❓ The Department of Parks and Wildlife considers the impact of prescribed burns on the beekeeping industry by notifying apiarists near planned burns. Recovery time for blossom production varies depending on fire intensity and species.
AnsweredQoN 4466Legislative Council
QuestionView source ↗
(1) In planning its prescribed burns, does the Department of Parks and Wildlife take into account the impacts of these burns on the beekeeping industry? (2) If yes to (2), in what way? (3) When an area of jarrah forest has been subjected to a prescribed burn, how many years does it take for the forest to provide blossom suitable for honey production? (4) When an area of karri forest has been subjected to a prescribed burn, how many years does it take for the forest to provide blossom suitable for honey production?
AnswerView source ↗
Answered
8 November 2016
Responded by
Minister for Planning representing the Minister for Environment
Response time
28 days
I thank the Hon. Member for notice of this question.
The Minister for Environment has provided the following response.
(1) Yes.
(2) As part of the prescribed burn planning process, the Department of Parks and Wildlife provides notifications to all apiarists with sites in, or within 500 metres of, a proposed prescribed burn.
(3)-(4) Vegetation recovery post-burn depends on the intensity and season of the burn and the species.
Lower intensity fire such as that from prescribed burning encourages density and diversity in understorey species, mainly due to obligate seeding species (which reproduce from seed after fire, as opposed to ‘resprouting’). Jarrah can flower every year, but significant flowering events occur on a four to six-year cycle, with most trees within any region flowering at the same time.
Species which reproduce from seed in karri forest follow similar patterns to jarrah forest post-fire. The karri floral cycle occurs over five years. Flowers on any one tree may be at a range of stages in the floral cycle at any one time. Karri floral cycles tend to alternate between light and heavy seed crops. There is a tendency toward synchronised flowering across the whole forest, but within that there is regional variation. Lower intensity fire can cause a reduction in all floral parts of the karri tree and reduce the initiation of floral parts for up to two years. More severe fire which scorches the tree canopy may cause the shedding of all floral parts and it may take longer to recover.
The Minister for Environment has provided the following response.
(1) Yes.
(2) As part of the prescribed burn planning process, the Department of Parks and Wildlife provides notifications to all apiarists with sites in, or within 500 metres of, a proposed prescribed burn.
(3)-(4) Vegetation recovery post-burn depends on the intensity and season of the burn and the species.
Lower intensity fire such as that from prescribed burning encourages density and diversity in understorey species, mainly due to obligate seeding species (which reproduce from seed after fire, as opposed to ‘resprouting’). Jarrah can flower every year, but significant flowering events occur on a four to six-year cycle, with most trees within any region flowering at the same time.
Species which reproduce from seed in karri forest follow similar patterns to jarrah forest post-fire. The karri floral cycle occurs over five years. Flowers on any one tree may be at a range of stages in the floral cycle at any one time. Karri floral cycles tend to alternate between light and heavy seed crops. There is a tendency toward synchronised flowering across the whole forest, but within that there is regional variation. Lower intensity fire can cause a reduction in all floral parts of the karri tree and reduce the initiation of floral parts for up to two years. More severe fire which scorches the tree canopy may cause the shedding of all floral parts and it may take longer to recover.
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