2023-10-28
Managing bushland to mitigate fire that may endanger people and property is reasonable. However, the prescribed burning carried out by the government is further damaging the environment, simultaneously preventing the hope of biodiversity links.
By Tamsyn Heynes, Green Issue Co-editor
Fire. What would humanity be without it. Its usage moved our collective ancestors into another historical, anthropological and societal epoch. Australia has an awkward and conflicted relationship with fire. The land itself tells us, through its flora and soil, that it needs fire; the word bushfire carries connotations of catastrophe and uncontrollable danger[i]; and, First Nations peoples consider it a necessity to clean the land, mindfully and with nuance[ii].
Disaster
There is a long recorded history of ‘unnatural disasters’ in Western, colonized lands (The Oklahoma Dust Bowl, Hurricane Katrina, the Queensland floods, firestorms such as Black Saturday in 2019 and Black Friday in 1939, flooding in southwest Asia, to name a few). The premise of the term unnatural disaster is that natural events are turned into catastrophic disasters, that endanger environment, people, animals and property. The “catastrophe” is due to infrastructure and planning – or the lack thereof – that did not fully consider the potential outcomes should these natural events occur, and mainly reflect political and socioeconomical manoeuvrings[iii].
There have been fires that have presented as unnatural disasters in Australia. However, given the Australian climate and environmental attributes – catastrophic bushfires are part of our landscape and climate. With or without the mismanagement by humanity, this land can still have raging firestorms due to the dry, arid climate (including drought events), the nutrient-poor soil (which does not retain moisture well), and the heat – amongst other factors. These naturally occurring factors are exacerbated by anthropocentric mismanagement. We need to prevent these events from becoming catastrophically dangerous to environment, people, animals, and property – essentially to keep contemporary life safe, whilst mindfully accepting the conditions of the land[iv].
Using “fires of choice” to reduce “fires of chance” is the accepted way to do this, and current prescribed burning methods lean on this premise[v]. The government thinks fire mitigation in the form of prescribed burning and ensuring fire breaks is the answer, and it is by and large, but it exacerbates the heat present in the landscape by essentially scorching everything to death[vi].
There is a much better way than current practice – the way that has existed here for 60 000 years, prior to 1788 – mosaic-pattern cool-burning[vii]. This practice is instrumental, as it is a fundamental aspect of creating biodiversity links[viii].
Biodiversity Links: A nutshell
In the current state of climate crisis, initiatives such as biodiversity links are important to preserve and rehabilitate the environment as much as possible in a contemporary setting (i.e.: after the damage has been done). They essentially allow flora and fauna to remain linked so that ecosystems can retain interconnectivity for its survival. This allows more moisture to be retained in the environment (which has a cooling and fire-retarding effect), more transformation of carbon dioxide into oxygen, and for the nature’s filters (certain plants, geographical features) to exist where they should, to mitigate pollution[ix].
Scorched Earth
The current prescribed burning practices treat fire only as a problem that needs to be managed. It is damaging because too much heat is applied; the application of the fire is indiscriminate – not specifically considering the needs of the landscape or flora; and, the timing of the burning is not specifically considered depending on the land, (just pre-empting the hottest part of the year). A flamethrower is used to pour scorching fire into the landscapes – and that is essentially the process. It is done by the fire department and some rangers[x].
Large swathes of Australia have a fire-prone, fire-adapted and fire-dependent climate and landscape. Australia’s soil requires the correct fire to treat it. Some plants do not rely on animals, but have adapted to fire serving the same purpose (clearing biomass and germinating). The nutrient-poor soils requires specific fire that is not too hot because “[i]ntense fire exacerbates nutrient poverty”[xi]:
" Nutrients are depleted immediately by volatilization and subsequently by leaching of the elements from ashbeds by rain. The degree of depletion of various nutrients depends on the intensity of the fire, and can be expected to be greatest for those elements, e. g. N, S, I, and Se, that combine volatility, solubility, and association with organic matter. The more intense the fire, the higher the proportion of N and S, and probably of I and Se, that is likely to be lost from the ecosystem. The soluble compounds of N, S, I, and Se are also readily depleted by flooding and leaching”[xii].
It also “kill[s] all plants unable to resprout from underground storage organs”[xiii]. The uniqueness of the conditions call for science and Traditional knowledge to be leaned upon to refine fire mitigation. This is not currently happening.
