Chris Chafer - Academia.edu (original) (raw)
Papers by Chris Chafer
Advances in forest fire research, 2014
International Journal of Wildland Fire, 2016
Wildfires frequently threaten water quality through the transfer of eroded ash and soil into rive... more Wildfires frequently threaten water quality through the transfer of eroded ash and soil into rivers and reservoirs. The ability to anticipate risks for water resources from wildfires is fundamental for implementing effective fire preparedness plans and post-fire mitigation measures. Here we present a new approach that allows quantifying the amount and characteristics of ash generated under different wildfire severities and its respective water contamination potential. This approach is applied to a wildfire in an Australian dry sclerophyll eucalypt forest, but can be adapted for use in other environments.
Environmental research, Jan 14, 2015
Wildfires frequently threaten water quality through the transfer of eroded ash and soil into rive... more Wildfires frequently threaten water quality through the transfer of eroded ash and soil into rivers and reservoirs. The ability to anticipate risks for water resources from wildfires is fundamental for implementing effective fire preparedness plans and post-fire mitigation measures. Here we present a new approach that allows quantifying the amount and characteristics of ash generated under different wildfire severities and its respective water contamination potential. This approach is applied to a wildfire in an Australian dry sclerophyll eucalypt forest, but can be adapted for use in other environments. The Balmoral fire of October 2013 affected 12,694ha of Sydney's forested water supply catchment. It produced substantial ash loads that increased with fire severity, with 6, 16 and 34Mgha(-)(1) found in areas affected by low, high and extreme fire severity, respectively. Ash bulk density was also positively related to fire severity. The increase with fire severity in the total l...
The response of vegetation after a wildfire is dependent on factors such as fire intensity and ve... more The response of vegetation after a wildfire is dependent on factors such as fire intensity and vegetation type. Australian woody vegetation species have evolved two mechanisms of disturbance survival i) seed germination (obligate seeders) and ii) resprouting from dormant vegetative buds and/or lignotubers (obligate resprouters). The majority of post wildfire vegetation response studies conducted in Victoria, Australia have been in obligate seeder dominant communities. These studies have found that there is a significant delay in species germination as they rely on the seed bank. Those studies do not represent the response of vegetation in the Sydney Basin, which is dominated by obligate resprouter species. This study examines the vegetation recovery of four burnt subcatchments affected by the summer 2001/02 wildfire event and compared to three unburnt subcatchments. The study uses a 20 year time series of Landsat and SPOT satellite data assessing vegetation 10 years pre-wildfire and...
These papers were anonymously referred. We would like to express our gratitude to all the referee... more These papers were anonymously referred. We would like to express our gratitude to all the referees who agreed to take on this task diligently. We would also like to extend our gratitude to all those involved in the organising, and conducting of the Research Forum.
ABSTRACT Wildfire is a recurring event which has been acknowledged by the literature to impact th... more ABSTRACT Wildfire is a recurring event which has been acknowledged by the literature to impact the hydrological cycle of a catchment. Hence, wildfire may have a significant impact on water yield levels within a catchment. In Australia, studies of the effect of fire on water yield have been limited to obligate seeder vegetation communities. These communities regenerate from seed banks in the ground or within woody fruits and are generally activated by fire. In contrast, the Sydney Basin is dominated by obligate resprouter communities. These communities regenerate from fire resistant buds found on the plant and are generally found in regions where wildfire is a regular occurrence. The 2001/2002 wildfires in the Sydney Basin provided an opportunity to investigate the impacts of wildfire on water yield in a number of catchments dominated by obligate resprouting communities. The overall aim of this study was to investigate whether there was a difference in water yield post-wildfire. Four burnt subcatchments and 3 control subcatchments were assessed. A general additive model was calibrated using pre-wildfire data and then used to predict post-wildfire water yield using post-wildfire data. The model errors were analysed and it was found that the errors for all subcatchments showed similar trends for the post-wildfire period. This finding demonstrates that wildfires within the Sydney Basin have no significant medium-term impact on water yield.
