AUSTRALIA
The sweet relief of rain after bushfires threaten disaster for our rivers 

Fire debris flowing into the Murray-Darling Basin will exacerbate the risk of fish and other aquatic life dying en masse

Paul McInerney, Klaus Joehnk and Gavin Rees for the Conversation
Tue 14 Jan 2020
 
Gwydir River, outside the NSW town of Moree, in the Murray-Darling Basin. Pollutants from this season’s bushfires may decimate aquatic life in basin waterways. Photograph: David Gray/Getty Images

When heavy rainfall eventually extinguishes the flames ravaging south-east Australia, another ecological threat will arise. Sediment, ash and debris washing into our waterways, particularly in the Murray-Darling Basin, may decimate aquatic life.

We’ve seen this before. Following 2003 bushfires in Victoria’s alpine region, water filled with sediment and debris (known as sediment slugs) flowed into rivers and lakes, heavily reducing fish populations. We’ll likely see it again after this season’s bushfire emergency.

Large areas of north-east Victoria have been burnt. While this region accounts only for 2% of the Murray-Darling Basin’s entire land area, water flowing in from north-east Victorian streams (also known as in-flow) contributes 38% of overall in-flows into the Murray-Darling Basin.

Bushfires threaten drinking water safety – and the consequences could last decades

Fire debris flowing into the Murray-Darling Basin will exacerbate the risk of fish and other aquatic life dying en masse, as witnessed in previous years.
What will flow into waterways?

Generally, bushfire ash comprises organic carbon and inorganic elements such as nitrogen, phosphorous and metals such as copper, mercury and zinc.

Sediment rushing into waterways can also contain large amounts of soil, since fire has consumed the vegetation that once bound the soil together and prevented erosion.

And carcinogenic chemicals – found in soil and ash in higher amounts following bushfires – can contaminate streams and reservoirs over the first year after the fire.

Flooding and debris flow after California’s 2014 Silverado wildfire – video.

How they harm aquatic life

Immediately following the bushfires, we expect to see an increase in streamflow when it rains, because burnt soil repels, not absorbs, water.

When vast amounts of carbon are present in a waterway, such as when carbon-loaded sediments and debris wash in, bacteria rapidly consumes the water’s oxygen. The remaining oxygen levels can fall below what most invertebrates and fish can tolerate.

These high sediment loads can also suffocate aquatic animals with a fine layer of silt which coats their gills and other breathing structures.

Habitats are also at risk. When sediment is suspended in the river and light can’t penetrate, suitable fish habitat is diminished. The murkier water also means there’s less opportunity for aquatic plants and algae to photosynthesise (turn sunshine to energy).

What’s more, many of Australia’s waterbugs, the keystone of river food webs, need pools with litter and debris for cover. They rely on slime on the surface of rocks and snags that contain algae, fungi and bacteria for food.

But heavy rain following fire can lead to pools and the spaces between cobbles to fill with silt, causing the waterbugs to starve and lose their homes.

This is bad news for fish, too. Any bug-eating fish that manage to avoid dying from a lack of oxygen can be faced with an immediate food shortage
 
Many fish were killed in Ovens River after the 2003 
bushfires from sediment slugs. 
Photograph: Arthur Rylah Institute

We saw this in 2003 after the sediment slug penetrated the Ovens River in the north-east Murray catchment. Researchers observed dead fish, stressed fish gulping at the water surface and freshwater crayfish walking out of the stream.

Long-term damage



Bushfires can increase the amount of nutrients in streams 100 fold. The effects can persist for several years before nutrient levels return to pre-fire conditions.

More nutrients in the water might sound like a good thing, but when there’s too much (especially nitrogen and phosphorous), coupled with warm temperatures, they can lead to excessive growth of blue-green algae. This algae can be toxic to people and animals and often closes down recreational waters.

Large parts of the upper Murray River catchment above Lake Hume has burnt, risking increases to nutrient loads within the lake and causing blue-green algae blooms which may flow downstream. This can impact communities from Albury all the way to the mouth of the Murray River in South Australia.

Some aquatic species are already teetering on the edge of their preferred temperature as stream temperatures rise from climate change. In places where bushfires have burnt all the way to the stream edge, decimating vegetation that provided shade, there will be less resistance to temperature changes and fewer cold places for aquatic life to hide.

