KAPALGA IN KAKADU: WORLD'S LARGEST FIRE EXPERIMENT

Fire is Kakadu's most contentious land management issue. Every year more than 50 per cent of the Top End is burned. Despite the widespread use of fire, little is known about its ecological effects. In the early 1990's CSIRO carried out a landscape-scale study (more than 200 square kilometres in size) on Kapalga Research Station in Kakadu National Park. Researchers examined the effects of different types of fire on nutrients, greenhouse gases, temporary streams, vegetation, insects, and animals. One study looked at the effect of fires at different times of the year on frill neck lizards.

CSIRO Program Leader, Dr Alan Andersen said fire management needs to be supported by effective monitoring and research programs.

"The Kapalga Experiment will provide regional fire managers with valuable information on the effects of different fires on Top End ecosystems", he said.

For interview contact: Dr Alan Andersen, phone: 08 8944 8431 (work) 08) 8944 0196 (home)

FIGHTING WOODY WEEDS WITH FIRE IN N. QUEENSLAND

Woody weeds such as rubbervine and prickly acacia are devastating large areas of north Queensland. Woody weeds reduce the area of pasture available to cattle and have a negative impact on native plants and animals.

However, work carried out by both local pastoralists and the CSIRO indicate fire may be an effective tool in managing the woody weed problem.

Charters Towers pastoralist, Mr Roger Landsberg, said fire can be effective against some weeds under conditions suitable for high intensity fire. But fires still need to be followed up by chemical treatment, and cattle will need to be kept out of paddocks until pasture has established.

CSIRO researcher, Dr Tony Grice, said research had found that even a single fire would have dramatic effects on rubbervine plants, and that one or two fires in a ten-year period would be sufficient to reduce rubbervine to tolerable levels.

For interview contact: Mr Roger Landsberg, phone: (077) 876 677 For interview contact: Dr Tony Grice, phone: 077) 538 543 (work) 077) 257 201 (home)

SURVEYING BUILDING DAMAGE AFTER BUSHFIRES

Surveys of damaged buildings after devastating fires like those on`Ash Wednesday' in Victoria can help determine better ways of building houses in bushfire-prone areas.

CSIRO researcher, Mr Neville McArthur, has developed improved techniques for surveying building damage after fire, in a way that minimises distress to fire victims.

"The most valuable information comes from the small percentage of houses where fires has been successfully extinguished rather than from, destroyed houses where evidence has been lost," he said.

For interview contact: Mr Neville McArthur, phone: 03) 9252 6000 (work) 03) 9598 5305 (home)

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Bushfire '97 will look at eight topics relevant to fire and land management - north Australian issues, CSIRO's fire experiment in Kakadu, traditional Aboriginal burning, fire mosaics, ecological responses, operations and planning, pastoral applications, and monitoring and modelling.

Bushfire '97 is sponsored by CSIRO, the Bushfires Council of the NT, the NT Fire & Rescue Service, the Australian Fire Authorities Council, Environment Australia - Parks Australia North, and the Cooperative Research Centre for Tropical Savannas.

Broadcast quality footage of CSIRO's fire experiment in Kakadu National Park is available by contacting: Ms Jenni Metcalfe Phone (07) 3367 2646 (work) (07) 3878 4173 (home) 014 916 372 (mobile)

Media are invited to attend Bushfire '97 at Darwin's Plaza Hotel , Mitchell Street, Darwin. For a copy of Bushfire '97 program please contact Ms Barbie McKaige. ph. 08)8944 8411 (work) 08) 8948 0894 (home) 014 244 0028 (mobile)

Media room at the conference venue (Plaza Hotel) - phone : 08) 8982 4979.