The Retention,Revival, and Subjugation of Indigenous Fire Knowledge through Agency Fire Fighting in Eastern Australia and California

This article explores the potential impact of training and employment with wildfire management agencies on the retention of Indigenous fire knowledge. It focuses on the comparative knowledge and experiences of Indigenous Elders, cultural practitioners, and land stewards in connection with “modern” political constructs of fire in New South Wales and Queensland, Australia, and California in the United States of America. This article emphasises the close link between cross-cultural acceptance, integration of Indigenous and agency fire cultures, and the ways in which knowledge types are shared or withheld. While agency fire fighting provides an opportunity for Indigenous people to connect and care for country, it simultaneously allows for the breaking of traditional rules surrounding what knowledge is shared with whom in the context of Indigenous cultural burning. By highlighting how privilege intersects with ethnicity, class, gender and age, this article demonstrates how greater cross-cultural acceptance could aid ongoing debates on how to coexist with wildfire today.     

Gully Initiation and Implications for Management of Scour Holes in the Vicinity of the Jabiluka Mine, Northern Territory, Australia

A track across a burnt grass swale was used intensively on the Jabiluka Mineral Lease (located adjacent to Kakadu National Park in the seasonally wet tropics of the Northern Territory, Australia) for a short time period during the 1998 dry season. Repeated vehicle passes over the burnt grass increased soil bulk density and locally disrupted the root and algal mat, lowering the critical shear stress for sediment transport. Overland flow during the next wet season was above average and eroded eleven discontinuous, flow‐aligned scour holes in the wheel ruts where the track crossed grassed sandy swales. Although the site was burnt again during the next dry season, the scour holes did not coalesce during the second wet season, which was wetter than the previous one, because infrequent traffic bypassed the eroded section allowing grass to re‐establish. Scour holes on vehicle tracks in the Kakadu region are an intermediate but reversible stage in the development of gullies in grassed swales. Treatment of scour holes by soil conservation works may prevent gully formation.     

African Fire Cultures,Cattle Ranching,and Colonial Landscape Transformations in the Neotropics

Fire regimes emerge partly from human activities that reflect cultural‐ecological knowledge of the relationships among fire, vegetation, grazing, climate, and other variables, as well as social relations. More knowledge of such “fire cultures,” past and present, therefore remains necessary to better understand the causes and persistent consequences of landscape burning. In the neotropics, people have used fire for centuries to manage livestock pastures. Conventional wisdom has long posited that such practices derived solely from antecedent European and indigenous, Native American fire cultures. Analysis of accounts of rangeland burning from throughout the neotropics during colonial times, however, demonstrates that ranchers incorporated African fire cultures and that the timing of burning shifted from early during the dry season in the sixteenth century to late during the dry season by the nineteenth century.     

Permits to burn: weeds,slow violence,and the extractive future of northern Australia

ABSTRACT

This essay narrates the ‘slow violence’, or creeping environmental harms taking place within contemporary environmental governance. It centres on a tall, dense and highly flammable introduced pasture species Gamba grass (Andropogon gayanus), which was listed as a weed across north Australian jurisdictions in 2008. Since this time, it has continued to expand its reach across the Northern Territory (NT). With a potential invasion range of over 380,000?sqkm², this grass is a serious threat to many more-than-human worlds in the north, including Indigenous-led and Indigenous-owned environmental service economies and multimillion-dollar projects engaged in savanna fire management for carbon credits. Drawing upon fieldwork and interviews with a range of public servants, landholders and researchers in the NT between 2015 and 2018, this essay demonstrates how environmental governance is being undermined through specific institutions and practices. Through an ethnographic reading of weed management documents, including several legal permits to grow Gamba grass within the NT’s ‘eradication zone’, this essay narrates the diverse threads of a pressing ‘slow’ disaster. The unfolding story of Gamba grass, we suggest, is instructive for those seeking to understand the present and future of resource extraction or ‘extractivism’ in Australia and elsewhere.     

