Journal articles on the topic 'Forest soils Victoria Gembrook'

An autumn fuel-reduction burn of low intensity (200-250 kW m-1) was performed in a Eucalyptus obliqua forest near Gembrook, Victoria. The aim of the study was to evaluate the effect of a single burn on floristics, biomass, N content and N2 fixation. The fire burnt 50% of the area in a mosaic pattern, significantly reducing understorey vegetation cover (by 90%) and plant density (by 70%) in burnt areas immediately after the fire. Understorey cover was restored to 40% of the original value 1 year later, but 33% of the understorey species were still absent from burnt areas. In the whole site mosaic, biomass declined by 30 t ha-1 (3 kg m-2) (10%) and N content by 100 kg ha-1 (10 g m-2) (18% excluding soil N, 2% including soil N). These losses were due to significant losses of biomass and N from the understorey only (88%, 85%), standing dead trees (57%, 62%), fallen wood (73%, 60%) and litter (69%, 70%). One year later, there was no significant increase in either biomass or N content. Burnt areas had five times the total nitrogenase activity of unburnt areas, owing to significantly greater specific nitrogenase (C2H2 reduction) activity, three times the nodule weight and 20 times the plant density of unburnt areas for the dominant legume (Pultenaea scabra). Using a calibration ratio for C2H2:N2 of 2.68 :1 derived from glasshouse growth studies, N2 fixation for P. scabra was estimated as 15 g ha-1 year-1 in burnt areas and 3 g ha-1 year-1 in unburnt areas, with a mean of 9 g ha-1 year-' for the whole site mosaic. Adding superphosphate to burnt areas increased estimated N2 fixation significantly by 14%, mainly by increasing nodulation. Losses of N due to the burn (100 kg ha-1) were considerably greater than gains from increases in N2 fixation (6 g ha-1 year-1) one year after the burn. Even allowing for N2 fixation by other, infrequent legumes and greater N2 fixation in subsequent years, these data suggest that the N lost in the burn is more likely to be replaced by inputs from soil reserves and rainwater than from N2 fixation by legumes.

A comparison was made of pH (1:5, soil: 0.01 M CaCl2) and easily extractable forms of Al [0.01 M CaCl2 (Alca); 1 M KCl (AlK); and 0.05 M CuCl2 (AlCu)] between forest and pasture soils near Bendigo, Victoria. Perennial pasture growth is required in this region to reduce groundwater recharge as part of the management of dryland salinity, but pasture growth may be inhibited by Al and Mn toxicity as a consequence of soil acidification. Both forest and pasture soils were found to be acidic (mean pH of 4.0 and 4.3 respectively) and AlCa concentrations are sufficient to anticipate toxicity to sensitive species. The forest site was cleared of timber over 50 years ago, and has since acidified by 63 kmol H+ ha-1, which is accounted for by organic anion accumulation in the forest regrowth. The forest soil has lower concentrations of AlCa, for a given pH, and more Al complexed to organic matter (Alcu-AlK), even though forest and pasture soils have equal amounts of organic carbon. The different A1 concentrations in forest and pasture soils are accounted for by a lag in A1 response to acidification, and greater complexation of Al with organic matter in the forest soil.

The Rushworth Forest is a Box and Ironbark open sclerophyll forest in central Victoria that has been subject to a long history of gold mining activity and forest utilisation. This paper documents the major periods of land use history in the Rushworth Forest and comments on the environmental changes that have occurred as a result. During the 1850s to 1890s, the Forest was subject to extensive gold mining operations, timber resource use, and other forest product utilisation, which generated major changes to the forest soils, vegetation structure and species cover. From the 1890s to 1930s, concern for diminishing forest cover across central Victoria led to the creation of timber reserves, including the Rushworth State Forest. After the formation of a government forestry department in 1919, silvicultural practices were introduced which aimed at maximising the output of tall timber production above all else. During World War II, the management of the Forest was taken over by the Australian Army as Prisoner of War camps were established to harvest timber from the Forest for firewood production. Following the War, the focus of forestry in Victoria moved away from the Box and Ironbark forests, but low value resource utilisation continued in the Rushworth Forest from the 1940s to 1990s. In 2002, about one-third of the Forest was declared a National Park and the other two-thirds continued as a State Forest. Today, the characteristics of the biophysical environment reflect the multiple layers of past land uses that have occurred in the Rushworth Forest.

