LTERN Data Portal

Originally, in 2002, 110 permanent sites were identified for the study at Booderee National Park using two stratifying variables: (1) broad vegetation type (heathland, forest, woodland, etc.); and (2) past fire history – classified into four classes of time since the last fire (0-10 years, 11-20 years, 21-30 years and >30 years).

When the project started in 2003, it was based on the original number of sites, but in March 2007 the number of sites increased to 130, as a result of including 20 new sites set up as part of the “Bitou experiment”.

Features of the experimental design are: stratified random site selection, replication of classes, replication proportional to area, sampling of the plots both before and after unplanned wildfire, the occurrence of unburned ‘control’ sites and treatment (burned) sites, and continued surveys over time. Commencing at the 0m point a steel post has been placed at 20m intervals along a 100m long transect.

Reptiles are counted using artificial substrates along a permanent 100 m long transect every year. Sites are surveyed for reptiles and frogs using artificial substrates. Two sheets of corrugated iron, four roof tiles and four half-length railway sleepers have been placed at the 20 m and 80 m points of the transect. These transects are checked bi-annually once around September to beginning October and again in December of each year.