An evolutionary model for sabkha development on the north coast of the UAE

The north coast of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) provides a typical example of coastal sabkha (supratidal flat) formation. Various stages of sabkha development can be recognized along this coast. This paper combines previous studies of sabkha environment with the results of field investigation of sabkha geomorphology, sedimentology, and stratigraphy on the north coast of UAE, to formulate a model of sabkha evolution.The model has six stages in the evolution of coastal sabkhas following the early Holocene sea-level rise. These are: Stage 1: sea-level rise results in the formation of an embayment. Stage 2: involves subsequent spit development and progradation across the bay as a result of sediment availability. Stage 3: coincident with spit evolution is the development of a khor (tidal inlet) with or without mangrove. Channel depth of Khors varies from 4 to 6 m. Stage 4: sediment accumulates in the khor reducing the khor depth, turning it into a lagoon. There are three sub-stages of the lagoon stage. (a) With lagoon depths of 1–2 m, (b) with lagoon depths 0.5 m or less, (c) when the lagoon floor is exposed at low tide. Stage 5: is sabkha formation; development occurs in two sub-stages. In the first the sabkha is immature and flooded during rain storms and spring tides (0.1 m above present sea-level). Later the sabkha is only flooded after rainstorms, when it reaches an elevation of about 1 m or more above present sea-level. Stage 6: in sabkha development is the coastal plain, which results when large sabkhas are linked together.     

Cashing Out,Cashing In: Rural change on the south coast of Western Australia

Over the past century the cultural and physical landscape of the Shire of Denmark on the south coast of Western Australia has been transformed by successive waves of in-migrants. The paper examines the period since the early 1970s when alternative lifestylers and early retirees, attracted by the district's natural beauty and low land prices, began moving in and acquiring former Group Settlement holdings. The activities of these and subsequent 'alternatives' and 'cashed out' early retirees settling in the district have raised the marketability of the Shire's cultural capital. These changes have occurred in association with broader processes of rural restructuring and changing notions of 'rurality'. Increasingly, Denmark's cultural and physical landscape has become a highly marketable product for consumption by Perth's affluent middle classes. In recent years land prices have risen rapidly as speculators and financiers seek to 'cash in' on the 'cashed out' society. The paper explores these issues and relates them to broader processes of economic and social change occurring at the national and international levels.     

Why do they burn the 'bush'? Fire, rural livelihoods, and conservation in Zambia

Despite the historical importance of fire as a savanna land management tool, much controversy still surrounds discussions on anthropogenic fire utilization and the sustainability of indigenous land management practices in African savannas. This controversy is arguably a result of a discord between official fire policies and actual indigenous fire practices – a discord based on a gap in existing knowledge of, and a lack of informed literature on, the importance of fire for socio-economic and environmental survival in savanna environments. Addressing a continuing lack of research on the political ecology of fire, this study investigates the historical and present day socio-economic, environmental and political frameworks that affect anthropogenic burning regimes and land management in the Kafinda Game Management Area and Kasanka National Park in Zambia. A series of participatory research activities revealed the continuing importance of fire to rural livelihoods, but that a mismatch in desired burning regimes exists between local stakeholders. The paper argues that local power relations are preventing the local communities from adopting burning regimes that would be more environmentally sustainable and more in line with present day farming systems.     

Paleoecology and its application to fire and vegetation management in Kootenay National Park, British Columbia

High-resolution analysis of macroscopic charcoal and pollen ratios were used to reconstruct a 10,000 yr history of fire and vegetation change around Dog Lake, now in the Montane Spruce biogeoclimatic zone of southeastern British Columbia. Lake sediment charcoal records suggest that fire was more frequent in the early Holocene from 10,000 to 8200 calendar yrs BP, when climate was warmer and drier than today and forest fuels were limited. Fire frequency increased and reached its maximum during the early to mid-Holocene from 8200 to 4000 calendar yrs BP, corresponding to the dry and warm Hypsithermal period in the Rocky Mountains. During the Hypsithermal period forests around Dog Lake were dominated by Pseudotsuga/Larix,Pinus and open meadows of Poaceae that were subject to frequent fire. From 4000 calendar yrs BP to present, fires became less frequent with the onset of cooler and wetter Neoglacial climate and an increase in wet-closed Picea and Abies forests in the valley. Changes in fire frequency are supported by dry-open/wet-closed pollen ratio data indicating that forest type and disturbance regimes vary with changing climate. The fire frequency and forest cover reconstructions from Dog Lake are a first attempt at defining a range of natural variability for Montane Spruce forests in southeastern British Columbia. Fire and vegetation management in Kootenay National Park can now use this century to millennial-scale range of variability to define the context of current forest conditions and potential changes under global warming scenarios.     