Basalt-derived krasnozems are generally well-structured soils; however, there is a concern that intensive agricultural practices may result in an adverse decline in soil organic carbon, organic matter chemistry, and structural quality over time. A study was conducted on loam to silty clay loam krasnozems (Ferrosols) near Ballarat in south-western Victoria to assess changes in soil C, soil structural stability, and C chemistry, at the 0–10 cm soil depth, under 3 paired sites consisting of adjacent long-term forest (Monterey pine or eucalyptus) v. 30 year cropping [3 year pasture–2 year crops (potato and a root crop or grain)]. Soil structural stability was also characterised in the A and B horizons under long-term eucalyptus and several cropped sites. Organic C levels in the A horizons for all the soils were relatively high, ranging from 46 to 89 g/kg. A lower organic C (30%), associated mainly with loss of the sand-sized (>53 m) macro-C fraction, and a decrease in exchangeable Ca and Mg was found in the agricultural soils, compared with forest soils. Physically protected C in the <53 m fraction, as indicated by UV photo-oxidation, was similar among soils. Wet sieving indicated a decline of both C and N concentration in water-stable aggregates and the degree of macro-aggregation under agricultural soils, compared with the forest soils. However, soil structural changes under cropping were mainly related to a decline in the >5 mm sized aggregates, with no deleterious increase in the proportion of 0.10 mm aggregates. Solid state 13C NMR spectroscopy indicated a decrease in O-alkyl and alkyl C under pasture and cropping compared with forest soils, which was in agreement with the decline in the macro-C fraction. Characterisation of C chemistry following UV photo-oxidation showed that charcoal C (dominant presence of aryl C) accounted for 30% of the total soil organic C, while other functional groups (polysaccharides and alkyl C) were probably protected within micro-aggregates. Based on soil organic C and aggregate stability determinations alone, the implications for soil physical quality, soil loss, and diffuse pollution appear minimal. macroorganic carbon, soil aggregation, charcoal, photo-oxidation, potato rotation, CP/MAS 13C NMR spectroscopy.

Abstract. Well-drained, aerated soils are important sinks for atmospheric methane (CH4) via the process of CH4 oxidation by methane-oxidising bacteria (MOB). This terrestrial CH4 sink may contribute towards climate change mitigation, but the impact of changing soil moisture and temperature regimes on CH4 uptake is not well understood in all ecosystems. Soils in temperate forest ecosystems are the greatest terrestrial CH4 sink globally. Under predicted climate change scenarios, temperate eucalypt forests in south-eastern Australia are predicted to experience rapid and extreme changes in rainfall patterns, temperatures and wild fires. To investigate the influence of environmental drivers on seasonal and inter-annual variation of soil–atmosphere CH4 exchange, we measured soil–atmosphere CH4 exchange at high-temporal resolution (< 2 h) in a dry temperate eucalypt forest in Victoria (Wombat State Forest, precipitation 870 mm yr−1) and in a wet temperature eucalypt forest in Tasmania (Warra Long-Term Ecological Research site, 1700 mm yr−1). Both forest soil systems were continuous CH4 sinks of −1.79 kg CH4 ha−1 yr−1 in Victoria and −3.83 kg CH4 ha−1 yr−1 in Tasmania. Soil CH4 uptake showed substantial temporal variation and was strongly controlled by soil moisture at both forest sites. Soil CH4 uptake increased when soil moisture decreased and this relationship explained up to 90 % of the temporal variability. Furthermore, the relationship between soil moisture and soil CH4 flux was near-identical at both forest sites when soil moisture was expressed as soil air-filled porosity (AFP). Soil temperature only had a minor influence on soil CH4 uptake. Soil nitrogen concentrations were generally low and fluctuations in nitrogen availability did not influence soil CH4 uptake at either forest site. Our data suggest that soil MOB activity in the two forests was similar and that differences in soil CH4 exchange between the two forests were related to differences in soil moisture and thereby soil gas diffusivity. The differences between forest sites and the variation in soil CH4 exchange over time could be explained by soil AFP as an indicator of soil moisture status.

