TY - JOUR
T1 - Extent and effect of the 2019-20 Australian bushfires on upland peat swamps in the Blue Mountains, NSW
AU - Fryirs, Kirstie A.
AU - Cowley, Kirsten L.
AU - Hejl, Natalie
AU - Chariton, Anthony
AU - Christiansen, Nicole
AU - Dudaniec, Rachel
AU - Farebrother, Will
AU - Hardwick, Lorraine
AU - Ralph, Tim
AU - Stow, Adam
AU - Hose, Grant
PY - 2021/1/22
Y1 - 2021/1/22
N2 - 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.
AB - 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.
UR - https://www.publish.csiro.au/WF/WF20081#:~:text=During%20the%20fires%2C%2059%25%20of,a%20very%20high%20burn%20severity.
U2 - 10.1071/WF20081
DO - 10.1071/WF20081
M3 - Article
SN - 1448-5516
VL - 30
SP - 294
EP - 300
JO - International Journal of Wildland Fire
JF - International Journal of Wildland Fire
ER -
