Three Parks Savanna Fire-effects Plot Network: Plot-based Fire Severity Monitoring, Kakadu National Park, Northern Territory, Australia, 1994–2011

The Three Parks Savanna Fire-effects Network was established in 1994 with the primary aim of training management staff and assisting with the development of adaptive approaches to conservation-based fire management in regional savanna systems. The full program assesses fire regimes and their impacts on plant and vertebrate biodiversity components. The program comprises two complementary elements - mapping of fire histories based upon interpretation of satellite imagery, and assessment of vegetation and faunal components at a large series of permanent monitoring plots located across respective parks. The vegetation data comprises quantitative assessment of all species in three major strata within 800 square metre plots. Faunal assessments are undertaken in the immediate vicinity of respective plots. The occurrence of fire is assessed bi-annually on-ground and satellite derived fire mapping is conducted three times a year. A full inventory of vegetation is undertaken every five years. Terrestrial vertebrates are monitored systematically but on an irregular and less frequent basis.

This dataset comprises on-ground assessment of fire occurrence and severity conducted at 132 plots located in Kakadu National Park.

Fire occurrence is recorded based on on-ground plot visits, and from aerial ground-truthing assessments of the park’s satellite-based fire mapping programme. Fire severity scores (ordinal values 1–3) are assessed from field photographs. Fire occurrence and severity is assessed in three seasonal periods: early dry season (e), late dry season (L) and wet season (w) for each year.

*Note: Plots are located within a National Park and physical access to the plots is restricted.
**Note: This package used to be called "Monitoring the impacts of fire regimes on vegetation in northern Australia: Plot based fire severity monitoring data, Kakadu National Park, Northern Territory Australia, 1994–2011", but was relabelled for consistency.