The Wombat Fire Effects Study was established to address a number of questions in relation to the effects of repeated low-intensity fires in mixed species eucalypt forest in the foothills of Victoria. This study has now been going for 25 years and has included the study of understorey plants, fuels, bats, terrestrial mammals, reptiles, invertebrates, fungi, birds, soils, tree growth, fire behaviour and weather. This forest system has shown a high resilience to fire that is attributed here to the patchiness and variability in the fire characteristics within a fire and the relatively small proportion of the landscape being affected. A means of comparing the level of “injury” caused by low-intensity prescribed fire with high intensity wildfire is proposed so that the debate about leverage benefits (the reduction in wildfire area compared to the area of planned burning) can be more rational. There are some significant implications for assessing the relative environmental impacts of wildfire compared with the planned burning program being implemented in Victoria since the Victorian Bushfires Royal Commission recommendations (Teague et al. 2010).

Nine phascogales (7 females, 2 males) were radio-tracked between March and July 1999 to investigate the spatial organisation of this species in spatially limited habitat near Euroa, Victoria. In this area, approximately 3.6% of the original woodland vegetation remains after 150 years of agricultural clearing. Most wooded habitat is confined to narrow linear strips along roads and streams. However, these remnants are on fertile soils and, because they have not experienced intensive harvesting, the density of large old trees is over 10 times that found in nearby State Forests and Parks. Female phascogales were monitored for 13–38 days over periods of 5–15 weeks. The size of home ranges of females was 2.3–8.0 ha, and averaged 5.0 ha. This value is one-eighth the mean home-range size previously recorded for the species in contiguous forest in Victoria. All individuals used multiple nest trees, with nests generally located in trees >80 cm diameter at breast height. Although fragmented and spatially limited, the stands of large old trees on productive soils near Euroa provide a network of well connected, high-quality habitat for phascogales. The relatively dense population of phascogales in these remnants suggests that prior to agricultural clearing and timber harvesting, phascogales may have been much more common in Victoria than at present.

Pseudomys novaehollandiae is ‘Endangered’ in Victoria, where it is presently considered to be extant at only three localities Loch Sport, Providence Ponds, and Wilsons Promontory. This study aimed to determine indicators of suitable habitat for the species that could assist in identifying potential habitat and sites for planned re-introductions as part of a recovery program. Vegetation and site data (soils, topography, rainfall, fire age-time since fire) were assessed at localities where P. novaehollandiae was recorded. The species occurred in five structural vegetation groups - open-forest, woodland, heathland, shrubland, grassland, with the most common being open-forest and woodland. Grassland and shrubland were restricted to coastal sand-dunes in south Gippsland. Understorey vegetation at most sites was dominated by sclerophyllous shrubs ranging in cover from 10 - 70%. Classification of quadrats produced eight floristic groups in which the trend was for quadrats to cluster according to geographical location. Ordination confirmed the classification pattern and vector-fitting produced significant correlations between vector points and five variables: species richness, latitude, longitude, fire age and annual rainfall. The study identified a range of vegetation communities where P. novaehollandiae occurs and provided evidence that the species is not restricted to floristically rich and diverse heathlands. The findings can be used to determine further localities with suitable habitat. However, factors other than vegetation are also likely to be important in predicting suitable habitat.