Cooler hideouts are particularly important for popular angling species such as trout, which are highly sensitive to increased water temperature.

But while we can expect an increase in stream flow from water-repellent burnt soil, we know from previous bushfires that, in the long-term, stream flow will drop. This is because in the upper catchments, regenerating younger forests use more water than the older forests they replace from evapotranspiration (when plants release water vapour into the surrounding atmosphere, and evaporation from the surrounding land surface).

Even as an air pollution expert, these months of bushfire smoke have been a shock

Nancy Cushing for the Conversation

It’s particularly troubling for the Murray-Darling Basin, where large areas are already enduring ongoing drought. Bushfires may exacerbate existing dry conditions.
So what can we do?

We need to act as soon as possible. Understandably, priorities lie in removing the immediate and ongoing bushfire threat. But following that, we must improve sediment and erosion control to prevent debris being washed into water bodies in fire-affected areas.

One of the first things we can do is to restore areas used for bushfire control lines and minimise the movement of soil along access tracks used for bushfire suppression. This can be achieved using sediment barriers and other erosion-control measures in high-risk areas.

Longer-term, we can re-establish vegetation along waterways to help buffer temperature extremes and sediment loads entering streams.

It’s also important to introduce strategic water-quality monitoring programs that incorporate real-time sensing technology, providing an early warning system for poor water quality. This can help guide the management of our rivers and reservoirs in the years to come.

While our current focus is on putting the fires out, as it should be, it’s important to start thinking about the future and how to protect our waterways. Because inevitably, it will rain again.


• This story was first published in the Conversation

AUSTRALIA

Expert says to brace for bushfire season ahead, but expect worse to come

by Ben Knight, University of New South Wales

Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain

The upcoming bushfire season in Australia may be bad, but future years pose a more significant threat, says a University of New South Wales bushfire expert.

The recent devastation caused by wildfires across Europe and Hawaii has sparked concerns about the return of catastrophic bushfires in Australia. Coupled with the forecast that the southern hemisphere is likely entering a hot and dry El Niño event, conditions could be favorable for major fires after a few years of subdued activity.

But Professor Jason Sharples, an expert in bushfires dynamics from UNSW Canberra, says while it's always hard to predict exactly what will unfold in Australia, it's unlikely to be a repeat of the 2019–2020 Black Summer bushfires.

"El Niño conditions don't necessarily mean we will have a worse bushfire season, though it does mean we're more likely to have hotter temperatures, less rainfall, and dry conditions that can lead to destructive fires," Prof. Sharples says. "Instead of being hit hard this year, we may see the impacts of El Niño accumulate and combine with climate change in the next season and the ones following."

However, Prof. Sharples says this season may still bring a chance of significant fires developing. Three years of increased rainfall from consecutive La Niña events has seen vegetation grow, especially grasses, and a relatively dry year so far may have begun to dry it out.

"In many areas, there is still some moisture content in forest fuels like trees, leaves and branches, as well the litter on the ground, but it takes a while, probably more than one season, to dry out," Prof. Sharples says. "So, while the vegetation has grown a lot, and there may be a lot of fuel lying around, it's probably not ready to burn with that intensity this year.

"However, there are still some forested areas that have already seen significant drying, and these areas could see intense bushfires."

The Black Summer bushfires also burned a lot of forest areas along south-east Australia already. While reburn fires could occur this year, Prof. Sharples says they're unlikely to be as severe, though other untouched forest areas along the coast could still burn.

Instead, grassland areas, which have also grown over the last few years of rainfall, may be more at risk this season.

"There is a higher possibility of grass fires this year, in areas like western New South Wales, though they're not typically as damaging as large forest fires," Prof. Sharples says.

"The biggest area burnt in Australia was due to a series of grassland fires that burnt 100 million hectares following a strong La Niña, so they can still be a significant hazard, particularly in rural areas."

Future bushfire season threats

While this upcoming season might not hit as hard as others in recent memory, Prof. Sharples says the risk of more severe and frequent bushfires continues to grow from human-driven climate change.

"The fact that our worst bushfire season on record didn't coincide with an El Niño suggests climate change is acting, and we should prepare for worsening bushfire conditions in the years ahead," Prof. Sharples says.

