Differences between wildfire and clearfelling on the structure of montane ash forests of Victoria and their implications for fauna dependent on tree hollows

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Abstract
Some differences between the effects of clearfelling and wildfire on the vegetation structure of montane ash forests in the Central Highlands of Victoria are reported. The significance of these differences is considered in terms of their possible impacts on wildlife, particularly those species which are dependent on hollows in trees. Distinct differences between the vegetation of montane ash forests which have been clearfelled and those burnt by wildfire include: –(1) the range in ages of trees in a stand, and, (2) the spatial pattern, abundance and longevity of hollow-bearing trees. In stands burnt by wildfire, the longevity of hollow-bearing trees may be more than 50 years and several forms of such trees can be present. These trees are removed from clearfelled forest. In unlogged stands and stands regenerating from selective logging the spacing of hollow-bearing trees was typically regular in distribution. In contrast, the spatial distribution of hollow-bearing trees was clustered in stands which had regenerated after clearfelling. These differences may have a significant detrimental impact on wildlife and lead to a reduction in the abundance of some vertebrates in a given area of forest. Species such as arboreal marsupials, owls and cockatoos, which are reliant on a hollow-bearing trees for shelter and breeding, will probably be those most affected.

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