Collaborative Research on the Ecology and Management of the ‘Wulo’ Monsoon Rainforest in Wunambal Gaambera Country, North Kimberley, Australia
Indigenous groups are increasingly combining traditional ecological knowledge and Western scientific approaches to inform the management of their lands. We report the outcomes of a collaborative research project focused on key ecological questions associated with monsoon vine thickets in Wunambal Ga...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2017-10-01
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| Series: | Land |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/6/4/68 |
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| author | Tom Vigilante Stefania Ondei Catherine Goonack Desmond Williams Paul Young David M. J. S. Bowman |
| author_facet | Tom Vigilante Stefania Ondei Catherine Goonack Desmond Williams Paul Young David M. J. S. Bowman |
| author_sort | Tom Vigilante |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Indigenous groups are increasingly combining traditional ecological knowledge and Western scientific approaches to inform the management of their lands. We report the outcomes of a collaborative research project focused on key ecological questions associated with monsoon vine thickets in Wunambal Gaambera country (Kimberley region, Western Australia). The study mapped monsoon rainforests and analysed the environmental correlates of their current distribution, as well as the historical drivers of patch dynamics since 1949. Remote sensing was used to chart the effectiveness of an intervention designed to re-instate Aboriginal fire regimes according to customary principles. We identified the most vulnerable patches based on size, distance from neighbouring patches, and fire frequency. More than 6000 rainforest patches were mapped. Most were small (<1 ha), occurring predominantly on nutrient-rich substrates (e.g., basalt) and fire-sheltered topographic settings (e.g., slopes and valleys). Rainforests with low fire frequency and no cattle were more likely to expand into surrounding long-unburnt savannas. Frequent fires and cattle did not cause substantial contraction, although the latter affected rainforest understories through trampling. Fire management performed by Aboriginal rangers effectively shifted fire regimes from high-intensity late dry season fires to early dry season fires, particularly in areas with clusters of vulnerable rainforests. The remote sensing methods developed in this project are applicable to the long-term monitoring of rainforest patches on Aboriginal-managed land in North Kimberley, providing tools to evaluate the impacts of fire management, feral animal control, and climate change. The study confirmed the importance of the cattle-free and rarely burnt Bougainville Peninsula as one of the most important rainforest areas in Western Australia. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-20T12:07:56Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-7e87ad4368fa41c68c6361c18971dc5c |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2073-445X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-20T12:07:56Z |
| publishDate | 2017-10-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Land |
| spelling | doaj.art-7e87ad4368fa41c68c6361c18971dc5c2022-12-21T19:41:21ZengMDPI AGLand2073-445X2017-10-01646810.3390/land6040068land6040068Collaborative Research on the Ecology and Management of the ‘Wulo’ Monsoon Rainforest in Wunambal Gaambera Country, North Kimberley, AustraliaTom Vigilante0Stefania Ondei1Catherine Goonack2Desmond Williams3Paul Young4David M. J. S. Bowman5Uunguu Healthy Country Team, Wunambal Gaambera Aboriginal Corporation, PMB 16 Kalumburu via Wyndham WA 6740, AustraliaSchool of Biological Sciences, University of Tasmania, Sandy Bay 7005 TAS, AustraliaUunguu Healthy Country Team, Wunambal Gaambera Aboriginal Corporation, PMB 16 Kalumburu via Wyndham WA 6740, AustraliaUunguu Healthy Country Team, Wunambal Gaambera Aboriginal Corporation, PMB 16 Kalumburu via Wyndham WA 6740, AustraliaScience and Conservation Team, Bush Heritage Australia, Melbourne 3000 VIC, AustraliaSchool of Biological Sciences, University of Tasmania, Sandy Bay 7005 TAS, AustraliaIndigenous groups are increasingly combining traditional ecological knowledge and Western scientific approaches to inform the management of their lands. We report the outcomes of a collaborative research project focused on key ecological questions associated with monsoon vine thickets in Wunambal Gaambera country (Kimberley region, Western Australia). The study mapped monsoon rainforests and analysed the environmental correlates of their current distribution, as well as the historical drivers of patch dynamics since 1949. Remote sensing was used to chart the effectiveness of an intervention designed to re-instate Aboriginal fire regimes according to customary principles. We identified the most vulnerable patches based on size, distance from neighbouring patches, and fire frequency. More than 6000 rainforest patches were mapped. Most were small (<1 ha), occurring predominantly on nutrient-rich substrates (e.g., basalt) and fire-sheltered topographic settings (e.g., slopes and valleys). Rainforests with low fire frequency and no cattle were more likely to expand into surrounding long-unburnt savannas. Frequent fires and cattle did not cause substantial contraction, although the latter affected rainforest understories through trampling. Fire management performed by Aboriginal rangers effectively shifted fire regimes from high-intensity late dry season fires to early dry season fires, particularly in areas with clusters of vulnerable rainforests. The remote sensing methods developed in this project are applicable to the long-term monitoring of rainforest patches on Aboriginal-managed land in North Kimberley, providing tools to evaluate the impacts of fire management, feral animal control, and climate change. The study confirmed the importance of the cattle-free and rarely burnt Bougainville Peninsula as one of the most important rainforest areas in Western Australia.https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/6/4/68aboriginal natural resource managementAustralian monsoon tropicsbiodiversityferal cattlefire regimestraditional ecological knowledgetropical savanna |
| spellingShingle | Tom Vigilante Stefania Ondei Catherine Goonack Desmond Williams Paul Young David M. J. S. Bowman Collaborative Research on the Ecology and Management of the ‘Wulo’ Monsoon Rainforest in Wunambal Gaambera Country, North Kimberley, Australia Land aboriginal natural resource management Australian monsoon tropics biodiversity feral cattle fire regimes traditional ecological knowledge tropical savanna |
| title | Collaborative Research on the Ecology and Management of the ‘Wulo’ Monsoon Rainforest in Wunambal Gaambera Country, North Kimberley, Australia |
| title_full | Collaborative Research on the Ecology and Management of the ‘Wulo’ Monsoon Rainforest in Wunambal Gaambera Country, North Kimberley, Australia |
| title_fullStr | Collaborative Research on the Ecology and Management of the ‘Wulo’ Monsoon Rainforest in Wunambal Gaambera Country, North Kimberley, Australia |
| title_full_unstemmed | Collaborative Research on the Ecology and Management of the ‘Wulo’ Monsoon Rainforest in Wunambal Gaambera Country, North Kimberley, Australia |
| title_short | Collaborative Research on the Ecology and Management of the ‘Wulo’ Monsoon Rainforest in Wunambal Gaambera Country, North Kimberley, Australia |
| title_sort | collaborative research on the ecology and management of the wulo monsoon rainforest in wunambal gaambera country north kimberley australia |
| topic | aboriginal natural resource management Australian monsoon tropics biodiversity feral cattle fire regimes traditional ecological knowledge tropical savanna |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/6/4/68 |
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