Overall, bushfire seasons are getting longer and starting earlier. Heat waves, in particular, are becoming hotter, longer, and more frequent, drying out fuels and intensifying bushfires.

"The risk of extreme bushfires is rising because of climate change, and there is a clear link between hotter temperatures and worsening bushfires," Prof. Sharples says. "They're becoming more destructive and regular, and present a unique set of hazards as they interact with the atmosphere to create violent firestorms."

Prof. Sharples says we must act now to improve fire preparedness and management strategies to mitigate the increasing threat of bushfires.

"We're not going to be able to prevent bad seasons from occurring, but we can take steps to improve fire management techniques to prevent extreme fires as much as possible," Prof. Sharples says.

"If not, we will be locked in a vicious cycle of climate change leading to larger fires and then those larger fires amplifying the effects of climate change."

Prof. Sharples also says we need more research to understand the dynamics of fires and a lot of investment and interest in different technologies to help mitigate the risk of bushfires.

"It's not the sort of problem that gets solved in a single season," Prof. Sharples says. "It will take years, possibly even decades, of research and planning to better prepare ourselves for the kinds of bushfires we had in the Black Summer season."

Provided by University of New South Wales Bigger, wilder, more destructive: How cold fronts affected the Black Summer bushfires

Quokkas demonstrate adaptive behavior in response to prescribed burns

by Murdoch University

Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain

Quokkas residing in the Northern Jarrah Forest, Western Australia have been found to be using fire exclusion zones to ensure their own safety and longevity.

A study conducted by researchers at Murdoch University's Harry Butler Institute, working with the Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions, has shed light on their adaptive behavior following periods of prescribed burns. The study is published in the International Journal of Wildland Fire.

The findings emphasize the importance of appropriately sized and located fire exclusion areas in conservation management.

Harry Butler Institute researcher Leticia Povh led the study and said understanding how animals use their space after prescribed burning is crucial for effective conservation management, particularly for threatened species like the quokka.

"The study aimed to determine how individual quokkas changed their home ranges following burns," Povh said.

"In a world of rising temperatures and decreasing rainfall across southwest WA, this study has important conservation significance in determining how we manage habitat for our mainland quokkas into the future."

Over the course of two years, the movement patterns of 20 quokkas were meticulously tracked before and after prescribed burns.

Home-range area calculations were performed for each individual, and behavioral change point analysis was conducted to detect any alterations in their space use.

"The key results revealed a remarkable shift in the behavior of six quokkas that had previously resided in areas subjected to prescribed burns," Povh said.

"These individuals moved into fire exclusion zones, actively avoiding the burn areas for an average of three months.

"After this time, these quokkas spent no more than 2% of their time in the burn areas. In contrast, quokkas inhabiting fire exclusion and control sites did not exhibit any changes in their space use.

"This study highlights the importance of appropriately sized fire exclusion zones to ensure the preservation of populations of species dependent on dense vegetation."

Quokkas, like many other fauna species, rely on dense cover for refuge from introduced predators such as the feral cat and red fox, making fire exclusion areas a crucial component of prescribed burn planning.

By providing refuge and food sources, these areas contribute to the long-term viability of quokka populations and other species with similar habitat requirements.

As prescribed burns continue to be used in land management, the findings of this study offer useful insights for conservation practitioners.

By incorporating appropriately sized and located fire exclusion areas into prescribed burn planning, land managers can assist in preserving critical habitat for vulnerable wildlife like the quokka.

More information: Leticia F. Povh et al, A conservation-significant threatened mammal uses fire exclusions and shifts ranges in the presence of prescribed burning, International Journal of Wildland Fire (2023). DOI: 10.1071/WF22196

Provided by Murdoch University 

Tracking quokkas through fires

 

Hard yacca: Grass-trees are a life saver for many animals, but fire and disease threaten their survival

by University of South Australia

Grass-tree Xanthorrhoea semiplana ssp. semiplana. 

Credit: Pacific Conservation Biology (2023). DOI: 10.1071/PC23014

Australia's iconic grass-trees—aka yaccas—are hardy, drought-tolerant, and strikingly beautiful. Now, new research has revealed another, far more important, feature: their ability to protect wildlife from deadly weather extremes.

