A conservation-significant threatened mammal uses fire exclusions and shifts ranges in the presence of prescribed burning

Abstract

Background Understanding how animals change their use of space following prescribed burning is essential for effective conservation management, particularly a threatened species such as the quokka (Setonix brachyurus). Aims To determine how individual quokkas change their home ranges following burns. Methods The movement patterns of 20 quokkas were tracked before and after prescribed burns between 2018 and 2020. Home-range area was calculated for each individual, and behavioural change point analysis was carried out to determine whether they changed their space use after the burns. Key results Six quokkas that had previously resided in areas that were prescribed burned, shifted their ranges and moved into the fire exclusions, avoiding the burn areas for an average of 105 ± 65 days. After 3 months, these quokkas spent no more than 2% of their time in the burn areas. By contrast, quokkas inhabiting fire exclusion and control sites did not show any change in their space use. Conclusions This study highlights the importance and proximity of appropriately sized fire exclusions to ensure that populations of species dependent on dense vegetation can be retained. Implications Fire exclusion areas are an important part of the planning of prescribed burns to retain habitat for fauna species that rely on dense cover for refuge and food.