Microhabitat selection by small mammals in response to fire

Understanding how fire influences animal behaviour, such as movement and resource selection, is important for ecosystem management because it can improve our capacity to predict species will respond. We assessed microhabitat selection by two small mammals, the bush rat (Rattus fuscipes) agile antechinus (Antechinus agilis), in response a low intensity prescribed fire. used spool line tracking touch pole vegetation surveys quantify along 21 trails rats 22 antechinuses before after In unburnt areas, showed positive sedges, logs, habitat complexity, with further increasing burnt areas ferns, shrubs, complexity patches. Agile no significant or change Their lack of ground fires may be due, partially, their scansorial behaviour use tree hollows refuge sites. Strong patches suggests that even intensity, patchy planned burns impact high burn patchiness help persist recently areas. Future planning should consider both behavioural population responses animals