The relationship between selected chemical properties and nitrogen mineralization and nitrification was examined in soils collected from 39 sites of varying history. All sites were on podzolized sands; such soils represent more than 95% of the P. radiata growing area in south-east of South Australia/western Victoria. Given their uniformity in texture and similarity in pedogenesis, the organic matter concentrations of the sampled soils were highly variable (loss-on-ignition 0.8-10.2%). Total nitrogen was highly correlated with loss-on-ignition (r2 = 0.95, P<0.001). Nitrogen mineralization was correlated neither with total nitrogen nor loss-on-ignitition (i.e. P > 0.05), but was correlated with organic phosphorus (r2 = 0 70, P < 0.001), suggesting a major effect of phosphorus on nitrogen mineralization in these soils. On the basis of nitrate production during a 56-day aerobic incubation of disturbed soil, 18 soils were classed as strongly nitrifying (having a high potential to nitrify) and 18 as weakly nitrifying (having a low potential to nitrify). This separation reflected differences in other soil properties, with discriminant analysis giving a 91.7% correct classification into the two groups using only pH and Bray (II) extractable phosphorus for discrimination. Strongly and weakly nitrifying groups could also be discriminated on the basis of their value/chroma rating (after ignition), with a 94.4% probability of correct classification. Within each classification, nitrogen mineralization was correlated with total nitrogen (r2 =0.59 and 0.65, P< 0.001, for strongly and weakly nitrifying soils, respectively) but with a different relationship in each case. The significance of this difference in nitrogen dynamics is discussed in relation to site-specific forest management practices.

Soil samples taken in the Wombat State Forest in Victoria, at depths of 0-2, 2-5, and 5-10 cm before and after burning fuel loads of 0 (unburnt control), 15, 50, 150, and 300 t ha-1 were analysed for pH, exchangeable cations and cation exchange capacity, available and total P, organic carbon and soil moisture, over a 2-year, 2000 mm rainfall period. Short term responses (up to 6 months) occurred in levels of exchangeable NH4+, K+, and Mg2+, and long term changes (2 years or longer) over the period of the study were observed for pH, available and total P and exchangeable ca2+ at the 0-2 cm soil depth for the burnt treatments. Following burning (and 108 mm of rain), changes in soil chemical parameters were strongly correlated with fuel load and the quantity of fuel burnt. Changes through the 0-10 cm profile for the various chemical parameters are described, together with seasonal variations. For similar yellow podzolic soils, measurement of soil pH may be a useful criterion for monitoring soil chemical changes following slash and fuel reduction burning, provided that accurate estimates of fuel loads, composition and amount burnt can be established.

An outlier of mallee vegetation occurs south of the Great Dividing Range in Victoria in a rain shadow region (annual rainfall approx. 500 mm) about 50 km west of Melbourne. A Eucalyptus behriana open-scrub with a sparse understorey of chenopods, mosses, lichens and some grasses occurs on solonetz soil on lateritized Tertiary sandy clays and on skeletal soils on Ordovician slates and sandstones. The dryness of the mallee site is probably exacerbated by the smaller rate of water infiltration and greater salinity of the solonetz soil under E. behriana compared with the solodic soil, in the moister area further north, under an open-forest of E. microcarpa. The multistemmed habit of E. behriana appears to be partly genetically fixed. Hollow lignotuberous rings, filled to a depth of about 15-25 cm with brown, nutrient-rich humus, are common. Pattern analysis of the distribution of stems of E. behriana indicated strong clumping at about 9 m², due to the multistemmed habit, and weaker clumping at about 600 m², which correlated with the size of groups of dense, spindly individuals of E. behriana, resulting from a past phase of gap regeneration.

