Fire, forests and fauna (The 2020 Krebs Lecture)

This article discusses some of the key themes on wildfires in forests and their effects fauna that I explored 2020 Krebs lecture at University Canberra. The examined my personal perspectives such topics as (1) climate change fire, (2) role hazard reduction burning mitigating house loss from wildfires, (3) how logging can elevate risks high-severity wildfire, (4) ways which structure age a forest time it is burnt has marked impacts post-fire recovery, (5) ecological damage caused by (salvage) logging, (6) aspects species recovery. Perspectives these are informed largely long-term work wet Victoria coastal woodlands Jervis Bay Territory neighbouring southern New South Wales. Some policy land management responses to outlined, including urgent need tackle change, better targeting close human infrastructure, removal conventional native forests, substantial expansion old growth estate, establishment dedicated monitoring gather empirical data needed quantify wildfires.