Congratulations Professor Anya Reading!
RST Apology to Tasmanian Aboriginal people 2021.
RST Apology to Tasmanian Aboriginal people 2021.
Rainforests can be eliminated by repeated fire, so we need to know when they require protection. We use data from 11 extensive fires in western Tasmania to determine the meteorological conditions in which rainforest will burn. The variables that discriminated between fires that burned rainforest and those confined to other vegetation types were the amount of rainfall in the previous 30 days, the amount of rainfall in the previous 60 days and the soil dryness index (SDI). Our analyses confirmed a previously-suggested critical figure of 50 mm of rain in a month, showed that this figure pertains to the month previous to the fire, and showed that the forest fire danger index (FFDI) was not a good predictor, with fires burning rainforest on days with an FFDI at the lower end of the scale (Lake Macintosh) and not burning rainforest on days when the FFDI was at the higher end of the scale (Reynolds Creek and Giblin River). We conclude that it is important to respond to dry conditions in fire response planning for areas with rainforest, rather than relying on the FFDI.
rainforest, soil dryness index, fire hazard, rainfall, forest fire danger index
Published Papers
The Royal Society of Tasmania acknowledges, with deep respect, the traditional owners of this land, and the ongoing custodianship of the Aboriginal people of Tasmania. The Society pays respect to Elders past, present and emerging. We acknowledge that Tasmanian Aboriginal Peoples have survived severe and unjust impacts resulting from invasion and dispossession of their Country. As an institution dedicated to the advancement of knowledge, the Royal Society of Tasmania recognises Aboriginal cultural knowledge and practices and seeks to respect and honour these traditions and the deep understanding they represent.
On 15 February 2021, the Royal Society of Tasmania offered a formal Apology to the Tasmanian Aboriginal people.
