BIOL8750: Contemporary Conservation in Australia - Forest Fire Effects

This presentation addresses the contemporary conservation challenges posed by Australian forest fires, a significant environmental issue in recent years. The presentation explores the causes of these fires, including climate change and human activities, and their devastating effects on infrastructure, agriculture, tourism, and human and animal life. It highlights the long-term consequences on the economy, ecosystems, and the well-being of the Australian population. The presentation integrates scientific literature published in the last five years, focusing on climate change impacts, wildlife loss (particularly the impact on Koalas), and the need for strategic plans and educational programs to minimize the extent of forest fires. It recommends a collaborative approach involving the Forest Department, government, and local authorities to implement designed burning practices, decrease fuel availability, regulate infrastructural properties, and implement educational programs for individuals and communities. The presentation also mentions the importance of community participation and fire danger warnings as precautionary actions.

Running head: CONTEMPORARY CONSERVATION IN AUSTRALIA
CONTEMPORARY CONSERVATION IN AUSTRALIA
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author Note

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Threatening process of Australian Forest Fire
Australian have witnessed the biggest and most threatening forest fires in a long time.
Forest fires are usually of two different categories, man-made or natural and controllable or
uncontrollable. The forest fire in Australia resulted in the record-breaking elevation of
temperature and extended months encircling severe drought. With the phenomenon such as
global warming and overheating of planet earth, a forest fire can become terrifying as well as
costly from all other disasters (Yu et al. 2020). From the major countries like Russia,
California, Greenland to Amazon and United Kingdom to Australia, all have been the prey of
Forest Fire. The threatening process of forest fire in Australia originated from June but was
found a peak in the month of December and January (Nytimes.com 2020).
The effect of forest fires in Australia during December-January has threatened
through various forms including, infrastructure, agricultural and tourism sector and has also
taken animal and human life (Hope 2020). The biggest threat was not only concentrated on
the time of the fire but is directed towards the after-effects and long-term influence over the
economy and livelihood of the Australian population (Boer, de Dios and Bradstock 2020).
The heavy effects on animal species especially to the Koalas, polluting the environment and
costing human lives by affecting both physical and mental well-being has been the main
concern (Collins et al. 2019).
Recent researches depicted the actual harm caused by the fire and its long-term effects
on water supply, freshwater, availability of quality food for specific animals and fully
disturbed ecosystems. The forest fire has even possessed threats on the snow-based regions of
New Zealand (BBC.com 2020). In this situation, the threatening issues encircling Australia
covers, climate change, loss of wildlife and loss in the significant sectors such as tourism and
agriculture (Clarke et al. 2019).

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These concerns cannot be prevented due to the uncontrollable nature, however, with
strategic plans and educational programs, the extent of the forest fires of Australia can be
minimized. Specific regulations and norms can be designed to control the controllable factors
and potential human contribution in elevating the effects and extents of forest fires. The
efforts and collaborative efforts of the Forest Department with public efforts can implement
designed burning practices, which will restrict the action of lighting combustible materials
(Volkova et al. 2019). The government and Forest Department should also combine their
efforts in decreasing the availability of fuels in the forest areas. Moreover, the local
authorities should invest time in regulating the designing and building of infrastructural
properties for minimizing the effects at the time of forest fires. Along with the strategic action
of land and building management, proper education programs for the individuals and
communities is also very crucial, which can involve the incorporation of preventive
measures, emergency action plan and controlling human activities for reducing the human
contribution (recognized or unrecognized) on the threatening effects of Forest Fires.
Community participation such as the traditional preventive measures of the Indigenous
population of Australia, collaborated by the strategies of the Forest Department will be very
productive for preventing the threat of various areas. Fire danger warnings can also be helpful
as future precautionary actions (Etchells et al. 2020). Therefore, the threats possess by the
phenomenon of Forest Fire of Australia can be minimized with proper action and
collaborative efforts.

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References:
BBC.com 2020. A visual guide to Australia's bushfire crisis. BBC News. [Online] Retrieved
from https://www.bbc.com/news/world-australia-50951043.
Boer, M.M., de Dios, V.R. and Bradstock, R.A., 2020. Unprecedented burn area of
Australian mega forest fires. Nature Climate Change, pp.1-2.
Clarke, H., Tran, B., Boer, M.M., Price, O., Kenny, B. and Bradstock, R., 2019. Climate
change effects on the frequency, seasonality and interannual variability of suitable prescribed
burning weather conditions in south-eastern Australia. Agricultural and forest
meteorology, 271, pp.148-157.
Collins, L., Bradstock, R., Ximenes, F., Horsey, B., Sawyer, R. and Penman, T., 2019.
Aboveground forest carbon shows different responses to fire frequency in harvested and
unharvested forests. Ecological applications, 29(1), p.e01815.
Etchells, H., O'Donnell, A.J., McCaw, W.L. and Grierson, P.F., 2020. Fire severity impacts
on tree mortality and post-fire recruitment in tall eucalypt forests of southwest
Australia. Forest Ecology and Management, 459, p.117850.
Hope, M., 2020. Australia burning. The Lancet Planetary Health, 4(1), pp.e12-e13.
Nytimes.com 2020. The Fires Are Out, But Australia’S Climate Disasters Aren’T Over.
[online] Available at: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/02/23/world/australia/climate-change-
extremes.html
Volkova, L., Roxburgh, S.H., Surawski, N.C., Meyer, C.M. and Weston, C.J., 2019.
Improving reporting of national greenhouse gas emissions from forest fires for emission
reduction benefits: An example from Australia. Environmental science & policy, 94, pp.49-
62.

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Yu, P., Xu, R., Abramson, M.J., Li, S. and Guo, Y., 2020. Bushfires in Australia: a serious
health emergency under climate change. The Lancet Planetary Health.