Fuel reduction burning - Facts and Myths by Thomas Chvojka

Fuel Reduction Burning –Facts and Myths

Presenting evidence against fuel reduction burning – by Thomas Chvojka

The purpose of this article is to provide evidence and argue that fuel reduction burning is very harmful to forest ecosystems and the general environment, and that it is an entirely unsuitable method in the quest to “protect human life and property and enhance biodiversity”. It is not the forests but humans and their activities that have been responsible for the vast majority of destructive and deadly wild fires. While nobody is contemplating to promote fuel reduction burning of crops, farm paddocks, pine plantations, fuel depots and so on to remove the threat of fire, then the same should apply to forests, particularly since healthy and vigorously growing forests are absolutely essential to all forms of life on this planet. Although the statistics vary, it is safe to say that more than 70% of all wild fires are related to human activities – accidental or malicious.

It will also be argued that fuel reduction burns (as well as other human activities, such as logging), actually make forests more flammable and fire prone! Only improved forestry practices, changed mentality (with alternative ways of reducing ‘fuel build-up’), and increased vigilance will be more effective in preventing destructive fires from occurring. The use of fire by Aborigines was vastly different to the present day’s prescribed burning methods. Furthermore, Aboriginal use or any other use of fire is not applicable today, as the condition of forests has been dramatically altered by logging, resulting in changes to forest structure, vegetation composition and density, considerable reduction of wildlife, reduced biodiversity and so on.

Some negative effects from fuel reduction burningon plants and animals are:

1.      Harming and killing vast range of fauna and flora, including micro habitats that are essential for certain species.

2.      Reducing biodiversity and increasing flammability of forests and fuel loads.

3.      Changing natural balances.

4.      Creating pollution and thus contributing to global warming.

1. Harming and killing vast range of fauna and flora, including micro habitats that are essential for certain species.

It is claimed that the purpose of “Fuel reduction burning” is to remove the “fuel build-up” that consists mostly of fallen leaves, shed bark, fruits and seeds that collect on the forest floor. This organic matter is the essential food source for a wide range of micro-organisms (bacteria and fungi), invertebrates (snails, millipedes, slaters, earthworms, cockroaches, grasshoppers, ants, termites, beetles, earwigs, wasps etc),birds (pigeons, quails, Emus) and small mammals. In turn, most of these creatures (as larvae, nymphs or adults) are the food source for Turtle frogs, legless lizards, centipedes, Echidnas, Numbats, geckoes, skinks, huntsman spiders, dragons and bandicoots.

Bacteria benefit plants in a number of important ways. Bacteria feed on some of the organic matter, releasing nutrients back into the soil. Some bacteria convert inorganic sulphur compounds to sulphate, a form that plants can use. Fire not only removes the sulphur compounds from the eco-system, but is responsible for reducing (or often totally removing) many beneficial bacteria. It may take a long time for them to become re-established in the area, thus greatly limiting the work they do in the eco-systems.

Just like bacteria, many beneficial fungi are adversely affected by burning of organic matter. One of these groups is mycorrhizal fungi. Mycorrhizas not only improve growth and health of the roots of plants but also protect against some pathogenic fungi. For example ectomycorrhiza (abundant on decomposing organic matter) on the roots of E. marginata improves the root system by increasing its surface area and contact with soil particles. It is also believed that Mycorrhizal fungi protect roots against attack by Phytophthora cinnamomi. Certain fungi break down eucalypt leaves (for example Geastrum spp; Colus sp; Ramaria spp.), other fungi break down small twigs and branches (Anthracophyllum sp; Trametes spp.) and some break down honkey nuts (Mycena spp; Marasmius spp.). Fallen branches and tree trunks are recycled by species of Pycnoporus, Ganoderma, Fistulina Tricholomopsis, Pluteus and many others.

Fire not only depletes forest of decomposing organic matter and many food sources needed by other forest dwellers such as mammals and birds, but it directly kills many of them as well. Fire also destroys their nesting places as can be seen on the following photographs.

The following six photographs were taken immediately following a spring fuel reduction burn in Greenbushes State Forest (SF) in October 2006.

 

Photo1 (right) - One of many sights from Greenbushes SF, following a fuel reduction burn, conducted in October 2006

Many of the last remaining mature and senescent habitat trees with hollows were burnt out, some killed.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Photo 2 (above) - This Jarrah habitat tree collapsed soon after the fuel reduction burn in Greenbushes SF (13th Nov. 2006)

 

   Photo 3 (left) - Some senescent trees burnt for several days and eventually collapsed. (Greenbushes SF 26th October, 2006)

 

 

 

 

 

Photo 4 (right) - As the large Marri in photo 3 collapsed, it also knocked down a healthy large Jarrah tree. (Greenbushes SF 26^th October 2006)

 

Photo 5 (left) - The same Marri tree also grazed and injured another perfectly healthy Jarrah tree that later died.(Greenbushes SF 26-10-2006)

 

 

                                                        

 

Photo 6 (above right) - This large Jarrah tree had a scar prior to fuel reduction burn. Fire entered through this scar and almost completely burnt out this tree. Shortly after the burn it was classified as dangerous and was marked for culling. (Diamond SF May 2009)

 

Photo 8 - This shows the above Jarrah tree pushed over by a bulldozer and left on the forest floor.

