Use of firebreaks and artificial supply points by wild ungulates: Effects on fuel load and woody vegetation along a distance gradient

Importantly, supply points showed significantly greater ungulate effects as compared to firebreaks at any distance for all the study variables. Thus, supply points showed, on average, 1.8 times greater browsing damage than firebreaks at any distance from the boundary. Similarly, fuel load between 100 and 10 m from the structures was reduced by 78% in supply points but only by 20% in firebreaks. Managers should carefully consider the location and distribution of firebreaks and supply points throughout the landscape given their differential capacity to attract ungulates and their associated effects on fuel load reduction and woody plant communities. Fire-prone areas within the landscape can benefit from the combined use of firebreaks and supply points to reduce fuel load at a low cost but regeneration of ungulate-sensitive and threatened taxa should be considered.