index. This optimal growth-stage structure provides managers an
 operational goal explicitly linked to a positive conservation outcome but
 does not define the fire regime needed to achieve it. 2. We paired GSO
 with LANDIS II, a landscape succession and disturbance simulation model,
 to (1) estimate the optimal growth-stage structure that maximised
 vegetation diversity in a south-east Australian heathy woodland, (2)
 define the fire regime needed to achieve it, and (3) determine the
 cumulative effects of different fire-regime scenarios on vegetation
 diversity over a 60-year period. Scenarios included 0, 2, 5 and 10% of the
 landscape burnt per year by prescribed fire only, or in combination with
 three alternative wildfire regimes. In addition, we investigated the
 differences in the optimal growth-stage structure relating to
 above-ground, soil seedbank, and total (above and soil seedbank) diversity
 data sets. 3.The growth-stage structure that maximised total vegetation
 diversity comprised approximately even proportions of all stages. In
 contrast, separately analysed above-ground and soil seedbank data resulted
 in a greater proportion of younger and older growth-stages, respectively.
 4. Scenarios including 5% prescribed burning per year (with and without
 wildfire) resulted in diversity values within 1.5% of the theoretical
 maximum value. Scenarios including 2% and 10% prescribed fire resulted in
 diversity values 8 - 12% and 1.5 - 5% lower than the maximum,
 respectively. Scenarios without prescribed fire caused diversity to fall
 30 - 70%. Trends across the 60 years showed that wildfire depressed
 diversity and subsequent prescribed fire drove recovery within 15 years.
 The largest threat to vegetation diversity was the absence of fire. 5.
 Synthesis and applications. Combining GSO and simulation modelling is a
 powerful method for defining a conservation-based fire management goal and
 identifying the prescribed fire regime needed to achieve it. This method
 provides a flexible platform for developing long term fire management
 strategies that seek to balance human safety and biodiversity
 conservation.
description: R script for
 growth-stage optimisation, sensitivity analysis, and abundance
 changeR script for
 growth-stage optimisation, sensitivity analysis, and abundance
 changeGrowth_stage_optimisation_sensitivity_abundance_change.RmdAbove-ground species diversity in the juvenile growth-stageWe used fire-history maps to stratify the landscape into four growth stages: 0-3 years since fire (juvenile); 4–10 years (young); 11–34 years (mature); and &gt;34 years (old). We established 71 sites across the range of growth stages within each region. At each site, we counted all above-ground shrub, sub-shrub, and herbaceous species in six 3 × 3 m quadrats, two each at ridge, mid-slope (midway between ridge and gully) and lower-slope/gully locations.above_juvenile.txtAbove-ground species diversity in the young growth-stageWe used fire-history maps to stratify the landscape into four growth stages: 0-3 years since fire (juvenile); 4–10 years (young); 11–34 years (mature); and &gt;34 years (old). We established 71 sites across the range of growth stages within each region. At each site, we counted all above-ground shrub, sub-shrub, and herbaceous species in six 3 × 3 m quadrats, two each at ridge, mid-slope (midway between ridge and gully) and lower-slope/gully locations.above_young.txtAbove-ground species diversity in the mature growth-stageWe used fire-history maps to stratify the landscape into four growth stages: 0-3 years since fire (juvenile); 4–10 years (young); 11–34 years (mature); and &gt;34 years (old). We established 71 sites across the range of growth stages within each region. At each site, we counted all above-ground shrub, sub-shrub, and herbaceous species in six 3 × 3 m quadrats, two each at ridge, mid-slope (midway between ridge and gully) and lower-slope/gully locations.above_mature.txtAbove-ground species diversity in the old growth-stageWe used fire-history maps to stratify the landscape into four growth stages: 0-3 years since fire (juvenile); 4–10 years (young); 11–34 years (mature); and &gt;34 years (old). We established 71 sites across the range of growth stages within each region. At each site, we counted all above-ground shrub, sub-shrub, and herbaceous species in six 3 × 3 m quadrats, two each at ridge, mid-slope (midway between ridge and gully) and lower-slope/gully locations.above_old.txtSoil-seedbank species diversity in the juvenile growth-stageWe used fire-history