Natural communities have the capacity to regenerate themselves, and this functional ecosystem attribute must be regarded as a key indicator of success for revegetation programmes. The accumulation of species (and individuals) as dormant propagules in a soil seedbank, representing potential future states for the vegetation, is one possible index of revegetation success. Here, we investigate the soil seedbanks for five natural vegetation (Box-Ironbark forest) remnants, a topsoil stockpile and three revegetated mine-site areas associated with gold mining at Stawell (Victoria, Australia). The revegetation efforts largely date from 1987 and, in terms of their composition and structure, are relatively similar to natural vegetation remnants. Soil samples were treated with heat or smoke (plus control) and were monitored for seedling emergence, species composition and density in the glasshouse for 150 days. Seedling densities in treated seedbank samples were high (2 200 to 17 500 seedlings m-2) while species richness was low, ranging from 10 to 20 species per sample. Exotic species made up 22?61 % of emergents and 33?50% of species observed. Correlation of seedbank composition and density with chemical attributes of soils, and with above ground (extant) vegetation at sites showed few significant relationships. Total species richness and the proportion of exotic species varied significantly between natural bushland remnants and revegetation areas. Richness was highest, and the proportion of exotic species was lowest in natural bushland samples. Total emergent numbers and the density of exotic emergents did not vary significantly between remnant bushland and revegetation areas. Declining vigour of some woody species in revegetation sites that are well represented in the seedbank, including Acacia pycnantha and A. genistifolia, indicates that the reintroduction of fire might be an appropriate management practice to facilitate long-term recovery of a functional community on these revegetated surfaces, but the potential for the establishment of weed species from the seed-bank following fire may pose a challenge to management.

Eleven stream stations within the basins of the Bemm, Cann, Thurra, Wingan and Genoa Rivers were sampled during a 3-month interval following a prolonged drought and intense and extensive forest fires. Emphasis was placed on flows resulting from three major storms that occurred during this period. Water-quality impacts of the fires were intermingled with those of the preceding drought, and flow- related comparisons with pre-drought data showed appreciable increases in colour, turbidity, suspended solids, potassium and nitrogen levels in the Bemm River, which was only marginally affected by the fires. In the Cann and Genoa Rivers, with much larger proportions of catchment burnt, electrical conductivity and phosphorus concentrations also rose substantially. Marked depletion of dissolved oxygen (to <6 mg I-1) was unique to streams with burnt catchments, but resulted from stagnant conditions at the end of the drought as well as from changes occurring at the time of the first post-fire storm. The fires had little obvious effect on temperature and pH regimes. Peak turbidities and concentrations of suspended solids and phosphorus were much greater in the Cann and Genoa river systems than elsewhere. Maximum values for these indicators were 130 NTU, 2300 mg I-1 and over 0.8 mg I-1, respectively. In the Thurra and Wingan basins, which were also burnt, stream suspended-solids levels were lower (<200 mg I-1), but solutes sometimes reached very high maxima (indicated by peak electrical conductivities of up to 110 mS m-1). Variations in catchment topography and soils and the relative importance of surface and subsurface flow probably account for these differences. The first post-fire storm produced the highest measured levels of many indicators in most streams, although the greatest flows were associated with the third storm. Nitrite and ammonia were notable exceptions to this generalization. Estimates of catchment exports indicated high sediment yields and moderate to high phosphorus yields from the Cann and Genoa catchments, by comparison with other Australian data.

The ash-bed effect (the enhanced growth of plants on soil which has been heated) following fire in Eucalyptus regnans forest is dramatic. The results are presented of studies of the effects of a range of heating and partial sterilization treatments on chemical, microbiological and physical properties in soil from a 250-year-old E. regnans forest in Victoria. Soil treatments not involving heat (chemical sterilization, γ -irradiation and air-drying) and the lower temperature heat treatments (100 and 200°C) had no marked effects on physical characteristics. All treatments produced more or less similar effects on microbial populations. On the other hand, heating the soil to 400-600°C produced large, significant and sustained increases in the availability of nitrogen and phosphorus and these increases were enhanced by a decrease in clay colloid. The results support the hypothesis that the ash-bed effect following fire in E. regnans forest is due to an increase in the availability of nutrients, and in the availability of nitrogen and phosphorus in particular. A transitory increase in the concentration of manganese caused by heating the soil may account for initial toxicity in plants grown in soils which have been heated. Since species within the subgenus Monocalyptus are characterized by lower tissue concentrations of manganese than those within Symphyomyrtus, it could be hypothesized that the potential for toxicity following bushfire varies between the two subgenera. The literature on the effects of soil-sterilising treatments is highly variable; the causes of variability include soil type and moisture content, treatment (sterilizing by steam, chemicals or heat) and the method of treatment (time, how the soil was contained, and how the treatment was applied).

