Document ID: chunk:federal_register_of_legislation:F2024L01095:body:0:p23
Version: federal_register_of_legislation:F2024L01095
Segment Type: other
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Character Range: 59653–62531

or greater exposure to predators (Priddel & Wheeler 1997). In general, malleefowl often take 15-20 years to breed again at sites completely burnt by fire but may persist if even small patches remain unburnt.  Breeding in areas burnt within 10 years occasionally occurs but is rare unless unburnt patches occur nearby (Benshemesh pers. comm. 2023). There are several records of Malleefowl breeding within six years of habitat being burnt (National Malleefowl Monitoring Program), although this appears an exception rather than the norm (Benshemesh pers. obs.). Somewhat ironically, the accumulated litter that is used in nesting is also a major fuel-bed in most mallee habitats (Noble 1984), so that even in years of average rainfall some mallee habitats may be able to sustain large fires every 10–20 years (Leigh & Noble 1981).

Numerous authors have suggested that fire may benefit Malleefowl in the longer term as relatively short-lived shrubs, such as acacias, increase in abundance after fire and are food sources for the birds. However, this does not appear to be the case. Benshemesh (1990; 1992a) found breeding densities at four sites burnt 20–30 years previously to be only about one third that of neighbouring sites that had remained unburnt for at least 40 years, and this probably reflected the species' habitat requirements. Woinarski (1989a; 1989b) also observed fewer birds in habitat burnt within the past 40 years than in long-unburnt (60–80 years) habitat. As Woinarski's study involved counting birds rather than estimating breeding densities, his results further suggest that substantial non-breeding populations do not exist in younger age-classes of mallee. More recently, Clarke (2005) used habitat suitability modelling to examine fire history preferences of Malleefowl and other threatened mallee birds within reserve systems in the Murray mallee of NSW, SA and Vic. This study used recent sightings of Malleefowl and GIS data to develop a statistical model of the preferences of the species and also found that there was a strong preference by Malleefowl for older age classes (>20 years) and avoidance of younger classes. Connell et al. (2017) analysed the relationship between fire and Malleefowl occupancy in the Murray Mallee and found the strongest association at ~20–50 years since fire. Parsons and Gosper 2011 found that the WA wheatbelt Malleefowl habitats developed structural attributes of importance to Malleefowl between 25 and 45 years, and some habitat is likely to remain suitable for Malleefowl for long periods in the absence of fire. A general pattern is nonetheless evident: habitat older than 20 years is generally preferred, and in some cases might decline in suitability after 40 -60 years, although this may vary with habitat and circumstances across the range of the species (Benshemesh pers. comm. 2023).

The reasons for the