A botanist's view of the blue mountains fire zone | Recovery After Bushfires | Gardening Australia

0:08 A few months on from the 2019 Gospers Mega Fire, a close look at the plants of the Blue Mountains World Heritage area reveals both devastation and hope.
Joined by a leading Botanist, Costa pays a visit to the Blue Mountains Botanic Gardens at Mount Tomah. Incredible efforts by staff and fire fighters saw most of the Botanic Garden saved, but the surrounding bushland is burnt and blackened as far as the eye can see. 00:49
Dr Brett Summerell, Chief Botanist from the Royal Botanic Garden Sydney, describes the fires coming through as a “double whammy”, pointing out that the landscape was already under stress due to the effects of climate change. “They had a long period of severe drought, and many of the plants were stressed and dying before the fires came through”. And while Australian flora is adapted to rebound from fire, it is the sheer scale and ferocity of these ‘mega-fires’ that has caused the most damage. “These fires are vast, they cover such huge areas, so the recovery for landscapes is seriously impacted by that”.
But close inspection reveals smatterings of green, signs that some parts of the bush is beginning its mammoth recovery effort.
1:35 Dr Summerell explains that Australian native plants respond differently to fire. “These old Eucalypts are punching out epicormic growth, clusters of new shoots coming out of the trunks, and they are able to do that because the trunks have been somewhat protected and insulated by thick layers of bark” he said. Epicormic growth appears from a previously dormant bud on the trunk or a limb of a tree, and is able to penetrate the external bark layer to continue to grow.
Looking to the ground layer, there is a range of species responding to the fires. “Seeds that would have been sitting in the soil, the ‘seed bank’, are germinating, and new life is popping up everywhere” said Dr Summerell. Bracken Fern (Pteridium esculentum) are abundant, Banksias have dispersed their winged seeds and Gahnia sp. are shooting from charred bases, but it is the tree ferns (Dicksonia sp.) that may surprise many. “Despite being a soft, water dependant species, new shoots are already coming away in the crowns” says Dr Summerell, “and they’ll be look fantastic soon”.
3:41 This is sadly not the case for some areas where the fire burned with more intensity. In some areas, the fire was so hot that leaf litter has been entirely destroyed and soil seed banks eradicated. “These areas don’t yet have anything coming through in the under-storey, which is vital. If the soil has been sterilised by the fire, we may see weedy species begin to colonise these areas, which is a problem” said Dr Summerell.
While the blackened Landscape may seem confronting and overwhelming, an up-close look reveals that some areas of the landscape is healing, regeneration is occurring, and new life will be abundant. Dr Summerell agrees, stating the only thing needed now is water - “add water, and you add life” he said.
Useful Links
Royal Botanic Gardens Sydney - Mount Tomah Re-Opens
Royal Botanic Gardens Sydney - Impact of Fire on Plants
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[@iammonke9203]

God bless. We need the earth to heal from it's wounds, not make them worse.

[@atmane001]

Life always finds its way. It will thrive n grow back more amazing. It will just take time but it will be back beautifully.

[@scorpina69]

I wish I could feel what you're saying here, you optimism though is not filling the hole in my spirit of seeing my spirit place of 20 years diminished into a moonscape. I feel devastated for the World Heritage area that took so long to get it acknowledged and protected. It will take a loooong time for wildlife and insect life to return here. And it was caused by human induced climate change which will gallop on way past tipping points. I'm heart broken...

[@shivrajvashishtha5119]

Love from India.....

[@CultgentlemanJack]

Thank you mate I pray for Indiana and all her people in these horrible times. I think India is a magical place an hope to visit. India is one of the last of the seven wounders of the ancient world. Truly wondrous and magical. 🙏🏿🌱👍✌️hope you are save an healthy and your family an loved ones save an healthy.

[@jordancave6987]

Just awesome to see the Australian bush throwing after such huge devastation. Cannot wait for all the wildlife to follow suit.

[@solomonozlem6785]

Love from TURKEY.HOPE all AVUSTRALIAns recover from fires .and make their great home as greens as the heavens,will be there to sporrt it.

