Planned fires and invertebrate conservation in south east Australia

Unusually intense wildfires in south east Australia in early February 2009 led to the deaths of 173 people in Victoria and massive loss of property, with several towns essentially obliterated. More than 450,000 ha were burned. The severity of those fires has led to calls for massively increased planned burning for fuel reduction, with a Government Enquiry (a Royal Commission) currently considering all aspects of the fires and future policy, to help safeguard life and property. Public concerns are naturally high, and any measures suggested to reduce the likelihood and severity of future fires must be appraised seriously. However, the conservation of Victoria's heritage of biodiversity is also of major concern, and-in particular-the outcomes of the more extensive use of fire for invertebrates have scarcely been heeded even in current prescriptions for planned burning. In this essay, we assemble some information on invertebrate interactions with fire in the region, and use this to suggest guides for improved fire management practices that are based more on scientific principles that focus on invertebrate conservation.