Population Dynamics and Ecosystem Changes Practice Flashcards

A set of vocabulary flashcards covering population dynamics, fire management practices, floral and faunal adaptations, and Numbat biology according to the lecture notes.

Prescribed burning

The process of planning and applying fire to a predetermined area, under specific environmental conditions, to lower fuel loads and reduce the severity and size of bushfires.

Roleynstone-Kelmscott Fire 2005

A massive wildfire in WA where the rate of spread slowed and intensity dropped due to a previous prescribed burning reducing the fuel load.

Yam daisy

A plant that saw germination rates increase from $30\%$ to over $90\%$ following prescribed burning due to smoke-cued germination.

Fire stick farming

An Indigenous Australian practice of burning bush sections to aid hunting and stimulate growth, resulting in vegetation patterns dependent on regular burning.

Spinifex

A highly flammable plant species that dominates aggressively without constant burning, contributing to massive fuel loads.

Resprouting

A flora adaptation involving regrowing from protected tissues after fire disturbance.

Seeding

A flora adaptation where plants release seeds that require the heat or conditions of a fire to germinate.

Epicormic buds

Buds located in the bark of trees that shoot new growth when the bark is burnt or removed.

Lignotubers

Base structures of trees rich in starches and dormant buds used for regeneration after fire.

Banksia

A genus of plants with seed cones or fruits sealed with resin that only open to release seeds after heat melts the resin.

Torpor

A physiological state where small marsupials lower their metabolic rate and body temperature to reduce the need for food and water after a fire.

Embryonic diapause

A reproductive adaptation in kangaroos that allows the pause of embryo development during times of stress.

Myrmecobius fasciatus

The scientific classification for the Numbat, a diurnal marsupial insectivore.

Numbat diet

Consists of termites, with an individual consuming up to $20,000$ per day for hydration and nutrition.

Keystone species

A species, such as the Numbat, that provides biological pest control and plays a critical role in soil health and local food webs.

Numbat habitat loss

The clearing of eucalypt woodlands for farming and mining which has destroyed $\sim 97\%$ of the original native woodland habitats.

Perup 2021

A wildfire resulting from a prescribed burn that caused a $\sim 95\%$ mortality rate for the local Numbat population due to fuel load and climate factors.