Sticherus flabellatus (R.Br.) St John, commonly known as Umbrella Fern, is a member of the Gleichenaceae family. Sticherus flabellatus is found on the N.S.W. coast and ranges, Qld, and eastern Victoria in Australia, as well as in New Zealand and New Caledonia. Fronds emerge from underground creeping rhizomes, forming large colonies in sheltered sites in moist gullies and creek banks in open forest. Propagation of the genus Sticherus has previously been relatively unsuccessful. The ferns are difficult to raise from spore and established specimens resent major disturbance to their roots, therefore making them hard to transplant. As a result of these difficulties the properties of the soil in which S. flabellatus grows naturally were investigated to determine the specific requirements for successful growth. Soil was collected from naturally occurring stands of S. flabellatus growing in a diverse range of sites within and on the periphery of the Sydney Basin. At each site a core of soil (12 cm diameter x 12 cm high) was taken at ≈0, 25, and 50 m along a line transect situated within a S. flabellatus stand, providing three replicates for each site. Physical and chemical properties were determined for each site. Particle size and consequently soil texture were determined using the hydrometer method. Electrical conductivity (EC) and pH readings were taken in a 1 soil: 5 water solution. pH readings were also taken in a 1 soil: 5 CaCl solution. Available P was analysed using the Bray (no. 2) method and organic carbon through colorimetric measurement after dichromate acid digestion. We found that S. flabellatus prefers growing in quite acidic soil with an average pH of 5.2 in a water solution and 4.0 in a CaCl solution. The EC readings were also significantly low with a mean reading of 37.0 μS•cm-1. Organic carbon was measured at a mean of 2.4% and available P at 4.1 mg•kg-1 of soil. Using the International Soil Texture Triangle the soil in which S. flabellatus is found growing can be classified as sandy. The average sand content was 87.6%, clay 6.8% and silt 5.5%. These results show that S. flabellatus grows naturally in highly acidic, nutrient poor sandy soils that contain only minimal amounts of organic carbon and phosphorus. Therefore this needs to be taken in consideration when trying to successfully propagate the fern.

Old growth is a critical growth stage in many forest types globally. It has many key ecological roles including biodiversity conservation, carbon storage and the provision of services such as water production. The extent of old growth forest has been declining in many ecosystems around the world, with major ecological and ecosystem service consequences. Important insights about such declines, as well as the structure, function and conservation of old growth forest, can be gained from detailed cross-sectional and longitudinal studies of different age cohorts within a given forest ecosystem. In this review article, we outline key insights into the characteristics of, and threats to old growth forests, using the Mountain Ash (Eucalyptus regnans) forests of the Central Highlands of Victoria, south-eastern Australia as a detailed case study. These forests are dominated by the tallest flowering plants on earth and have been subject to several decades of intense study. These studies show that old growth Mountain Ash forests are characterized by (among other features): giant trees (approaching 100 m tall and sometimes exceeding 20 m in circumference), numerous trees with hollows, an understorey of Acacia and rainforest trees, a range of plant and animal species that are rare or absent in younger aged stands, and moist, nutrient-rich soils. The area of old growth Mountain Ash forest has declined to 1.16% of the ∼141,000 ha area occupied by ash-type forests in the Central Highlands region. This is up to 60 times less than it was at the time of European colonization ∼220 years ago. The loss of old growth has major implications for bird, mammal and other biodiversity, as well as for carbon storage and water production for human consumption. The main drivers of old growth decline are recurrent wildfire, widespread clearcutting, and a logging-fire interaction in which cut and then regenerated forests become more flammable and are at significantly elevated risk of burning at high (stand replacing) severity. Climate change is also a driver of old growth decline both through elevating the mortality of large old living trees and underpinning an increase in the frequency of high severity wildfire. These interacting drivers mean that restoring old growth Mountain Ash forest will be an ecological and policy challenge. We argue that a first step must be to cease all commercial logging in the Mountain Ash ecosystem to allow new cohorts of old growth forest to be recruited and thereby expand the extent of the old growth estate. In addition, the Government of Victoria should revert to a past definition of old growth that made it easier for forest to qualify for protection. Given there are high risks of recurrent high-severity wildfire in the existing Mountain Ash forest estate which is dominated by highly flammable young regrowth forest, new technologies (such as the use of drones and satellites) are needed to rapidly detect and then suppress ignitions before fires become large and difficult to control. Mountain Ash forests have provided an important natural laboratory for understanding the dynamics, management and conservation of old growth forest. They have also helped generate some valuable general perspectives likely to be relevant to other forest ecosystems globally. These include: (1) the critical value of multi-facetted cross-sectional and longitudinal studies in quantifying attributes of, and threats to, old growth forest, (2) the need for a carefully crafted definition of old growth that will typically be ecosystem-specific and based on the time required to develop key ecosystem attributes (e.g., large old trees), (3) the importance of rigorous protection measures because poor decisions that result in the loss of old growth now will take prolonged periods to rectify, and (4) setting protection levels that are relative to the existing spatial coverage of remaining old growth and the extent and impacts of stressors driving old growth decline.

