Scholarlink

<p>Indigenous-led fire stewardship is increasingly recognised as important for ecological and cultural resilience; however, it remains rare in urban landscapes due to regulatory barriers, colonial fear of fire and risk aversion. This study aligned with the first Dharug <i>dhiyina</i>&#xa0;women-led <i>guwiyang</i> (fire) at <i>Bidyiwung Badhu Nuru</i> (Brown’s Waterhole, Lane Cove National Park) since European invasion of what is now called Sydney, some 230 years ago. Using a collaborative ecological and cultural (eco-cultural) monitoring approach, we evaluated Dharug <i>dhiyina</i>-defined ecological parameters before and after the <i>guwiyang</i> and at three control sites using a modified Before-After-Control-Impact ecological assessment. At each site, we monitored changes in fuel load, soil properties, culturally significant plants and mammal activities. The low-intensity, patchy <i>guwiyan</i>g had a low flame height, a slow rate of spread, and significantly reduced fuel loads (surface and low-to-mid-storey). Following the <i>guwiyang</i>, we observed basal resprouting of the culturally significant edible and medicinal plant <i>Dybung/Mambara</i> (narrow-leaved geebung, <i>Persoonia linearis</i>). Consistent with Dharug <i>dhiyina</i> objectives, the low-intensity <i>guwiyang</i> reduced the short-term dominance of <i>Daynya</i> (common hop bush, <i>Dodonaea triquetra</i>) and <i>Gurgi</i> (bracken fern, <i>Pteridium esculentum</i>; soft bracken, <i>Calochlaena dubia</i>). <i>Daynya</i> showed minimal resprouting or germination, and <i>Gurgi</i> cover declined with low frond emergence after three months. After the <i>guwiyang</i>, we detected no change in soil properties or activity of <i>Burraga</i> (long-nosed bandicoot, <i>Perameles nasuta</i>) or <i>Bagarayi</i> (swamp wallaby, <i>Wallabia bicolor</i>). This study provided a rare analysis of the ecological outcomes of cultural burning in an urban bushland environment. Furthermore, we offer replicable methods for the cross-cultural collaborative design of monitoring approaches that can simultaneously serve eco-cultural goals.</p>

错误：搜索内容不能为空，请输入英文关键词
错误：关键词超出字数限制，请精简
高级检索

Eco-cultural monitoring reveals low impact of a Dharug Dhiyina women-led Guwiyang (fire) in an urban National Park, Australia

  • 期刊论文

  • 出版模式：

    开放获取

  • 发表日期：

    2025年11月18日

查看全文
  • Dharug Ngurra,
  • Gabrielle Brennan,
  • Jo Anne Rey,
  • Hsing-Chung Chang,
  • Emilie Ens

摘要

Indigenous-led fire stewardship is increasingly recognised as important for ecological and cultural resilience; however, it remains rare in urban landscapes due to regulatory barriers, colonial fear of fire and risk aversion. This study aligned with the first Dharug dhiyina women-led guwiyang (fire) at Bidyiwung Badhu Nuru (Brown’s Waterhole, Lane Cove National Park) since European invasion of what is now called Sydney, some 230 years ago. Using a collaborative ecological and cultural (eco-cultural) monitoring approach, we evaluated Dharug dhiyina-defined ecological parameters before and after the guwiyang and at three control sites using a modified Before-After-Control-Impact ecological assessment. At each site, we monitored changes in fuel load, soil properties, culturally significant plants and mammal activities. The low-intensity, patchy guwiyang had a low flame height, a slow rate of spread, and significantly reduced fuel loads (surface and low-to-mid-storey). Following the guwiyang, we observed basal resprouting of the culturally significant edible and medicinal plant Dybung/Mambara (narrow-leaved geebung, Persoonia linearis). Consistent with Dharug dhiyina objectives, the low-intensity guwiyang reduced the short-term dominance of Daynya (common hop bush, Dodonaea triquetra) and Gurgi (bracken fern, Pteridium esculentum; soft bracken, Calochlaena dubia). Daynya showed minimal resprouting or germination, and Gurgi cover declined with low frond emergence after three months. After the guwiyang, we detected no change in soil properties or activity of Burraga (long-nosed bandicoot, Perameles nasuta) or Bagarayi (swamp wallaby, Wallabia bicolor). This study provided a rare analysis of the ecological outcomes of cultural burning in an urban bushland environment. Furthermore, we offer replicable methods for the cross-cultural collaborative design of monitoring approaches that can simultaneously serve eco-cultural goals.