Fire is a crucial ecological process that shapes ecosystems globally. Predators also have strong effects on ecosystems, so understanding how they respond to fire is important for effective fire management and biodiversity conservation. We tested predictions regarding the effects of prescribed burns on predator communities spanning two taxonomic classes (mammals and reptiles) and a range of body sizes (∼5 g to 15 kg) in an Australian desert ecosystem. Following 10 prescribed burns (5–267 ha each), we conducted camera trap surveys at both burnt and unburnt sites to investigate the effects of various burn variables on predator species richness and the activity of individual predator species. All nine predator species showed changes in activity in response to fire, with burn coverage being the most influential variable. Burn patchiness and distance to burns had limited effects. Fire effects were most frequently detected using buffer sizes of 50 and 100 m, rather than 500 m. Both mammal and reptile predator species richness decreased in response to fire. Our results add new depth to the literature on predator responses to fire, which to date has primarily been focussed on mammalian carnivores greater than 1 kg in body size. The importance of burn coverage, the weaker influence of burn patchiness, and the differing responses across predator species highlight the importance of considering the spatial effects of fires in fire management and predator conservation. Our results point to the need for landscape-scale management strategies that consider the habitat requirements and preferences of different predator species. • Mammal and reptile predator richness decreased following prescribed burning in a desert ecosystem. • Prescribed burning had variable effects on the occurrence of individual predator species. • All nine predator species showed changes in activity in response to fire. • Burn coverage was the most influential burn variable in the studied desert ecosystem.
Geelen et al. (Thu,) studied this question.