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Extent and effect of the 2019-20 Australian bushfires on upland peat swamps in the Blue Mountains, NSW

Authors :
Anthony A. Chariton
Kirsten L. Cowley
Timothy J. Ralph
Natalie Hejl
Kirstie Fryirs
Lorraine Hardwick
Will Farebrother
Rachael Y. Dudaniec
Adam J. Stow
Nicole A. Christiansen
Grant C. Hose
Source :
International Journal of Wildland Fire. 30:294
Publication Year :
2021
Publisher :
CSIRO Publishing, 2021.

Abstract

The devastating bushfires of the 2019–20 summer are arguably the most costly natural disaster in Australian recorded history. What is little known is that these fires severely affected the temperate highland peat swamps on sandstone (THPSS), a form of upland wetland that occurs in the water supply catchments of Sydney in the Greater Blue Mountains World Heritage Area and National Park. During the fires, 59% of THPSS was burnt and 72% of those by a high severity burn. Upland swamps at Newnes were the most affected, with 96% of swamps burnt and 84% of these experiencing a very high burn severity. We present an analysis of the spatial extent and severity of the bushfire on the THPSS and discuss some of the likely consequences on their geomorphological, hydrological and ecological structure, function and recovery potential.

Details

ISSN :
10498001
Volume :
30
Database :
OpenAIRE
Journal :
International Journal of Wildland Fire
Accession number :
edsair.doi...........50ff5a223cdf2063d222a136c15e856b
Full Text :
https://doi.org/10.1071/wf20081