The thoughtlessness of prescribed burning prevents any hope of biodiversity links which help green metro and regional areas alike – aiding climate crisis mitigation; and, allowing the survival of flora and fauna.
Nuance: Allowing the land to thrive
“[Poppy] pointed out many more interrelationships and signs that signifies when animals were breeding, plants were fruiting, and when the seasons would come and go. These relational indicators are a very important part of reading the land and knowing when things are ready to burn and when they are not. It also helps to understand and adjust to climate and seasonal shifts each season.[xiv]”
Mosaic-patterned cool-burning is a First Nations practice that requires nuanced knowledge of land and climate. It is adjusted to suit the conditions and is applied at different times, depending on the landscape and the habits of its flora and fauna, based upon generations of knowledge. Mosaic-patterned cool-burning picks out only the small areas that need to be burned, with cool temperature fire. It is not a blanket burning, it considers the various types of fires that the land needs and applies it to sustain and protect the land. The greenery in the areas of this spot-burning controls the fire by acting as firebreaks because it is moist. The nature of the fire – if its too hot or if too much greenery is burning – is in the colour of the smoke, and adjustments are made in the moment, as appropriate. The black smoke of a scorching fire is avoided. It actively supports different vegetation levels, protects flora health and fauna diversity; and encourages growth of healthy plants and trees. Fire germinates seeds of certain plants/trees and creates space for others by clearing the undergrowth of biomass, encouraging diversity. By attending to the needs of the flora, the fire-prone biomass is cleared as a result, but the nutrients in the soil are protected on account of the cool-burn and retention of green flora in non-burning spots[xv].
Always Was Always Will Be
The lack of respect for Indigenous knowledge is appalling. Environmental experts already know the value of mosaic-patterned cool burning. The problem is, environmental experts are not the people making the choices that affect the environment. I suppose it is a problem that is unavoidable in a neocolonial democracy, that has far too many capitalist leanings[xvi]. Everyday people need to come to understand fire in a different way, more like Indigenous Australia, so that practices can change to what helps our environment not hurt it.
So, in the interim, whilst the local councils prepare for fire season and the powers-that-be continue ignoring and opening mines in a climate emergency – what can the ordinary citizen do?
Planting native and local:
- Creates a small part of a biodiversity link – giving fauna places to go
- Welcomes pollen carrying insects, and
- Creates closer proximity between patches of vegetation for pollens and seeds to travel and land effectively.
Grass, not astroturf:
- cools the house, saves on energy-consumption,
- keeps the nutrients in the soils, avoiding leaching. (“Nutrient acquisition … “[t]he main mechanism used by plants of Australia to counter leaching is a mat of root tissues at the soil surface”[xvii].)
It is about time that broadstroke decisions and actions typical of Western, colonial expansionism, commodification and control, die out. Colonial mindsets that focus only on (some) humans and property, without a thought for more-than-human[xviii], is beyond outdated and continues to be proven as downright damaging and unjust. It is time that we start applying practices, such as mosaic-patterned cool-burning, to encourage the rehabilitation and growth of biodiversity in regional and metro areas. The built-up world, whether we like or not, is the habitat that Westernized humans have made for themselves[xix]. We live in bioregions, not arbritrary, lines-on-maps areas according to planning based largely on economy and man-imposed infrastructure. It is about time we listen to the ways of people who have sustained and cared for the land since time immemorial and the very land itself.
Header photo: A cool burn. Credit: https://www.oric.gov.au/publications/spotlight/cool-burning-country-and…
[Opinions expressed are of those of the author and not official policy of Greens WA]
References
[i] Hansen, Christine. “Deep Time and Disaster: Black Saturday and the Forgotten Past.” Environmental Humanities 10, no. 1 (2018): 226–40. https://doi.org/10.1215/22011919-4385543.
[ii] Orians, Gordon H, and Antoni V Milewski. “Ecology of Australia: The Effects of Nutrient-Poor Soils and Intense Fires.” Biological Reviews of the Cambridge Philosophical Society 82, no. 3 (2007): 393–423. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1469-185X.2007.00017.x; Pascoe, Bruce. “Dark Emu: Black Seeds: Agriculture or Accident? – Introduction”. Broome, Western Australia: Magabala Books Aboriginal, 2014: 11-18; Steffensen, Victor. Fire Country : How Indigenous Fire Management Could Help Save Australia. Richmond: Hardie Grant Publishing, 2020.