(Diamond SF, 6-6-2009)

 

 

 

 

 

Even the lowest intensity fuel reduction burns have the ability to burn and destroy many of the remaining large trees. The fire generally enters through some previous injuries, hollows or fire scars. Such trees generally burn or smoulder for several days (see photo 9).  

 

Photo 9 – Fire entered this large and healthy Jarrah tree through a small injury, weakened the trunk until it snapped.

(Hester Forest Conservation Area, May 2009)  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Photo 10 (left) – Large hollows are particularly vulnerable. Fire can rage there for several days until the tree gets ‘cooked’. (Greenbushes SF 26-10-2006)

 

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Photo 11 (right) – This spectacular Jarrah tree (shown in photo 10) burnt for several days and eventually died as a result of this ‘low’ intensity burn. (Greenbushes SF, 13-11-2006)

 

The above photographs are typical of all fuel-reduction sites that I inspected (for example Hester Forest Conservation Area, Kingston National Park, Quinninup SF and many others).

From examining past records (such as the photograph 12), 4 facts immediately stand out – 1. There are no scars or burnt out hollows in the trunks of the trees, 2. There are no fallen burnt logs lying on the ground, 3.Tree form and health is far superior to the present, 4.The undergrowth is sparse.

 

 

 

Photo 12 – Jarrah forest in Jarrahdale.

 A description by Ednie Brown of forests in this area, dated 1896, stated:  “The forests of this tree here are thoroughly representative, and have, during the last twenty years, produced a large quantity of timber for Intercolonial and Foreign markets”.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2. Reducing biodiversity and increasing flammability and fuel loads of forests.

For the past 100 years, forests have been intensively logged and thus depleted of most, if not all, tall healthy trees (including in many National Parks). The trees that have been left are mostly of inferior form and health. As a result, the remaining forests bare no resemblance, in composition and structure, to the original ones and the forests’ condition has been drastically changed in a relatively short space of time. The tree canopies have opened up or disappeared altogether, allowing penetration of light and heat. The understorey plants (including many introduced weed plants) have become much thicker and much more dominant.  The regrowth trees are mostly weak and/or consisting of multistemmed coppice.

All of the above changes have made the forests much more flammable and the “invention” of fuel reduction burning has contributed to the problem even more!

Fuel reduction burning harms (and in many cases kills) majority of flora and fauna, although some plants (small minority) will regrow more vigorously after fire. These plants are generally those with root suckering ability or those that readily produce abundance of seeds. Some of the commonly seen ones are some “weed” acacias (A. melanoxylon, A. dealbata), Karri Hazel (Trymalium floribundum), Bossiaea aquifolia, Agonis sp., Prickly Moses (A. pulchella), Dryandra sessilis, blackberries etc.

It can be clearly demonstrated by the following photographs that biodiversity is greatly reduced as a result of fuel reduction burns and that the regularly burnt forests resemble nothing of the original…

 

 

Photo 13 – This section of Dordagup SF is completely overrun by Karri Hazel, courtesy of logging and fuel reduction burns. If burnt (controlled burn or otherwise), the fire intensity will be very high, further stressing and possibly killing several more of the remaining Karri trees. As Karri Hazel regenerates very quickly after fire, this forest would become even more flammable within a short time

 

 

 

Photo 14 – This young Jarrah regrowth (almost entirely consisting of multistemmed coppice) at Carter SF, is completely dominated by abnormally thick and flammable undergrowth of Bossiaea aquifolia.

 
 

 

 

Photo 15 – 4 months after fire, the regrowth (seed germination as well as suckers) of A. melanoxylon is extremely dense. (Bridgetown, private property)

 

 

 

Photo 16 – Impenetrable regeneration of A. melanoxylon in more advanced stages. (Dordagup National Park)

 

 

 

 

Fuel ‘build-up’ and potential fire intensity increases as a result of fuel reduction burning!

The affects of fuel reduction burns are not only devastating but also futile as the fuel load and flammability of the area usually increases in the near future!

1.      As previously shown, several species will regrow very much more densely after fire, thus producing thick, very flammable and almost impenetrable undergrowth, often composed of a single species.

2.      Many trees will die and fall prematurely, thus producing instantly new fuel on the forest floor. This also reduces nesting and shelter hollows in the area.