Weed Research, 2007
This study showed that seasonal imagery acquired at specific stages of phenology can be used to i... more This study showed that seasonal imagery acquired at specific stages of phenology can be used to improve the mapping accuracy of invasive willow at a catchment scale. SPOT5 XI (10 m) satellite imagery was acquired for early autumn and winter to represent the phenological stages of leaf cover and leaf fall respectively. Four classification regimes were evaluated using single-and bi-seasonal composite imagery to determine the most accurate method. Significant spectral noise was found in willow populations, especially in the winter image, due to the effects of undergrowth exposure, shadowing, topography and boundary-mixed pixels. Two noise reduction techniques were applied to the bi-seasonal composite image to improve the classification results.
Journal of Hydrology, 2006
... soil water repellency (hydrophobicity) is commonly viewed as one of the main causes of the su... more ... soil water repellency (hydrophobicity) is commonly viewed as one of the main causes of the substantial increases in hillslope runoff and erosion observed following wildfire (eg Sartz, 1953, Swanson, 1981, Morris and Moses, 1987, Scott and Van Wyk, 1990, Shakesby et al., in ...
Forest Ecology and Management, 2007
The premise of this paper is that continued improvement in the understanding of wildfire impacts ... more The premise of this paper is that continued improvement in the understanding of wildfire impacts on soil erosion and better prediction of resulting hazards can be best achieved by adopting a concept of global regional variants and endemic factors that distinguish some regions in terms of post-fire erosion characteristics. The need for such an approach is exemplified here based on the fire-prone eucalypt forests in south-east Australia. Wildfire effects on vegetation, fauna, soil erodibility and erosion in this environment are evaluated and placed in the context of the global state-of-the-art for forest environments. In addition to expected variation resulting from, for example, geology, topography and climate of the area, it is argued that a distinctive post-fire behaviour is caused in these eucalypt forests by the interaction between specific characteristics of the vegetation, litter, soil properties, faunal activity and micro-scale surface features. Soil erosion limited only by post-fire rainfall intensity and quantity, or until bedrock is exposed, might be expected after wildfire on steep slopes in these forests given the non-cohesive character of the often sandy soils and their universally water repellent character. That this scenario is not realised, except possibly under extreme rainfall conditions, which rarely occur during the vulnerable post-fire period, can be attributed to a unique suite of features that disrupt or provide sinks for overland flow, bind the loose in situ soil and trap mobilised sediment. These include mats of fine roots, litter dam-microterrace complexes and faunal activity by small mammals and ants. In combination, these characteristics reduce post-fire hillslope-channel sediment transfer, at least under light to moderate intensity rainfall typical of post-fire periods following recent wildfires. Evidence is discussed suggesting that the long-term geomorphological role of wildfires in south-east Australia may be of relatively minor importance and confined largely to enhanced weathering of exposed outcrops and redistribution of soil across existing erosional and depositional landforms. The soil fertility and downstream water quality implications of widespread transfer of topsoil to watercourses resulting from frequent, often severe wildfires are nevertheless significant. #
Australian Geographer, 2003
... RA SHAKESBY, CJ CHAFER, SH DOERR, WH BLAKE, P. WALLBRINK, GS HUMPHREYS & ... more ... RA SHAKESBY, CJ CHAFER, SH DOERR, WH BLAKE, P. WALLBRINK, GS HUMPHREYS & BA HARRINGTON, University of Wales Swansea, UK; Sydney Catchment Authority, Australia; University of Wales Swansea, UK; University of Wales Swansea, UK; CSIRO Land & ...
Australasian Journal of Environmental Management, 1996
ABSTRACT
International Journal of Wildland Fire, 2004
... in the Christmas 2001 Sydney wildfires Chris J. Chafer A , Mark Noonan B and Eloys Macnaught ... more ... in the Christmas 2001 Sydney wildfires Chris J. Chafer A , Mark Noonan B and Eloys Macnaught A C A Sydney Catchment Authority, PO Box 50, Appin, NSW 2502, Australia.Telephone: +61 2 4640 1018; fax: +61 2 4640 1006; email: chris.chafer@sca.nsw.gov.au B Sydney ...