A study undertaken by the University of South Australia and Kangaroo Island Research Station shows that the yaccas' long, thick and dry grassy skirts help insulate animals from lethal temperatures in summer and winter, as well as keeping them dry. The research is published in Pacific Conservation Biology.

Temperatures under the grass-tree canopies at four sites in the Mt Lofty Ranges were up to 20 degrees cooler than under the direct sun in summer. In winter, conditions were significantly warmer under the grass skirts at night.

It turns out the iconic plant species—Xanthorrhoea semiplana sub species semiplana—also doubles as an effective umbrella, keeping the soil completely dry under 80% of the bigger, older yaccas during weeks of heavy rain.

Lead researcher Dr. Topa Petit says it's not surprising that many creatures seek shelter under yaccas, particularly the older species with the largest and thickest skirts.

"Several of the 29 species of Australian grass-trees are known to host native bush rats, threatened bandicoots, echidnas and pygmy-possums, among other wildlife," Dr. Petit says.

"Temperatures over 40 degrees can be lethal to some of our wildlife, but grass-trees provide extremely stable temperatures with very little variation.

"The remarkable ability of these grass-trees to protect wildlife from deadly climatic extremes—as well as providing effective hiding spots from predators—strengthens the mounting evidence that these plants are keystone species."

However, the yaccas on the mainland and Kangaroo Island are facing multiple threats which could have dramatic consequences for wildlife, Dr. Petit says.

The soil pathogen Phytophthora cinnamomi is having a devastating impact on the grass-trees, causing widespread dieback. Fuel reduction programs, summer fires and land clearing are threatening their survival even further.

"Grass-tree resilience to bushfires appears to be overestimated," Dr. Petit says.

"Moreover, even if grass-trees are not killed by fires, their very old thick skirts of dead leaves burn, leaving no shelter to animals in post-bushfire environments."

In 2022, the Federal Government added fire regimes that cause declines in biodiversity to the list of Key Threatening Processes.

"Historically, grass-trees were cleared for agriculture. They are now cleared or burnt in so-called fuel reduction programs. Extensive research has shown that this practice increases fuel loads and dries out the landscape."

Dr. Petit says yaccas scorched by fire can take decades to regain their role as effective shelters and are more susceptible to Phytophthora infestations.

"It's important that habitat management be backed by sound research and scientific monitoring rather than hysteria. We owe it to the future of our ecosystems."

More information: Sophie Petit et al, The role of grass-tree Xanthorrhoea semiplana (Asphodelaceae) canopies in temperature regulation and waterproofing for ground-dwelling wildlife, Pacific Conservation Biology (2023). DOI: 10.1071/PC23014

Provided by University of South Australia Kangaroo Island ants 'play dead' to avoid predators

Counting the cost of Australia’s raging inferno

Bushfire damage could be as high as $9 billion and trim .5% off GDP with worst of blazes still to come

ByALAN BOYD, SYDNEY

Australia’s economy will take years to recover from the bushfires that have devastated four states since September, with the damage bill already estimated at A$5 billion (US$3.4 billion) and the worst of the blazes still to come.

There could also be a significant political cost, as Prime Minister Scott Morrison’s indecisive response and adamant refusal to acknowledge a climate change link to the fires have seen his popularity and support nosedive.

Twenty-eight people have been killed and at least 2,300 homes destroyed as the fires burned through 8.4 billion hectares (50,000 square kilometers) of mostly rural land in New South Wales (NSW), Victoria, South Australia and Queensland — a geographical area bigger than the entire territory of Denmark.

Losses will continue to rise, as the peak period of bushfire activity does not start until February, the hottest month in southeastern Australia. It is expected to drag on well into March unless there is rainfall; some areas have had heavy falls in recent days, but not enough to end the fiery crisis.

With insurance claims of A$1 billion ($690 million) already submitted for damage to private property, Westpac bank’s economics unit has calculated that the fires will trim between 0.2-0.5% off growth in 2020 alone.

A burnt-out car is seen on property razed by bushfires in Bargo, southwest of Sydney, on December 21, 2019. Photo: AFP/Peter Parks

“That would put the cost in terms of insured and uninsured losses at around $5 billion,” the bank said in a report, noting that the total bill from disasters is generally about double the losses from insured claims.

