Towards an ecologically sustainable fire management strategy

Fire is an important driver of ecosystem structure and function in Australia, and the study of these interrelationships has seen the development of a strong fire ecology discipline across the nation. Nowhere has this been stronger than in Victoria, which over the past 30 years has seen the refinement of an adaptive and innovative fire ecology framework, and its implementation and testing within an evolving policy setting and through a monitoring, evaluation and reporting framework. This paper outlines the key historical aspects of this rapidly evolving discipline within Victoria.