ABSTRACT The catastrophic 2009 wildfires in the Mountain Ash (Eucalyptus regnans) forests of the Central Highl&s of Victoria provided an opportunity to gain new insights into the responses to fire by various elements of the biota. Ongoing long-term monitoring at a large number of permanent field sites for up to 25 years prior to the fire, together with 10 years of post-fire monitoring, has provided an unparalleled series of datasets on mammal, bird, & plant responses on burned & unburned sites. The empirical studies briefly summarized in this paper show patterns of steep declines in large old trees & declines in site occupancy by arboreal marsupials & birds. These changes contrast markedly with the responses of the two most common species of small mammals (the Agile Antechinus [Antechinus agilis] & Bush Rat [Rattus fuscipes]), which recovered within two generations after the fire. Declines in arboreal marsupials, birds & large old trees have also occurred on unburned sites, indicating an ecosystem-wide trend. In general, logging had a greater impact than fire on the majority of groups of birds & plants, particularly post-fire salvage logging that occurred in some areas following the 2009 wildfires. Beyond interactions between fire & post-fire (salvage) logging & their effects on forest biota, we have uncovered evidence of other kinds of interactions in Mountain Ash forests. These include interactions between: (1) the severity of fires & logging history, (2) post-fire bird population recovery & long-term climate & short-term weather conditions, & (3) impacts on forest soils. The structure & l&scape composition of the Mountain Ash ecosystem has been radically altered over the last century. This has resulted from the combined impact of several large fires, including the 2009 fires as well as widespread clearfell logging that has been conducted within state forests over the last 50 years. The ecosystem now supports old growth cover that is 1/30th to 1/60th of what it was estimated to have been prior to European settlement. The ongoing decline of key components of the Mountain Ash ecosystem has led to it being classified as Critically Endangered & at high risk of ecosystem collapse. We argue that current forest policy & practices need to better mitigate the effects of fire on this already highly disturbed forest & enhance the possible persistence of species in this ecosystem. Several key strategies are required to do this. First, there is a need to significantly exp& the extent of old growth within the Mountain Ash forest estate. This is because fire severity is diminished in such areas. Spatial contagion across old-growth dominated l&scapes also may be suppressed relative to l&scapes composed primarily of young forest. Allied management strategies include the protection of more mesic parts of Mountain Ash l&scapes as these are less likely to burn or at least burn at high severity. Such enhanced protection should include an exp&ed network of buffers around drainage lines & waterways as these are where fire severity is likely to be lowest & also where old growth elements like large old hollow-bearing trees are more abundant. In addition, all existing living & dead hollow-bearing trees need to be protected by buffers of unlogged forest within wood production forests to promote their st&ing life & better conserve cavity-dependent fauna such as the Critically Endangered Leadbeater’s Possum (Gymnobelideus leadbeateri) & other declining taxa like the Greater Glider (Petauroides volans).