AMP Capital earlier forecast economic losses amounting to 0.25-1% of gross domestic product (GDP), or a range of A$3-13 billion ($2-9 billion), which could give Australia zero or even negative growth this quarter.

To date the most damaging bushfires were a 2009 inferno that ripped through southeastern Victoria, costing the state A$4.4 billion ($3 billion).

Westpac noted that affected areas this time, mostly on the south coast of NSW and the same region of Victoria burned out a decade ago, account for only 1% of the economy. However, they are major producers of fruit and vegetables, beef, seafood, timber and wine. They are also big tourism areas.

The tourist industry lost at least A$1 billion ($675 million) during the crucial Christmas holiday period due to cancellations— 100% in many destinations — and there is no doubt more to come.

About 60% of bookings in areas unaffected by the bushfires were also scrapped due to adverse media coverage worldwide.

A kangaroo trying to move away from nearby bushfires at a residential property near the town of Nowra in the Australian state of New South Wales. Photo: AFP/Saeed Khan

“People have basically stopped travel,” Simon Westaway, executive director of the Australian Tourism Industry Council, told Reuters news agency. “And that’s absolutely understandable: human nature kicks in.”

Damage to telecommunications, power supplies, roads, bridges and other infrastructure is still being evaluated but will also account for millions of dollars, as will the loss of inventories and profits for thousands of small businesses.

Moody’s Analytics economist Katrina Ell said air pollution, which has affected 30% of the population, would result in reduced worker productivity, increased health spending, and lower crop yields. Moody’s, a ratings agency, has said the fires have been more destructive than the 2009 blazes.

Morrison’s conservative government, which staunchly backs fossil fuel use for power generation and rejects claims that climate change has aggravated the fires, was slow initially to respond to the disaster, though it has now offered more than A$2 billion ($1.3 billion) in emergency and reconstruction aid.

The prime minister left for a holiday to Hawaii as NSW was burning, returning only after a media outcry. He was then heckled by victims of the fires on the NSW south coast and criticized by state legislators in his own party.

A Newspoll survey, the first conducted since the worst fires began, found that 59% of respondents were dissatisfied with Morrison’s performance and only 37% satisfied. He now trails Labor’s Anthony Albanese by four percentage points, the survey showed.

Australia’s Prime Minister Scott Morrison visits a wildflower farm in an area devastated by bushfires in Sarsfield, Victoria state on January 3, 2020. Photo: AFP/James Ross/Pool

Labor, the main opposition party, leads the governing coalition 51% to 49% in two-party preferred terms two years out from the next election. That spread could widen depending on Morrison’s perceived performance in handling the fires’ aftermath.

Morrison contends that it is not his government’s job to fight fires, but conceded that he “could have handled on the ground much better.” Now he has agreed to call a royal commission — the highest level of official inquiry — into the government’s response, providing more fuel to his critics.

Even as the summer fires are quenched, Morrison will continue to feel the political heat. Indeed, there are already rumblings that he may face a leadership challenge among his own ranks in the months ahead

JANUARY 17, 2020

A veterinary surgeon offers gum leaves to a mother and joey koala rescued from bushfires. Other koalas have had to be rescued from floods. Photo: AFP/Paul Crock

Fires, then floods: How much can a koala bear?

Koalas which were under threat from bushfires last week have now had to be rescued from a flood

ByAT CONTRIBUTOR

One week ago, koalas at an Australian wildlife park were in the path of raging bushfires. On Friday, they were soaking wet and being carried to safety from flash floods.

Months of drought that have contributed to Australia’s catastrophic bushfire season have this week given way to huge downpours in some of the blaze-ravaged areas.

At the Australian Reptile Park on the nation’s east coast near Sydney, heavy rains on Friday morning sent torrents of water through its bushland setting.

Images released by the park showed soaking wet koalas clinging to gum trees, and a zookeeper carrying two of the marsupials to safety through rushing waters.

Water levels in the lagoon for the park’s alligators also rose up close to the top of the fence.

A zookeeper is seen leaning over the fence and trying to push an alligator back down with a broom as it stretches up in an apparent bid to escape.

