Woody thickening a burning issue

A new project to monitor and develop a guide on the management of woody thickening through fire regimes on Cape York Peninsula will begin next month.

The project is being coordinated by Cape York NRM through funding from the Queensland Government’s Natural Resources Recovery Program (NRRP) with the overall aim of improving the ability to respond to natural disasters and climate change.

“The main objective of the project is to develop clear guidance on how to use fire regimes to manage the four land use C's - Carbon, Culture, Cattle and Conservation - in the context of increasing woody thickening,” Cape York NRM Biodiversity & Fire Programs Manager Toby Eastoe said.

Woody thickening is when the density of trees and woody shrubs is increasing in the landscape.

“There is growing evidence of marked changes in woody structure across the region, and this can affect pastoral production as well as the biodiversity of the country,” Toby said.

“Photographic evidence and data research on the Cape stretching back 50 years or more shows vast areas of grassland have been overtaken by woody stemmed trees and saplings, which can impact threatened species that rely on these open spaces, such as the Golden-Shouldered parrot, and on grazing or carbon credit potential of properties.

“It’s a global phenomena and in Australia, there is more and more interest in how best to manage it.”

The Project - Supporting Cape York Peninsula Landholders to Improve Vegetation Condition through Management of Woody Thickening using Integrated Fire Regimes - (Woody Thickening Project), will begin at the start of July and continue until the end of June 2024.

The Cape York NRM team will consult with a number of eligible properties wanting to take part; collect specific details on how they are managing woody thickening with fire; review the vegetation condition before burns; examine previous burning regimes; and assess the potential impacts on carbon farming methodologies.

Ultimately, the project will produce a guide on the practical use of fire to control woody thickening, including stakeholder engagement, burn planning, grazing management, burn preparation and the safe ways to deliver those burns,

It will also establish a monitoring regime to measure the long-term impact of burning on woody thickening.

The Woody Thickening Project is being delivered by Cape York NRM with support from the Queensland Government’s Natural Resources Regional Recovery Program.