The impact of gigafire on vegetation structure, terrestrial vertebrate abundance, and diel activity

Fire regimes are shifting around the world due to climate and land-use change, resulting in an increased frequency of large and severe wildfires. However, the impact of extreme wildfire events on animal species remains poorly understood. Particularly lacking is an understanding of how fire affects animal behaviour. By examining how distinct vertebrate groups respond to wildfire, we capture variations in resilience mechanisms that further our understanding of fire ecology and aid conservation strategies in increasingly fire-prone landscapes. Across an area of 180,110 ha, we investigated the effects of the 2019–2020 Australian ‘Black Summer’ wildfires on vegetation structure (a proxy for vertebrate habitat), the number of independent detections (as an indicator of abundance), and diel activity of a range of terrestrial animals in Eucalypt forests of south-eastern Australia. We examined the influence of fire severity on vegetation structure, using wildlife cameras, animal species abundance..., , # The impact of gigafire on vegetation structure, terrestrial vertebrate abundance, and diel activity

Dataset DOI: [10.5061/dryad.x0k6djhx5](10.5061/dryad.x0k6djhx5)

## Description of the data and file structure

### File: **data\_frame\_sites\_dryad.csv**

**The impact of gigafire on vegetation structure, terrestrial vertebrate abundance, and diel activity**

This dataset encompasses comprehensive surveys of animal species across three wilderness areas affected by an unprecedented gigafire. It includes data on species richness, species diversity, and various environmental variables such as fire severity, vegetation types, and historical fire events. The data were collected to analyse the resilience of animal communities and ecosystem functions following large-scale fire disturbances.

**Description of the Data and File Structure**

**data_frame_sites_dryad**:

This is the primary data frame used for analysis, containing observational data across different sites.

**Variables in data_...,