3.      Scorched leaves will drop shortly after the fire, and while they build up, there will be slower decomposition as most decomposing bacteria and fungi, ridge backed locusts, millipedes, slaters etc. would have been killed by the fire.

4.      Up to 90% of forest dwellers, with a few exceptions such as foxes and kangaroos, are likely to be killed by the fire and therefore the forest will be depleted of animals that would normally feed in the understorey, leaf litter, foliage etc.

3. Creating imbalances

As has been shown, fire has the ability to reduce and kill certain plants, yet at the same time it can induce germination of others and thus create unnatural thickets, often of invasive or introduced species.  However, it is the timing of fuel reduction burns that is also responsible for reducing biodiversity. As the fuel reduction burns are generally performed only in spring or autumn it means that much the same flora and fauna is repeatedly effected. For example, some insects live deep inside wood, some in leaf litter, some are on the wing and some are wingless and slow moving. Quite obviously, some (wood boring insects for example) will be relatively safe from the affects of fire but some others will be killed in huge numbers (and at regular intervals). This creates an enormous imbalance and has the potential to create huge reduction in population of some species on one hand, and a population explosion of other species on the other.  For example, if too many predators (eg. predatory wasps, mammals etc.) of wood boring insects (eg. Phoracanthas) are killed then the forests will experience an unhealthy population explosion of wood borers (contributors to Tuart decline, Marri decline, spread of pathogens etc).

     

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Photos 17 and 18 are of 15 year old regrowth at Kingston SF. After clearfelling and burning (the gap creation method), regrowth consists of totally unmanaged multistemmed coppice, creating an increased fire risk as well as totally unnatural conditions. This vastly changed habitat cannot support the full range of fauna that once inhabited these forests (nor is it likely to produce timber yield).

While nature is trying to fight back for survival, human's lack of understanding of the ecosystem’s workings is standing in the way.

Photo 19 – This large stump is a reminder of the tree that once stood here. It is trying to survive by coppicing but fuel reduction burning is killing it again and again.

 

 

 

 

Photo 20 – It is getting increasingly difficult for these endangered male and female Black Cockatoos to find suitable hollows in which to nest

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Photo 21 (above left) and Photo 22 (right)

 

4. Creating greenhouse gases and thus contributing to global warming.

·        Fuel reduction burning releases carbon dioxide (the most common greenhouse gas) as well as some toxic substances. This is being done on a large scale annually. 200,000Ha of fuel reduction burns produces thousands of tonnes of greenhouse gases! (Photo 21)

·        Fallen trees, branches and general debris that fall on the forest floor as a result of the burn also slowly continue to release carbon into the atmosphere.

·        Carbon absorption by the forests is greatly reduced when forests are burnt because foliage is scorched, crowns are thinned (and often killed) and normal growth rates are substantially reduced. (Photo 22)

Reality check

Prescribed burning contributes enormously to forest degradation and loss of biodiversity as the following photographs demonstrate.

When comparing old records with photographs of the current state of the forests, the staggering difference is instantly noticeable.

 

 

Photo 23 – Jarrah forest, Pinjarra region at the turn of the last century, ca 1900.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Photo 24 (right) – Jarrah forest, Collie region, Leach SF - Fauna Habitat Zone (!), 2007

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

      

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Photo 25 (above) – Jarrah forest, Margaret River region, ca 1920

Photo 26 (right) – Jarrah forest, Bunbury region 2009

                                                                                

 

 

 

Present day forests seem to bear no resemblance to the original. Decades of “management” have taken their toll.

·        Contrary to usual propaganda, forests do not benefit from fuel reduction burning.

·        Contrary to usual propaganda, forests are not sustainably managed.

·        While claims that fuel reduction burns are necessary to protect human life and property are meant in good faith, it should also be realised that all animals (not just humans) of forests should be protected! Then, fuel reduction burning becomes a totally unsuitable activity.

·        On one hand, the pro-burning lobby claims that fire reduces fuel loads and on the other hand, the very same lobby claims that fire regenerates. This is conflicting.

There are alternative ways of reducing fuel loads

The current forest practices and fuel reduction burning are very destructive to the once magnificent and unique South west forests. Therefore, substantial changes must be implemented.

I strongly believe that reduction of forest fuel must be largely achieved by manual means.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Photo 27 (left) is of approximately 60 year old Karri-Marri-Jarrah regrowth on private property.Trees are of uneven age with some multistems and some invasive species, causing dense and flammable understorey.

Photo 28 (right) - A trial plot of 2 hectares was manually thinned by felling all weak, unhealthy and surplus trees and bushes (identical area shown in photo 33). The thinnings were then cut into manageable sizes so they could be manually handled in order to minimise or avoid the use of heavy machinery.

