Juvenile period and post-fire recruitment data for threatened Stirling Range Proteaceae

The best predictor of greater post-fire recruitment was a larger pre-fire fruit crop, and where this information was not available, a longer preceding fire interval. Post-fire recruitment of Banksia brownii was lower on drier and more exposed topographic positions, providing evidence of directional post-fire reassembly towards putative climate refuges and indicating that climate change is an increasing pressure on populations.

Juvenile periods of the four species were long in the context of the broader south-west Australian region, and together with the post-fire recruitment data, indicate that species recovery will be greater with multi-decadal fire intervals. Acquiring detailed population and demographic information through consistent long-term monitoring provided a strong basis on which to quantify responses to threats and prioritise recovery actions.