Regenerative burning ignites thriving ecology

Trials of low-intensity burning in reconstructed grassy woodland areas within SA Water’s reservoir reserves are proving a vital tool in building a healthy ecology and improving habitat for wildlife.

Regenerative patch burns were recently applied at Millbrook in the Adelaide Hills and Mount Bold, south of the city, with follow-up assessments showing an increase of more than 60 native grass seedlings per square metre and strong regeneration of threatened wildflower species such as Slender Mint and Pale Everlasting.

SA Water’s Vegetation Services Specialist Shaun Kennedy said fire has long been recognised as an important part of the natural cycle for temperate grassy ecosystems and regenerative burns are widely used by Traditional Owners and land managers.

“These grassland burns differ markedly in scale and resource requirements from prescribed burns in healthy woodlands at higher elevations, with grassland burns typically carried out in targeted areas by a small team of trained fire personnel,” Shaun said.

"Prescribed burns remain an important part of our land management operations, and part of a state-wide program to reduce the spread and intensity of bushfires, protect communities and enhance biodiversity.

“The flat terrain of the restoration sites within Mount Bold and Millbrook reservoir reserves, combined with lower fuel loads in the revegetation sites makes regenerative burns at these locations easy to manage safely, without the need for large volumes of water.”

To date, SA Water has completed four hectares of regenerative burning within 68 hectares of restoration sites on its reservoir reserve land.

“One of the most noticeable observations since the recent Mount Bold patch burns is how rapidly the grassy meadows have responded, with tussocks of native Wallaby-grass, Windmill Grass and Silky Blue-grass re-sprouting within a matter of weeks, followed by a steady germination of seedling grasses and wildflowers,” Shaun said.

“It’s also fantastic to see a strong response from the iconic Kangaroo Grass, which is a key species that supports native butterflies and woodland birds. This once widespread grass struggles to persist in the absence of fire, so to see it germinating on our sites is an indicator that much of its lifecycle is strongly cued into fire patterns.

“Since 2017, we have established 14 species of native grasses from seed while adding more than 20 species of wildflowers from tubestock plantings, and regenerative burning is supporting the ongoing regeneration of these important grassland sites at Millbrook and Mount Bold Reservoirs.”

Following the success of the regenerative burning approach to date, SA Water is looking to further integrate fire into grassy woodland restoration projects to promote healthy ecosystems in its reservoir reserves.

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