FIRE IN WETLANDS FORUM
Proceedings of the Fire in Wetlands Forum - A Burning Success INTRODUCTION TO THE PROCEEDINGS
The abstracts are published here and can also be found along with all forum presentations.
Fire is increasing in frequency, intensity and geographic and temporal extents in many already dry areas of the world. In some Australian regions, wetlands and surrounding ecosystems are becoming much more prone to burning, while in other regions fire is an essential but missing element from wetland landscapes. Trying to manage, prevent or control fire to mitigate short- and long-term effects on wetlands presents significant challenges. How do wetland and fire managers address these challenges? What can we learn from the latest research and through reflection on recent on-the-ground experience? The consequences of fire mismanagement (both too much and too little fire) can be catastrophic for people and the environment. The devastation following the 2019/2020 ‘black summer’ bushfires in Australia – where there was widespread evidence of fire impact to many wetland types - was the catalyst for the “Fire in Wetlands Forum” organized and hosted by the Oceania Chapter of the SWS. This virtual Forum brought together scientists and managers to share knowledge on the effects of fire on wetlands, management challenges, cultural burning and the implications of current research for improved mitigation of impacts, as well as identify knowledge gaps for future research. Across two days in September 2021, 15 speakers presented topics covering climate change and fire, First Nations people’s fire knowledge, fire impacts on vegetation and peat substrates in freshwater and estuarine wetlands, the effects of fire on wetland biodiversity and palaeoecological fire histories. Participation during the audience Q&A panel discussions was lively, highlighting the burning desire for a deeper understanding and sharing of knowledge amongst participants. The Forum identified a range of management approaches already underway throughout Australia. These range from fine scale monitoring of wetland recovery from fire, to national-scale modelling to help predict wetland fire risk and duration; from pioneering new approaches to management such as using leaky weirs to restore fire-impacted peatlands, to incorporating traditional knowledge into management frameworks. While steady gains are being made in our understanding of how wetland systems respond to fire regimes, there remain significant knowledge gaps as to how we can support these systems to continue to thrive into the future under changing climate scenarios.
A detailed description of the Forum’s outputs and outcomes will be available in the near future. SWS Oceania will continue to bring together wetlands scientists and professionals who share common interests in the ongoing and developing science and knowledge of fire and wetlands into the future. We thank all speakers and participants for sharing their time, knowledge and contributing to discussions on the current state and future direction of this field. The Fire in Wetlands Forum was made possible by a development grant from SWS to the Oceania Chapter. Technical support (Adobe Connect) was provided by the New South Wales Department of Primary Industry and Environment, and the Sydney Wetland Institute of the Sydney Olympic Park Authority. Jayne Hanford: The University of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. (Corresponding author) Phil Papas: Victorian Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning, Victoria, Australia. Swapan Paul: Sydney Wetland Institute, Sydney Olympic Park Authority, New South Wales, Australia. Adrian Pinder: Western Australian Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions, Australia. Maria VanderGragt: Queensland Department of Environment and Science, Queensland, Australia Jeff Kelleway: School of Earth, Atmospheric and Life Science and GeoQuEST Research Centre, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia.
122 Wetland Science & Practice April 2022
CLIMATE CHANGE AND BUSHFIRES: WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW Hamish Clarke, University of Wollongong Bushfire Risk Management Research Hub Repeated fire disasters have reinforced risk’s pivotal role in fire management. Current research supports fire managers to understand and track risk’s drivers – from micro to macro, split-second to century scale – and to close the loop by understanding how fire management itself affects risk. However, a major knowledge gap remains: the future trajectory of fire risk, with early efforts limited by unrealistic assumptions, coarse temporal and spatial resolution, and poor representation of variability and uncertainty. Further-
