Severe anthropogenic wildfires disrupt ecological dynamics in iconic world heritage island woodlands
image: This research provides insights into the complexities of fire management from a biodiversity perspective, investigating faunal and floral diversity of Banksia aemula low open woodland ecosystems. This research provides an important biodiversity baseline for the dominant ecosystem on World Heritage-listed K'gari, with 57 flora species and 28 vertebrate fauna species.
Credit: Elizabeth Brunton, George Anderson, Grahame Applegate, Linda Behrendorff, Aaron Brunton, Rachel Killer, Robert Lamont, Sarah Orchard, and Gabriel Conroy.
Date: May 1, 2026
Sippy Downs, Australia: A new study published in Biological Diversity documents severe ecological impacts from widespread anthropogenic wildfires on K’gari (Fraser Island), a UNESCO World Heritage sand barrier island off Australia’s east coast. Led by Dr. Elizabeth Brunton from the University of the Sunshine Coast, the research combines camera trapping and vegetation surveys to examine post‑fire recovery in Banksia aemula low open woodland (BALOW), the island’s dominant ecosystem.
Fieldwork across three sites with contrasting fire histories showed that the site burned by the most recent, high‑severity 2020 Duling wildfire supported less than one‑third the vertebrate species richness compared to moderately burnt and long‑unburnt sites. Mammal and bird diversity were most severely affected. In contrast, the site with lower‑intensity, more frequent historical fires maintained the highest faunal diversity, while the 30‑year unburnt control exhibited greater tree diversity but reduced shrub richness.
The team recorded 56 plant species (including the vulnerable Acacia baueri) and 28 vertebrate species across two years of monitoring. High‑severity fire drastically reduced coarse woody debris, a critical refuge for small mammals and reptiles, slowing recolonization even in this fire‑adapted system.
These findings highlight that large, high‑intensity wildfires undermine biodiversity even in ecosystems evolved with fire, supporting mosaic and cultural burning approaches that enhance pyrodiversity and landscape resilience.
Original Source
Brunton, Elizabeth, George Anderson, Grahame Applegate, Linda Behrendorff, Aaron Brunton, Rachel Killer, Robert Lamont, Sarah Orchard, and Gabriel Conroy. 2024. “Ecological dynamics in Banksia aemula woodlands following widespread, anthropogenic wildfires on a world heritage listed island (K'gari), Australia.” Biological Diversity 1(3–4): 180–192.
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/bod2.12025
Keywords
camera trap, fire ecology, fire impact, Fraser Island, protected area management, world heritage
About the Author
Elizabeth Brunton (First Author and Corresponding Author), PhD, University of the Sunshine Coast, Australia. Her research focuses on wildlife conservation, urban ecology, citizen science, and conservation physiology. She has published more than 20 peer-reviewed papers with over 160 total citations.
About the Journal
Biological Diversity (ISSN: 2994-4139) is a new open-access, high-impact, English-language journal, devoted to advancing biodiversity conservation, enhancing ecosystem services, and promoting the sustainable use of resources under global change. It features innovative research addressing the global biodiversity crisis.