[iii] Steinberg, Ted. “Acts of God: The Unnatural History of Natural Disaster in America. 2nd ed.” USA: Oxford University, 2006; Griffiths, Tom. “An Unnatural Disaster?: Remembering and Forgetting Bushfire.” History Australia 6, no. 2 (2009): 35.1–35.7. https://doi.org/10.2104/ha090035
[iv] Griffiths, Tom. “An Unnatural Disaster?: Remembering and Forgetting Bushfire.” History Australia 6, no. 2 (2009): 35.1–35.7. https://doi.org/10.2104/ha090035
[v] Griffiths, Tom. “An Unnatural Disaster?: Remembering and Forgetting Bushfire.” History Australia 6, no. 2 (2009): 35.1–35.7. https://doi.org/10.2104/ha090035
[vi] Steffensen, Victor. Fire Country : How Indigenous Fire Management Could Help Save Australia. Richmond: Hardie Grant Publishing, 2020.
[vii] Pascoe, Bruce. “Dark Emu: Black Seeds: Agriculture or Accident? – Introduction”. Broome, Western Australia: Magabala Books Aboriginal, 2014: 11-18; Karskens, Grace.“Fire in the Forests? Exploring the Human-Ecological History of Australia’s First Frontier.” Environment and History 25 (3): 2019, 391–419. https://doi.org/10.3197/096734018X15254461646378; Steffensen, Victor. Fire Country : How Indigenous Fire Management Could Help Save Australia. Richmond: Hardie Grant Publishing, 2020.
[viii] Oyster Harbour Catchment Group Inc. “History”. Accessed October 26, 2023/
https://www.ohcg.org.au/catchment-history.html ; Steffensen, Victor. Fire Country : How Indigenous Fire Management Could Help Save Australia. Richmond: Hardie Grant Publishing, 2020.
[ix] Ibid; Hayes, Lydia. Australian Geographic: “Biodiversity Hotspot in WA Explained”. Accessed October 27, 2023. https://www.australiangeographic.com.au/news/2014/02/western-australia-biodiversity-hotspot/
[x] ibid
[xi] Orians, Gordon H, and Antoni V Milewski. “Ecology of Australia: The Effects of Nutrient-Poor Soils and Intense Fires.” Biological Reviews of the Cambridge Philosophical Society 82, no. 3 (2007): 393–423. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1469-185X.2007.00017.x.
[xii] ibid
[xiii] Ibid
[xiv] Steffensen, Victor. Fire Country : How Indigenous Fire Management Could Help Save Australia. Richmond: Hardie Grant Publishing, 2020.
[xv] Ibid
[xvi] Steinberg, Ted. “Acts of God: The Unnatural History of Natural Disaster in America. 2nd ed.” USA: Oxford University, 2006; Griffiths, Tom. “An Unnatural Disaster?: Remembering and Forgetting Bushfire.” History Australia 6, no. 2 (2009): 35.1–35.7. https://doi.org/10.2104/ha090035; Pascoe, Bruce. “Dark Emu: Black Seeds: Agriculture or Accident? – Introduction”. Broome, Western Australia: Magabala Books Aboriginal, 2014: 11-18; National Geographic: Education. “Anthropocene”. Accessed October 26, 2023. https://education.nationalgeographic.org/resource/anthropocene/
[xvii] Orians, Gordon H, and Antoni V Milewski. “Ecology of Australia: The Effects of Nutrient-Poor Soils and Intense Fires.” Biological Reviews of the Cambridge Philosophical Society 82, no. 3 (2007): 393–423. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1469-185X.2007.00017.x.
[xviii] O’Gorman, Emily, and Gaynor, Andrea. 2020. “More-Than-Human Histories.” Environmental History 25 (4): 711–35. https://doi.org/10.1093/envhis/emaa027
[xix] Davis, Mike. “Dead Cities, and Other Tales: Chapter 17- Dead Cities: a Natural History.”New York: New Press, 2002: 361-99; Meisner, Christine, Tarr, Joel Arthur.“The Importance of an Urban Perspective in Environmental History.” Journal of Urban History 20 (3): 1994,299–310. https://doi.org/10.1177/009614429402000301