Hazard warnings and responses to evacuation orders: the case of Bangladesh's cyclone Sidr

On 15 November 2007 Cyclone Sidr, a category 4 storm, struck the southwestern coast of Bangladesh. Despite early cyclone warnings and evacuation orders for coastal residents, thousands of individuals stayed in their homes. This study examines dissemination of the warning, assesses the warning responses, and explores the reasons why many residents did not evacuate. Field data collected from 257 Sidr survivors in four severely affected coastal districts revealed that more than three-fourths of all respondents were aware of the cyclone warnings and evacuation orders. Despite the sincere efforts of the Bangladesh government, however, lapses in cyclone warnings and evacuation procedures occurred. Field data also revealed several reasons why evacuation orders were not followed. The reasons fell into three broad groups: those involving shelter characteristics; the attributes of the warning message itself; and the respondents' characteristics. Based on our findings, we recommend improved cyclone warnings and utilization of public shelters for similar events in the future.     

A comparison of classification systems for the conservation of sparsely wooded plains on Melville Island,Northern Australia

A floristic quadrat study of sparsely wooded plains on western Melville Island was conducted and used to define and describe floristic and structural vegetation types and identify their associated environmental correlates. The results were compared with an existing land‐unit survey of the area in order to identify the relative merits of these schemes for conservation planning. All schemes identify a range of broad structural types including Acacia shrubland, Grevillea pteridifolia low woodland, Lophostemon lactifluus low woodland, and Banksia dentata low woodland. However, some of the structural and land‐unit types are composed of two plant communities with distinctive environmental relations. Despite being structurally distinctive, some community types are floristically indistinguishable from surrounding forest dominated by Eucalyptus miniata and E. tetrodonta. The number of species captured by randomly selecting sites from each classificatory type revealed little difference between schemes. All the classificatory approaches were less effective at species capture than a simple iterative procedure. Some of the plant communities seem to be unique and require preservation initiatives in the face of current forestry operations and planned horticultural development.     

美国南达科他州Black Hills国家森林公园2000年森林火灾后植被恢复过程研究(英文)

森林火灾在景观上往往造成不同程度的森林冠层损失,而冠层影响光合作用和蒸散,因此刻画灾后森林冠层恢复的轨迹对于了解生态系统过程具有重要意义。森林冠层的损失和恢复通常采用叶面积指数(LAI)或其它能够反映冠层光合能力的植被指数进行表征。本研究中,我们采用Terra卫星搭载的中分辨率成像光谱仪(MODIS)的长时间序列影像(2000-2009年)来重建火灾后森林冠层恢复的过程。以美国南达科他州布莱克山国家森林公园(The Black Hills National Forest, South Dakota)为例,该地区在2000年8月24日经历了一次大的自然火灾,烧毁了近33 785 ha森林,其中大部分是美国黄松林。基于LAI的研究表明,植被冠层光合能力在3年内(2001-2003年)基本恢复,这主要来自于林下未烧毁草地在灾后的快速生长;火烧迹地的NDVI和EVI在这3年内也呈现恢复的态势。可见,LAI、NDVI和EVI在火灾几年之后便难以有效地识别火烧迹地。然而,陆地表面水分指数(基于近红外和短波红外波段的遥感标准化指数,简称LSWI),能够有效地识别和追踪火烧迹地至今的整个过程(2000-2009年)。这一研究结果也使得采用其它具有近红外和短波红外波段的传感器研究森林火灾迹地恢复和干扰过程成为可能,其中包括Landsat 5 TM影像(可追溯至1984年)。更长时间序列的数据对于研究森林火灾灾后生态系统干扰和恢复过程、森林演替模拟以及碳循环具有重要的支撑作用,LSWI指标证明能够有效地刻画这一过程。     

