Document ID: chunk:federal_register_of_legislation:F2024L00006:reg:3:p13
Version: federal_register_of_legislation:F2024L00006
Segment Type: reg
Provision Reference: reg 3 (pt 13/58)
Character Range: 37583–40642

& Bramwell 1998; Bain & McPhee 2005; Bain et al. 2008; Lindenmayer et al. 2009;
 Stone et al. 2018). The response of Eastern Bristlebird populations to fire is highly variable and strongly context-dependent (Bradstock et al. 2005; Bain et al. 2008), but they are particularly vulnerable to large-scale, intense fires (e.g., Clarke & Bramwell 1998; Baker 2000). The extent, intensity and frequency of fires are all important in determining habitat suitability.

           Small-scale or low-intensity fires may leave small patches of unburnt habitat that provide refuge during fire and a base for the recolonisation of burnt areas post-fire. The presence of nearby unburnt habitat as a refuge is an important landscape component for the survival of Eastern Bristlebirds following fire (Holmes 1989; Pyke et al. 1995; Baker et al. 1997; Baker 1997, 2000; Bain et al. 2008). Birds may escape fire by temporarily moving to nearby unburnt vegetation and then return when conditions are suitable (Bain et al. 2008).

           Example of an optimal prescribed burn (low flame height moving slowly downhill) to maintain northern
           Eastern Bristlebird habitat © Copyright, Kelly Roche for NSW Department of Planning and Environment

Northern population

           The habitat of northern populations of Eastern Bristlebird is characterised by open forest with dense tussocky grass understorey and sparse mid-storey near rainforest ecotone.

           The northern population mainly occurs in scattered areas of montane open forest where the undergrowth is dense and grassy, and contains diverse structural features which provide the birds with protection and nesting locations. The ground-layer vegetation is usually about 1.0–1.5 m tall, providing about 65–90% ground cover.
           Typical ground cover includes tussock-grasses such as Sorghum leiocladum, and other grasses, with a variety of scattered small shrubs, woody herbs, patches of ferns and vine tangles (Holmes 1989, 1998; Lamb et al. 1993; Hartley & Kikkawa 1994; Sandpiper Ecological Surveys 2000; DES 2018; Stone et al. 2018a, 2018b).

           Northern populations sometimes occur in other vegetation types such as heathland
           with stunted shrubs, or swampland with dense ferns and sedge tussocks. Habitat is typically either interspersed with, or adjacent to, mature subtropical rainforests, although some birds live up to 750 metres away from rainforest (Holmes 1989; Sandpiper Ecological Surveys 2000; OEH 2012; DES 2018; Stone et al. 2018b; Stone

 et al. 2019). Adjacent rainforest or damp gullies are likely to be refuge areas for the birds during and after fires. In the more exposed situations, suitable habitat tends to be confined to intermittent watercourses (Holmes 1989; Hartley & Kikkawa 1994; OEH 2012).

 A fire regime that is too infrequent in the northern population could allow vegetation to become unsuitable for nesting through trees and shrubs becoming established and shading the growth of suitable grassy ground cover, grassy tussocks becoming too