Bushfires, climate change and the role of forests

	Bushland regenerating after fires in The Grampians, Victoria. Jaret Scheirlinck

Large fires occur in south-eastern Australia because forests are flammable, the terrain is rugged, and most importantly because ignition, severe fire weather and intense drought conditions occasionally coincide.

Importantly, recent published research is showing that the changing climate is the main driver of Australia’s recent large fire activity, especially if the vegetation has been altered through actions associated with land clearing and logging.

So are ecosystems destroyed by large fires?

No, they are burnt and they regenerate. They do not burn with uniform high intensity; some patches are roasted, others are lightly scorched. However, the regeneration capacity of local ecosystems is enormous. Australian plants have mechanisms that allow them to cope with, and even prosper, after large fires, provided these fires are not too frequent.

Plants re-sprout and re-seed, and in healthy, intact ecosystems animals are able to migrate, switch diet, and continue reproducing. Forests regenerate and re-absorb the carbon released, even if the fires are intense.

To prove this, here are some numbers. Scientists from the Ecological Society of Australia have estimated that approximately 12 million tonnes of carbon dioxide were released by the recent fires in south-eastern Australia. A typical value from published studies shows that native forest ecosystems in Victoria and New South Wales absorb about 44 tonnes of carbon dioxide per hectare.

So, when we consider that 21.4 million hectares of forest are in reserves across Victoria alone, these reserves are taking 900 million tonnes of carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere each year.

The reserve system is doing us an amazing favour because it will absorb the carbon dioxide emitted from these mega-fires in under one year.

Research, here and overseas, suggests that major fires will happen more often because of climate change. With this prospect in mind, we must do everything we can to protect people, property and the environment.

But one thing is certain: the role of our native forests and bushland in absorbing carbon from the atmosphere is one that cannot be overlooked – protecting and restoring our forests and bushland is a guaranteed, immediate and cost-effective way to help prevent dangerous climate change.