Relationships between fire, fungal rots and termite damage in Australian forest trees

Summary

The relationships between termites and fungal rots are complex and, in living trees, very poorly understood. However, termite attack on the heartwood of living jarrah (Eucalyptus marginata), karri (E. diversicolor) and maritime- or cluster pine (Pinus pinaster) in south-western Australia is secondary to fungal attack which, in turn, depends substantially on fire scarring. A review of the available data suggests that this generalisation applies equally in south-eastern Australian forests, and that the dependence of fungal and termite damage on fire or mechanical damage has important practical implications for forest management.