maps to stratify the landscape into four growth stages: 0-3 years since fire (juvenile); 4–10 years (young); 11–34 years (mature); and &gt;34 years (old). We established 71 sites across the range of growth stages within each region. The soil seedbank was sampled by extracting soil cores (6 cm diameter, 5 cm depth) and treating, germinating, and identifying the seeds within.below_juvenile.txtSoil-seedbank species diversity in the young growth-stageWe used fire-history maps to stratify the landscape into four growth stages: 0-3 years since fire (juvenile); 4–10 years (young); 11–34 years (mature); and &gt;34 years (old). We established 71 sites across the range of growth stages within each region. The soil seedbank was sampled by extracting soil cores (6 cm diameter, 5 cm depth) and treating, germinating, and identifying the seeds within.below_young.txtSoil-seedbank species diversity in the mature growth-stageWe used fire-history maps to stratify the landscape into four growth stages: 0-3 years since fire (juvenile); 4–10 years (young); 11–34 years (mature); and &gt;34 years (old). We established 71 sites across the range of growth stages within each region. The soil seedbank was sampled by extracting soil cores (6 cm diameter, 5 cm depth) and treating, germinating, and identifying the seeds within.below_mature.txtSoil-seedbank species diversity in the old growth-stageWe used fire-history maps to stratify the landscape into four growth stages: 0-3 years since fire (juvenile); 4–10 years (young); 11–34 years (mature); and &gt;34 years (old). We established 71 sites across the range of growth stages within each region. The soil seedbank was sampled by extracting soil cores (6 cm diameter, 5 cm depth) and treating, germinating, and identifying the seeds within.below_old.txtAbove-ground and soil-seedbank species diversity in the juvenile growth-stageWe used fire-history maps to stratify the landscape into four growth stages: 0-3 years since fire (juvenile); 4–10 years (young); 11–34 years (mature); and &gt;34 years (old). We established 71 sites across the range of growth stages within each region. At each site, we counted all above-ground shrub, sub-shrub, and herbaceous species in six 3 × 3 m quadrats, two each at ridge, mid-slope (midway between ridge and gully) and lower-slope/gully locations. The soil seedbank was sampled by extracting soil cores (6 cm diameter, 5 cm depth) and treating, germinating, and identifying the seeds within.a_combined_juv_ab.csvAbove-ground and soil-seedbank species diversity in the young growth-stageWe used fire-history maps to stratify the landscape into four growth stages: 0-3 years since fire (juvenile); 4–10 years (young); 11–34 years (mature); and &gt;34 years (old). We established 71 sites across the range of growth stages within each region. At each site, we counted all above-ground shrub, sub-shrub, and herbaceous species in six 3 × 3 m quadrats, two each at ridge, mid-slope (midway between ridge and gully) and lower-slope/gully locations. The soil seedbank was sampled by extracting soil cores (6 cm diameter, 5 cm depth) and treating, germinating, and identifying the seeds within.b_combined_young_ab.csvAbove-ground and soil-seedbank species diversity in the mature growth-stageWe used fire-history maps to stratify the landscape into four growth stages: 0-3 years since fire (juvenile); 4–10 years (young); 11–34 years (mature); and &gt;34 years (old). We established 71 sites across the range of growth stages within each region. At each site, we counted all above-ground shrub, sub-shrub, and herbaceous species in six 3 × 3 m quadrats, two each at ridge, mid-slope (midway between ridge and gully) and lower-slope/gully locations. The soil seedbank was sampled by extracting soil cores (6 cm diameter, 5 cm depth) and treating, germinating, and identifying the seeds within.c_combined_mat_ab.csvAbove-ground and soil-seedbank species diversity in the old growth-stageWe used fire-history maps to stratify the landscape into four growth stages: 0-3 years since fire (juvenile); 4–10 years (young); 11–34 years (mature); and &gt;34 years (old). We established 71 sites across the range of growth stages within each region. At each site, we counted all above-ground shrub, sub-shrub, and herbaceous species in six 3 × 3 m quadrats, two each at ridge, mid-slope (midway between ridge and gully) and lower-slope/gully locations. The soil seedbank was sampled by extracting soil cores (6 cm diameter, 5 cm depth) and treating, germinating, and identifying the seeds within.d_combined_old_ab.csv