Understanding Vegetation Shifts (Part 2): Mesic Shift & restoring fire regimes

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Mesic shift is increasingly affecting the structure and function of open ecosystems across east coast Australia. This second webinar in AABR’s Understanding Vegetation Shifts series examines mesic shift as both an ecological process and a management challenge, with a strong focus on applied disturbance and observation-based decision-making.

The session explores how changes to fire regimes, nutrient availability, soil moisture dynamics and reduced disturbance interact to drive shifts in species composition, vegetation density and functional trajectories. These processes are examined through the lens of reference ecosystems and recovery pathways, consistent with the National Restoration Standards.

Andy Baker will present on the drivers and consequences of mesic shift and the restoration of historical fire regimes to maintain or restore appropriate vegetation structure and function. Greg Taylor will then examine the role of fire management, with particular attention to vegetation density, fuel structure and long-term bushland resilience.

The webinar emphasises reading patterns in landscapes and observing change and responding with intent.
A facilitated discussion and Q&A will give participants space to test concepts against on-ground experience across different ecological contexts.

This session is suited to:
Bush regeneration practitioners, ecologists, land managers and others working with disturbance-dependent vegetation systems.

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Presenter Bio

Heathy DSF in Peachester fire experiment, SEQ. Both sides heathy in 1960’s (left = reference) before fire excluded on RHS of track

Dr Andy Bakeris a fire and vegetation ecologist with nearly 30 years’ experience working across NSW and south-east Queensland. He specialises in the management and restoration of fire-dependent Eucalypt forests and heathlands, with a strong focus on how altered fire regimes drive mesic shift and the decline of open-ecosystem biodiversity.

Andy is the President of the Northern Rivers Fire & Biodiversity Consortium and founder of Wildsite Ecological Services  His doctoral research examined the impacts of fire exclusion on Eucalypt forest biodiversity. As a consultant and university lecturer, he works closely with indigenous groups, bringing observation-based assessment and applied fire ecology to practitioners, agencies and communities.

See Andy’s Google Scholar profile for a list of publications.

LinkedIn Andy Baker

Greg Taylor is the Founding Director of Endemic Environmental, an environmental services provider committed to connecting people and communities to their locally indigenous landscapes through ecological restoration, fire management, education, and design. His work integrates contemporary ecological science with Indigenous knowledge, which he is deeply grateful to have learned from Aboriginal knowledge holders.

As a former Councillor for Ku-ring-gai Council, Greg brings together experience in ecology, environmental education, and local government to advocate for more resilient ecosystems, biodiversity conservation, and respect for First Nations knowledge. He is committed to supporting communities across NSW in restoring and protecting local ecosystems for future generations.

Register to attend via Zoom