[@almaliki5292]

Thanks, it’s been better now. Pretty much gone. Thanks for the support man 😁

[@CultgentlemanJack]

Thank you mate god bless turkey and all her peoples. Hope you are safe and healthy and your family and loved ones are two.🙏🏿🌱✌️👍🙂

[@jonathansantos2271]

Thank you for the updated video from those harsh times. Maybe we can feel prideful with saved accounts protected peaceful glorious?

[@DonJuanMarco1994]

Out of the ashes, life sprouts.

[@CultgentlemanJack]

I love this sun burnt country a land of sweeping open plans . Love the Australian bush we need to do a lot more for hour precious resource. We are so lucky to have what we have let’s protect it and nurture hour fragile ecosystem.

[@magsv4786]

I worry about the wild life. this is so devastating. im hoping we can put back some of the trees and plants and re introduce wild life from our zoos. that is what zoo's are all about preserving our wild life.

[@CultgentlemanJack]

I agree and I’m one person who is going to do something.. I’m educating myself on Bush regeneration and I intend to put what god gave me my hands and common sense to work . There is to much talking and not enough ACTION. I’m currently starting to build homes for wild life. And studying how I re plant 🌱at least you care. You should talk about your feelings about the bush. Talking about this create action an immobilises people to take action. 🙏🏿🌱👍

[@introtwerp]

trees aren't the problems it's the lack of correct fire management

[@manuelgarcia5961]

That’s facts I stay in Northern California and this happens every year due to mismanagement

[@introtwerp]

@@manuelgarcia5961 they should increase controlled burns while removing thick forests that have become unatrually overgrown

[@CultgentlemanJack]

The problem isn’t the trees yes. nobody in Australia gives a crap about the environment especially politicians. We live in one of the most driest arid countries. We need to take care of what we have. Most of hour population lives on the coastal borders. Because the rest is Desert and uninhabitable kinda makes you think 🤔 wtf are we doing for hour fragile ecosystem sweet f...k all..fire management is just the tip

[@introtwerp]

@@CultgentlemanJack ikr its terrible our politicians are corrupt af openinh coal mines is png😩

[@Brian_Moser1118]

eucalyptus trees never die

[@mitchellneuhoff9946]

The fire is finally out in the Ash will help recover

[@studiosydneybondi9768]

Read Victor Steffensen's bestseller "Fire Country" and you'll get what it's all about correct land management. This here is rather a horror-picture-show...

[@scorpina69]

This is the Blue Mountains which was protected World Heritage forested area. It's a plateau mountainous area with deep valley where no one lives. Some village are up the top plateaus. Only the indigenous peoples know how to manage this land but the colonisers won't listen to them, only a few listening ears but most authorities are deaf to them. This is horror, 90% burned for weeks on end, right down into the soil and root systems. Devastating man made horror.

[@mariaisabelaguirremacdonal6978]

How sad, I was in 2016 in Katoomba and I went to blue mountain 🏔 beautiful amazing

[@MassyBiagio]

2-3 years and it will be as before the bushfire. The same thing in center Italy after bushfires of 2017

[@CultgentlemanJack]

That’s if it doesn’t happen again before it even gets a chance to fully regenerate.. and that’s my greatest fear. We have another devastating bushfire that we’re finally destroy hour fragile eco system for good. We live in one of the most driest arid countries it is more then possible hour country will turn into A desert It’s happened time n time again throughout history.

[@Harrock]

This is what Hagrid is doing now

[@dustysgarden2254]

Fire is re-birth.

[@CultgentlemanJack]

Two much fire is death 💀 we live in one of the most dry and arid countries. We can not afford to have this happen again any time soon.

[@adhithyasodhi3203]

Anybody bothering to assess the impact of reduction in controlled burning that used be standard practice?

[@mrsbeard5225]

Yeah there’s research going into this! I wouldn’t expect any results yet but I actually saw a job recently for a research scientist investigating the effects of controlled burns on our recent fire season :)

[@hasinashrestha6307]

First

[@almaliki5292]

👎🏻

[@sagartamang1927]

God have send corona to balance population between human and animal 100 crore human suppose to die because human became so cruel we do nto deserve to live in this plannet... Every single country suppose to help the country who suffer from wild fire.. with resources and manpower,