Environment Matters Spring/Summer 2021

Mosaic burning on a small scale Shane and Sam Einam – Land for Wildlife and Voluntary Conservation Agreement member Lynda Maybanks – Managing Director Wirrinyah Conservation Services Our property goal was to improve the natural habitat while running a few head of livestock. Mosaic burning was a strategy we were keen to try for native grass regeneration and weed control.

Mosaic burns are low intensity, slow burns on smaller areas that leave patches of vegetation intact so that it can regenerate quickly. Due to the temperature and moisture in the ground and the low intensity of the fire it does not kill plant roots, soil microbes or organisms. The process adds nutrients such as potash, charcoal, carbon and organic matter back into the soil. This is a similar method to Aboriginal cultural burning, which burns for specific plant species and ecosystems, rather than entire landscapes. Where there are different plants with different times for the ‘right fire’, burns happen in the same areas at different

times during the year. Naturally, the outcome is a mosaic burn. We had to wait for the perfect opportunity with the right temperature, humidity, rainfall, fuel load and winds. An eight hectare paddock was assessed for suitability with a Fire Permit obtained from the Rural Fire Service. We started at 5am but with the morning dew the fire did not take. We tried again at 8.00 am. There were four of us with protective gear, fire beaters (flappers), knapsacks and a mobile 1,000 litre firefighting rig. The fire was slow and manageable, but we had two small breakaway fires we brought under control with the rig.

We were fortunate to have about 10mm of rain a few days later and within two weeks the paddock was green with no obvious signs of the burn. Weed reduction in the paddock was almost immediate and long term we have noticed an increase in the spread of native grasses. If you are considering using fire as management tool, we recommend attending sessions and seeking information from experts such as the Indigenous Firesticks Alliance, Ipswich City Council, Healthy Land

and Water, Rural Fire Services and the Queensland Fire and Biodiversity Consortium.

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