 

Photo 29 - Unusable pieces were piled up and burnt (during wet season), while many pieces useful for fence posts, rails, craftwood (as well as fire wood) were saved.

 

This 2 hectare trial plot took approximately 80 hours of manual labour. No heavy machinery was used as it would cause soil compaction and a possible damage to some existing trees.

 

The advantages of this method are only too obvious:

1.      Decomposition process of the leaf litter and other debris was not destroyed, as only few piles and not the entire forest floor were burnt.

2.      Forest was selectively depleted of mostly weak and unhealthy trees (predominantly Eucalyptus corymbia calophylla) and/or weedy trees and bushes.

3.      No harm was done to fauna and its habitat.

4.      No harm was done to existing trees and other flora. No mature or senescent trees were killed prematurely.

5.      Tree canopies were not scorched. They remained closed, providing vital natural shade to the understorey.

6.      Growth rate of the forest trees (and this also means carbon absorption) has not been slowed nor reduced (as it happens with “fire management”). It is actually expected to increase.

7.      Biodiversity had not been affected, fire sensitive plants were not harmed and fire benefiting plants were not favoured.

8.      The flammability of forest was not increased in due course.

9.      Weak, unhealthy and multistemmed trees (predominantly Marri) that are generally responsible for the bulk of leaf litter and branches accumulation were removed.

10.  Soil structure was not altered, other than ash in small sections.

11.  Useful material for fence building, craft and firewood was gained.

12.  Only a tiny amount of pollution was created.

13.  Jobs were created.

 

To some, it might seem that this process would be too costly. However, when taking into consideration all of the benefits, I am sure it could be classified as ‘economically sound’. Furthermore, there is no danger of an escaped fire or “controlled burns getting out of control”.

This would create many meaningful jobs. Manual work should not be regarded as the thing of the past. Heavy machinery has been overused in forestry for far too long, forestry activities have been designed to suit mechanisation rather than the other way round. Burning forests to ‘reduce fuel loads’ is just another “lazy man’s way” approach.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Photo 30 (left) – There are hundreds of scarred and hollowed trees in the Jarrah forest. If fire goes through (wild fire or a fuel reduction burn), majority of such trees will be damaged further and many will topple. It is essential to manually remove the fuel load around such trees, so that no fire can burn in the centre of the trunk.

 The layer of leaf litter here is very thick, and is suspended by spent bracken, small branches, understory plants such as Podocarpus drouynianus etc., making the fire potentially dangerously hot.

 

Photo 31 – Removal of a fairly heavy fuel load and thinnings around this mature Jarrah took only an hour of manual work.

 Unless we do this, all forests will soon look like the example in photo 32.

 

 

Photo 32 – A typical result from fuel reduction burn (autumn 2009), Hester forest. A very large number of mature trees was killed in this area.

 

 

 

 

Conclusion

I do hope that it will be realized in the not too distant future, and before forests are completely destroyed that fuel reduction burning of existing forests, as is presently carried out, is a totally inappropriate method of preventing wild fires and protecting “human lives and property”. Had the forests been kept in pre-European settlement condition, using the various fire techniques of the original custodians, some of the originality of the present forest might have been retained. However, as documented in this article, the condition of most of the forests is nothing short of devastation. The forests have been over-exploited, over-logged, over burnt, damaged by the spread of die-back, infested by weeds and feral animals, leading to the depletion of many native plants and animals. Thus, the current programme of fuel reduction burns can only contribute further to the forests’ demise.

Of course, when the forests are completely wiped out, the threat of wild forest fires will no longer exist. However, the new and even more serious threat to “human lives and property” will emerge – severe deterioration in climate and possible full scale extinction.

It has been widely accepted that fuel reduction burning did not save Victoriain January 2009. All forests burnt, whether they were subjected to fuel reduction burns or not. The extreme conditions (record temperatures and drought) were the main contributors to this 2009 disaster – the worst in Australia’s history. Unless humans change their mentality and reduce their environmental footprint, then we can expect even more severe conditions in the future.

Unfortunately, people seem to be incorrectly obsessed with removing the danger of forest fires, yet they quite irresponsibly allow fuel build up to occur on their farms and around houses. They build totally unsuitable, highly flammable dwellings without shelters and fire fighting equipment, poorly store flammable materials, do not properly maintain firebreaks and so on. It must be reminded that the vast majority of fires is caused by various human activities, malfunctioning equipment (such as electricity distribution) and unfortunately some even by arsonists.

Acknowledgements:

Special thanks to Eric McCrum OAM, for editing and contributing to this article.

Photography:

All photographs, except Nos. 12, 23 and 25, by Thomas Chvojka

Photograph 12, courtesy of Beattie Library

Photographs 23 and 25 are from “An Old Look at Trees” by Robert Powell and Jane Emberson