by Gemma Wiseman

Created on: February 01, 2009   Last Updated: March 06, 2009

Ecosystems are interdependent cycles of life. Forests support many ecosystems sensitive to extremes of heat, cold, drought and rain. Forest fires would seem to be a destructive force that violently disrupts the harmony of forest life. But forest fires may, in fact, refresh and revitalise ecosystems and forests.

Forest fires often demonstrate the frightening process of large scale environmental destruction. And yet, in dry Australia, (often referred to as "the land of fire"), in the midst of such mayhem, there can be regeneration. In Australia, eucalyptus are well known for new growth from burnt trunks or from lignotubers storing dormant buds that develop into suckers when fire destroys the top growth. Further, forest fires may open the soil seed bank stimulating seeds dormant for an average of 10-15 years. K.W. Dixon, S. Roche and J.S.Pate reported in 1995 that some native Western Australian seeds responded to smoke from burnt vegetation. Studies by the Bushfire Research and Development Group based at The University of Melbourne, Australia suggest that the biodiversity in ecosystems and forests may be enriched by fires, but far more data needs to be collected.

Even though Australia expects annual summer fires, satellite imagery is showing that regular fires are not diminishing but indeed strengthening the biodiversity in forest areas. In many ways, Australian forests need fires.

At first glance, Australia's forests appear endangered, only appearing in selected areas. "Australia has 149 million hectares of forest. Of this, 147 million hectares is native forest, dominated by eucalyptus (79%) and acacia (7%) forest types, and 1.82 million hectares is plantations." In comparison with the rest of the world, "Australia has the world's sixth-largest forest estate and the fourth-largest area of forest in nature conservation reserves." The largest area of forest in Australia is to be found in Queensland. (http://adl.brs.gov.au/forestsaustralia/facts/type.h tml - Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forests).

Yet these perceived endangered pockets of fires could benefit from fires. A chain of 50 separate reserves of sub tropical rainforest from Newcastle in NSW to Brisbane in Queensland are known collectively as Gondwana Rainforests of Australia and have a World Heritage listing. Interestingly, this area is Australia's closest link to the evolution of her flora and fauna and survives within close proximity of fire prone grassland and woodland zones. Why? Do fires diminish

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