The BNP

Activity 1. Fire in the Australian landscape

Answer the questions about fire in the Australian landscape using the following information.

The Mount Lofty Ranges landscape is adapted to fire. Aboriginal people influenced the environment by using fire (fire stick farming) to manage ‘country’ and shape the habitat. Australian flora and fauna (birds and animals) have adapted to the frequent small fires.

Fire is important for the health and biodiversity of the forest habitat. While a fire can cause the death of individual plants and animals, small fires allow the regeneration and renewal of the habitat.

What happens after a fire?

The ash bed is full of nutrients which greatly enhances a proliferation of seedling germination. After fire, the plants regrow quickly. The new growth attracts wildlife that feed on the fresh shoots. Tree trunks and roots shoot with buds capturing newly available light.

Questions: Fire in the Australian landscape

1. How did Aboriginal people manage the Australian landscape?

2. How does fire benefit Mount Lofty birds and animals?

3. What happens after a fire?

Prescribed Burning at the BNP

Prescribed burning is the controlled use of fire in a small area of the landscape. The aim is to manage habitat, protect biodiversity and reduce fire fuel hazards in the BNP. Park managers use fire because the ecosystems have adapted to fire.

Using prescribed burning to manage Belair NP

  • Protect and maintain animal habitats, many native animals prefer regenerating vegetation after fire.

  • Many native plants rely on fire for regeneration.

  • Improved habitat and biodiversity within the park

  • To reduce fuel hazards and make bushfires easier to control.

  • Protect nearby residential areas, lives and property.

Questions: Prescribed burning

1. Why do the managers of the Belair NP use fire?

2. Why is prescribed burning important for animal and bird species?

3. What happens to a forest ecosystem after fire?

4. How does prescribed burning reduce the risk of large bushfires?

Activity 2: Why is habitat important?

Why is habitat important? Habitat is all of the environmental conditions an organism needs to survive. For an animal, that means everything it needs to find shelter, gather food, select a mate, and successfully reproduce. For a plant, a good habitat must provide the right combination of light, air, water, and soil. Loss of habitat means a loss of animal, bird and plant species

Managing habitat at BNP

The 840 hectares of the BNP play an important role in conserving some of the natural biodiversity of the Mount Lofty Ranges (MLR). Managers of the park must ensure they can provides habitat that has been lost elsewhere in the MLR to agriculture and residential use.

Questions: Why is habitat important?

1. Why is habitat important?

2. List the environmental conditions required by animals (habitat).

3. List the environmental conditions required for plants (habitat).

4. What do you think is the impact of loss of habitat on plants and animals?

5. What is the important role that the BNP plays in the Mount Lofty ranges?

6. What are the reasons for loss of habitat in other parts of the Mount Lofty Ranges?

Activity 3. the Southern Brown Bandicoot

The Belair NP provides important habitat for many endangered species, including the Southern Brown Bandicoot. The Southern Brown Bandicoot can be found in dense shrub land and heathy forest and woodland communities that are usually associated with well-drained soils. Fallen logs are also important, they provide shelter and nesting sites. Sites with greater vegetation density in the ground layer have higher Bandicoot populations.

Geographers look for the following evidence of Bandicoot habitat.

  • Dense ground cover for shelter

  • Areas of open ground for feeding

  • Coarse woody debris (Fallen logs)

  • Well drained soil

  • Fox control

The Southern Brown Bandicoot faces the following threats in the MLR:

  • habitat loss or modification

  • frequent burning and extensive wildfires

  • introduced predators (foxes and cats)

  • isolation of populations

Questions: The Southern Brown Bandicoot

1. What is a Bandicoot?

2. Why is the BNP important habitat for the Southern Brown Bandicoot?

3. List the threats faced by Southern Brown Bandicoots

Activity 4. Managing wellbeing at the Belair NP

Nature’s goods and services are the ultimate foundations of life and health. A key way people can get the health benefits of nature is through parks like BNP. Physical inactivity and stress can undermine human health. Parks and green spaces have been shown to promote physical activity and decrease stress. They also allow community events and social connections.

How is human wellbeing improved by Belair NP?

  • Contact with nature in the park improves mental and emotional health

  • Children and adolescents use the safety of the park for active play, for physical and social benefits

  • Park use is linked to physical and psychological health benefits among adults, especially older adults

  • Health benefits can be enhanced by park managers creating a safe and accessible space

Questions: Improving wellbeing at the BNP

1. How does the BNP improve human wellbeing?

2. List some facilities that are available at the BNP

3. List as many activities as you can think of at the BNP.

4. How can park managers improve the possible wellbeing benefits at the park?