Data from: Assessing the effects of fire season, fire severity and rainfall on seedling establishment and mortality in dry eucalypt forests

Fire plays a crucial role in shaping ecosystems globally, yet climate
change is driving complex shifts in fire regimes. Fire-weather seasons are
lengthening, with many fire-prone ecosystems experiencing increased drying
and rising temperatures. Consequently, fire is occurring more frequently
outside historical fire seasons, potentially exposing vulnerable species
to risk of decline. Here, we examine how fire season and severity interact
to influence perennial plant post-fire recruitment in the dry eucalypt
jarrah forests of southwest Western Australia. We assessed seedling
recruitment and mortality of all species (except graminoids) following 11
fires across two years. The burns occurred in either autumn or spring, and
plots were stratified across three severity classes. Each site was
surveyed three times post-fire. Seedling density was highest within the
first year following autumn fires. However, by the final survey year,
densities were highest after moderate and high-severity 2021 spring fires.
Emergence following spring fires in both years was delayed with a large
portion of seeds remaining viable, anticipating future winter rains.
Seedling mortality was highest following autumn fires but differed
significantly between burn years. Complex interactions among fire season,
fire severity, and post-fire weather collectively shape recruitment
patterns, yet our results suggest jarrah forest communities are resilient
to variation in fire season and severity. As Southwest Western Australia
continues to dry and annual rainfall declines, understanding how these
interactions, combined with post-fire weather, drive ecosystem composition
will be increasingly important.