Wetlands Ecology and Management, 2012
Advances in forest fire research, 2014
International Journal of Wildland Fire, 2016
Wildfires frequently threaten water quality through the transfer of eroded ash and soil into rive... more Wildfires frequently threaten water quality through the transfer of eroded ash and soil into rivers and reservoirs. The ability to anticipate risks for water resources from wildfires is fundamental for implementing effective fire preparedness plans and post-fire mitigation measures. Here we present a new approach that allows quantifying the amount and characteristics of ash generated under different wildfire severities and its respective water contamination potential. This approach is applied to a wildfire in an Australian dry sclerophyll eucalypt forest, but can be adapted for use in other environments.
Environmental research, Jan 14, 2015
Wildfires frequently threaten water quality through the transfer of eroded ash and soil into rive... more Wildfires frequently threaten water quality through the transfer of eroded ash and soil into rivers and reservoirs. The ability to anticipate risks for water resources from wildfires is fundamental for implementing effective fire preparedness plans and post-fire mitigation measures. Here we present a new approach that allows quantifying the amount and characteristics of ash generated under different wildfire severities and its respective water contamination potential. This approach is applied to a wildfire in an Australian dry sclerophyll eucalypt forest, but can be adapted for use in other environments. The Balmoral fire of October 2013 affected 12,694ha of Sydney's forested water supply catchment. It produced substantial ash loads that increased with fire severity, with 6, 16 and 34Mgha(-)(1) found in areas affected by low, high and extreme fire severity, respectively. Ash bulk density was also positively related to fire severity. The increase with fire severity in the total l...
The response of vegetation after a wildfire is dependent on factors such as fire intensity and ve... more The response of vegetation after a wildfire is dependent on factors such as fire intensity and vegetation type. Australian woody vegetation species have evolved two mechanisms of disturbance survival i) seed germination (obligate seeders) and ii) resprouting from dormant vegetative buds and/or lignotubers (obligate resprouters). The majority of post wildfire vegetation response studies conducted in Victoria, Australia have been in obligate seeder dominant communities. These studies have found that there is a significant delay in species germination as they rely on the seed bank. Those studies do not represent the response of vegetation in the Sydney Basin, which is dominated by obligate resprouter species. This study examines the vegetation recovery of four burnt subcatchments affected by the summer 2001/02 wildfire event and compared to three unburnt subcatchments. The study uses a 20 year time series of Landsat and SPOT satellite data assessing vegetation 10 years pre-wildfire and...
These papers were anonymously referred. We would like to express our gratitude to all the referee... more These papers were anonymously referred. We would like to express our gratitude to all the referees who agreed to take on this task diligently. We would also like to extend our gratitude to all those involved in the organising, and conducting of the Research Forum.
ABSTRACT Wildfire is a recurring event which has been acknowledged by the literature to impact th... more ABSTRACT Wildfire is a recurring event which has been acknowledged by the literature to impact the hydrological cycle of a catchment. Hence, wildfire may have a significant impact on water yield levels within a catchment. In Australia, studies of the effect of fire on water yield have been limited to obligate seeder vegetation communities. These communities regenerate from seed banks in the ground or within woody fruits and are generally activated by fire. In contrast, the Sydney Basin is dominated by obligate resprouter communities. These communities regenerate from fire resistant buds found on the plant and are generally found in regions where wildfire is a regular occurrence. The 2001/2002 wildfires in the Sydney Basin provided an opportunity to investigate the impacts of wildfire on water yield in a number of catchments dominated by obligate resprouting communities. The overall aim of this study was to investigate whether there was a difference in water yield post-wildfire. Four burnt subcatchments and 3 control subcatchments were assessed. A general additive model was calibrated using pre-wildfire data and then used to predict post-wildfire water yield using post-wildfire data. The model errors were analysed and it was found that the errors for all subcatchments showed similar trends for the post-wildfire period. This finding demonstrates that wildfires within the Sydney Basin have no significant medium-term impact on water yield.