“This is incredible, just last week, we were having daily meetings to discuss the imminent threat of bushfires,” park director Tim Faulkner said.

“Today, we’ve had the whole team out there, drenched, acting fast to secure the safety of our animals and defend the park from the onslaught of water.

“We haven’t seen flooding like this at the park for over 15 years.”

The bushfires, which began in September, have claimed 28 lives and are estimated to have killed more than a billion animals across eastern and southern Australia.

The wet weather this week has given exhausted firefighters a huge boost, helping to reduce or contain some blazes.

But dozens of fires remain out of control, and authorities have warned the crisis could worsen again with Australia only halfway through its summer.

“The contrast between the current bushfire crisis and this sudden flooding is striking,” Faulkner said.

“But we are well aware that a huge part of Australia is still burning, and millions of animals are still under threat.”

– AFP

Australia: Bushfire crisis triggers mass protests

Thousands of protesters have blocked the main streets of major cities across the country. Climate scientists have warned the frequency and intensity of bushfires will worsen as Australia becomes hotter and drier.

Thousands of people took to the streets in Australia's major cities to rally against Scott Morrison's government's inaction on climate change and its handling of the ongoing bushfire crisis that has devastated the country, destroying wildlife and polluting the air.

Friday's protests marked the country's first major demonstration since the fire season began in late July. The nationwide rallies were organized by university students and broadcast live on social media platforms.

Masses gathered in Sydney, Canberra, Brisbane, Adelaide and Hobart, blocking major roads in the cities as protesters chanted "ScoMo [Scott Morrison] has to go ," and armed with signs, placards and banners that read "There is no climate B," "Save us from Hell" and #sackScomo, a hashtag surfacing across social media in a dig against the prime minister.

Undeterred by heavy rain, a welcome change from the recent extreme dry weather, huge crowds in Melbourne came out shouting "Phase Out Fossil Fools," "Fire ScoMo" and "Make Fossil Fuels History."

Read more: Oceans play role in Australian bushfire drama, says experts

From paradise to most polluted places on earth

At least 26 people have lost their lives in the fires and more than 10 million hectares (24.7 million acres) of land across Australia has burned since the bushfire season and several thousand homes have been destroyed.

Australian scientists claim at least one billion animals were killed in the recent bushfires.

"How can I be a vet if all the animals are gone" read one girl's placard in a Canberra protest.

Protests in the capital as well as Melbourne carried on despite air quality having deteriorated to such toxic levels  that the two cities featured among places with the most polluted air on earth.

Protesters took to the streets in Sydney, Melbourne, Canberra, Hobart and Adelaide

Morrison rejects criticism

Morrison and his conservative government have been condemned for their lack of efforts to combat climate change, which scientists have warned played a role in the bushfires.

On Friday, Morrison told Sydney radio 2GB that it was disappointing that people were correlating the bushfires with Australia's emission reduction targets.

"We don't want job-destroying, economy-destroying, economy-wrecking targets and goals, which won’t change the fact that there have been bushfires or anything like that in Australia," he said.

Morrison, a strong supporter of the coal industry, has blamed the country's three-year-long drought for causing the fires.

Australia stepped back in its commitment to the UN Paris climate accord last year. The country is the world's largest exporter of coal and liquefied natural gas.

Climate activists staged rallies outside the officers of German industrial manufacturing firm Siemens on Friday over its role in the Adani coal mine project in Australia. The activists called for an end to the project due to emissions from coal-fired plants that could contribute to global warming.

Read more: Wildfires: Climate change and deforestation increase the global risk

Protesting not 'appropriate'

Friday's events ignited controversy over the timing of the protests. Victoria state Premier Daniel Andrews said the rallies were timed inappropriately and would divert police resources.

"Common sense tells you that there are other times to make your point," he told a televised briefing. "I respect people's right to have a view, I tend to agree with a lot of the points that are being made — climate change is real — but there is a time and a place for everything and I just don't think a protest tonight was the appropriate thing."

Teacher Denise Lavell said she attended the protests in Sydney because she believed the pleas were only a government ploy to keep civilians from protesting. "Our country is burning, our planet is dying and we need to show up," she said.

mvb/ng (AP, dpa, Reuters)

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