Aspects of the differences in the erodibility of the waste rock dump and natural surfaces, Ranger Uranium Mine, Northern Territory, Australia

Small-scale flume experiments on the waste rock dump of Ranger Uranium Mine, Northern Territory, Australia, show that the unmanaged surface of the dump is 10–100 times more erodible than adjacent natural hillslopes. Silt and clay are preferentially removed and their proportion of the total sediment load is enhanced over their content in surface sediment. There is strong evidence that a low threshold of erosion does not exist and that even the smallest of flows across the waste rock dump can erode and transport some surface material. The erodible dump surface and the preferential removal of silt-clay could degrade ecosystems both on the dump and off-site. Rehabilitation of the waste rock dump will require special attention to erosion and its management.     

Understanding grower demographics,motivations and management practices to improve engagement,extension and industry resilience: a case study of the macadamia industry in the Northern Rivers,Australia

Research and development programs for improved productivity and profitability in horticulture have focused largely on understanding biophysical factors and production and harvest technologies. By contrast, relatively few studies focus upon the existing status of a rural community in terms of demographics, rationales and motivations underlying current farm management practices. Understanding such factors is increasingly important as pressures from climate change, globalised market forces, land-use competition and ageing workforces intersect on farms and for farmers. This paper explores experiences among macadamia growers in the Northern Rivers region of New South Wales, Australia, with the aim to better understand and improve the targeting of development programs to meet grower needs and aspirations, for improved industry resilience. Results suggest that growers are a diverse, ageing demographic who came into the industry with a variety of skill sets. Noting a lack of previous farming experience for many growers, we highlight the need to consider information transfer and succession planning, along with aspirations to consolidate properties and skills. New engagement approaches are recommended, with tailored extension to different grower groups. To aid with this process, a classification tree was developed for the purposes of separating growers into groups with different support needs.     

Attitudes to Diversity: new perspectives on the ethnic geography of Brisbane,Australia

As a consequence of changing immigration policy over the past 50 years, contemporary Australia has a culturally diverse population. Focusing on Brisbane, one of Australia's smaller immigrant-receiving cities but where some 19 per cent of the population is born overseas, this study examines attitudes to and perceptions of culturally different ethnic (non-Anglo) immigrant groups. Emphasis is placed on patterns of tolerance and intolerance for the city as a whole, both in areas of contact and in areas of minimal contact. Findings show that variations in attitudes vary somewhat from commonly accepted socio-economic and age-based correlations (the lower the status or the older people are the less tolerant), depending on the particular mix of ethnic birthplace groups present. They also show levels of intolerance in areas of minimal contact, which is implicitly attributed to mass media influences. In light of these findings, a concluding plea is made for anti-intolerance strategies to be developed for cities that pay regard to the geography of attitude-forming contexts.     

2008年春季中国南方冰雪冻害林木折损分析

An abrupt ice and snow storm disaster which occurred in the spring of 2008 se-verely destroyed forests over a surprisingly large portion of southern China.A transect crossing Jinggang Mountain-Jitai Basin-Yushan Mountain-Wuyi Mountain was selected as the study area.The authors integrated field data collected in two field surveys to analyze the impacts of the disturbance on forests.The following results were obtained.(1) The extent of damage to plantations along the transect decreased in the order of slash pine > masson pine > mixed plantation > Chinese fir.Slash pine is an introduced species from southern America which is characterized by fast growth,low wood quality and rich oleoresin,and showed a damage rate of 61.3% of samples,of which 70.4% cannot recover naturally.Masson pine is the native pioneer species of forests with harder wood,and 52.5% were damaged due to turpentine,of which 60.9% cannot recovery naturally.Chinese fir is a local tree species and samples showed a rate of 46% and a relative rate of 32.5%,lower than the mixed plantation.(2) From west to east along the transect,we can see that evergreen broad-leaved forest of the western transect on Jinggang Mountain showed the lightest damage extent,and a Cryp-tomeria plantation at an altitude of 700 m was severely destroyed while Chinese fir showed light damage below 700 m and relatively severe damage above 900 m.Masson pine and slash pine in the central transect in Jitai Basin were damaged severely due to turpentine ac-tivities,and closed natural secondary deciduous broad-leaved forest was damaged severely due to high ice and snow accumulation on intertwined shrubs.Masson pine aerial-seeding plantations below 400 m along the eastern transect in Xingguo and Ningdu counties were nearly undamaged for small tree sizes,and Chinese fir at 500-900 m altitude showed a lighter damage extent.However,masson pine which was distributed above 400 m and planted in the 1960s,was severely damaged due to turpentine.     

