The intense heat generated from Forestry Tasmania’s ‘regeneration burns’ (also called napalming) is necessary for new growth, says FT. But a recent study reveals something rather different … and worrying …
Sampson Flat bushfire impact studied by soil researchers from Adelaide University
It could take years for bushfire-affected soil in the Adelaide Hills to recover from an intense blaze last January, researchers say.
A team from Adelaide University is collecting samples from pine and native forests burnt in the bushfire at Sampson Flat to compare with soil from areas which escaped the intense heat.
Hundreds of samples will be analysed to assess the impact of bushfires on the soil.
Professor Petra Marschner said some soil heated to as much as 200 degrees Celsius as the bushfire passed through.
“Bushfires not only burn the vegetation above ground but also organic matter in the soil,” she said.
“The damage that you cause to the soil in terms of nutrient loss and microbial death is all in the top few centimetres.”
EARLIER on Tasmanian Times …