Weed Research, 2007
This study showed that seasonal imagery acquired at specific stages of phenology can be used to i... more This study showed that seasonal imagery acquired at specific stages of phenology can be used to improve the mapping accuracy of invasive willow at a catchment scale. SPOT5 XI (10 m) satellite imagery was acquired for early autumn and winter to represent the phenological stages of leaf cover and leaf fall respectively. Four classification regimes were evaluated using single-and bi-seasonal composite imagery to determine the most accurate method. Significant spectral noise was found in willow populations, especially in the winter image, due to the effects of undergrowth exposure, shadowing, topography and boundary-mixed pixels. Two noise reduction techniques were applied to the bi-seasonal composite image to improve the classification results.
Journal of Hydrology, 2006
... soil water repellency (hydrophobicity) is commonly viewed as one of the main causes of the su... more ... soil water repellency (hydrophobicity) is commonly viewed as one of the main causes of the substantial increases in hillslope runoff and erosion observed following wildfire (eg Sartz, 1953, Swanson, 1981, Morris and Moses, 1987, Scott and Van Wyk, 1990, Shakesby et al., in ...
Forest Ecology and Management, 2007
The premise of this paper is that continued improvement in the understanding of wildfire impacts ... more The premise of this paper is that continued improvement in the understanding of wildfire impacts on soil erosion and better prediction of resulting hazards can be best achieved by adopting a concept of global regional variants and endemic factors that distinguish some regions in terms of post-fire erosion characteristics. The need for such an approach is exemplified here based on the fire-prone eucalypt forests in south-east Australia. Wildfire effects on vegetation, fauna, soil erodibility and erosion in this environment are evaluated and placed in the context of the global state-of-the-art for forest environments. In addition to expected variation resulting from, for example, geology, topography and climate of the area, it is argued that a distinctive post-fire behaviour is caused in these eucalypt forests by the interaction between specific characteristics of the vegetation, litter, soil properties, faunal activity and micro-scale surface features. Soil erosion limited only by post-fire rainfall intensity and quantity, or until bedrock is exposed, might be expected after wildfire on steep slopes in these forests given the non-cohesive character of the often sandy soils and their universally water repellent character. That this scenario is not realised, except possibly under extreme rainfall conditions, which rarely occur during the vulnerable post-fire period, can be attributed to a unique suite of features that disrupt or provide sinks for overland flow, bind the loose in situ soil and trap mobilised sediment. These include mats of fine roots, litter dam-microterrace complexes and faunal activity by small mammals and ants. In combination, these characteristics reduce post-fire hillslope-channel sediment transfer, at least under light to moderate intensity rainfall typical of post-fire periods following recent wildfires. Evidence is discussed suggesting that the long-term geomorphological role of wildfires in south-east Australia may be of relatively minor importance and confined largely to enhanced weathering of exposed outcrops and redistribution of soil across existing erosional and depositional landforms. The soil fertility and downstream water quality implications of widespread transfer of topsoil to watercourses resulting from frequent, often severe wildfires are nevertheless significant. #
Australian Geographer, 2003
... RA SHAKESBY, CJ CHAFER, SH DOERR, WH BLAKE, P. WALLBRINK, GS HUMPHREYS & ... more ... RA SHAKESBY, CJ CHAFER, SH DOERR, WH BLAKE, P. WALLBRINK, GS HUMPHREYS & BA HARRINGTON, University of Wales Swansea, UK; Sydney Catchment Authority, Australia; University of Wales Swansea, UK; University of Wales Swansea, UK; CSIRO Land & ...
Australasian Journal of Environmental Management, 1996
ABSTRACT
International Journal of Wildland Fire, 2004
... in the Christmas 2001 Sydney wildfires Chris J. Chafer A , Mark Noonan B and Eloys Macnaught ... more ... in the Christmas 2001 Sydney wildfires Chris J. Chafer A , Mark Noonan B and Eloys Macnaught A C A Sydney Catchment Authority, PO Box 50, Appin, NSW 2502, Australia.Telephone: +61 2 4640 1018; fax: +61 2 4640 1006; email: chris.chafer@sca.nsw.gov.au B Sydney ...
Wetlands Ecology and Management, 2012