2008年春季中国南方冰雪冻害林木折损分析

An abrupt ice and snow storm disaster which occurred in the spring of 2008 severely destroyed forests over a surprisingly large portion of southern China. A transect crossing Jinggang Mountain-Jitai Basin-Yushan Mountain-Wuyi Mountain was selected as the study area. The authors integrated field data collected in two field surveys to analyze the impacts of the disturbance on forests. The following results were obtained. (1) The extent of damage to plantations along the transect decreased in the order of slash pine > masson pine > mixed plantation > Chinese fir. Slash pine is an introduced species from southern America which is characterized by fast growth, low wood quality and rich oleoresin, and showed a damage rate of 61.3% of samples, of which 70.4% cannot recover naturally. Masson pine is the native pioneer species of forests with harder wood, and 52.5% were damaged due to turpentine, of which 60.9% cannot recovery naturally. Chinese fir is a local tree species and samples showed a rate of 46% and a relative rate of 32.5%, lower than the mixed plantation. (2) From west to east along the transect, we can see that evergreen broad-leaved forest of the western transect on Jinggang Mountain showed the lightest damage extent, and a Cryptomeria plantation at an altitude of 700 m was severely destroyed while Chinese fir showed light damage below 700 m and relatively severe damage above 900 m. Masson pine and slash pine in the central transect in Jitai Basin were damaged severely due to turpentine activities, and closed natural secondary deciduous broad-leaved forest was damaged severely due to high ice and snow accumulation on intertwined shrubs. Masson pine aerial-seeding plantations below 400 m along the eastern transect in Xingguo and Ningdu counties were nearly undamaged for small tree sizes, and Chinese fir at 500-900 m altitude showed a lighter damage extent. However, masson pine which was distributed above 400 m and planted in the 1960s, was severely damaged due to turpentine.     

基于GIS和视频监控的森林防火指挥决策系统研建

森林火灾能对森林资源造成巨大的危害,因此发现林区火源并进行科学决策具有重要意义.本系统数据主要包括1∶1万地形图、1∶1万森林资源二类调查数据、扑火队分布数据、瞭望台站数据、扑火物资储备数据、林业局管理机构分布数据、研究区2010年landsat TM遥感影像图等;系统功能主要包括数据的处理和管理、森林火灾监测、最佳扑火路径分析、防火扑火预案制定和决策、森林火险等级评价、林火趋势模拟和预测、灾害损失评估、相关图表和报告制作等.系统采用Microsoft Visual Studio 2005(C#)作为开发语言,基于Arc Engine 9.3组件进行二次开发,三维地图显示采用skyline Terra Explorer开发平台,数据库采用SQL Server 2005数据库管理系统,利用Arc SDE 9.3空间数据库引擎对空间数据进行管理.     

加拿大森林火险天气指数系统在全球及中国的应用

在全球变暖趋势下,林火的频率和烈度都呈上升趋势,对林火进行准确的预警成为当前中国森林防火亟待解决的紧迫问题.当前全球最常用的火灾天气等级系统是加拿大森林火险天气指数系统(FWI),本研究介绍了其原理、基本结构、发展过程,着重介绍了FWI系统在世界范围内的校准及应用情况,对中国如何建立更适用于中国火灾特点的FWI系统提出...