Loss of soil carbon in a world heritage peatland following a bushfire

A single bushfire and subsequent erosion event led to the loss of approximately 3.46 tonnes of carbon from a peatland within Australia's Greater Blue Mountains World Heritage Area over just three months, according to new research. Peatlands, which are slow-forming ecosystems, are particularly vulnerable to degradation due to climatic events like drought and fire. The study quantified soil material and nutrient export following a fire and rain event on the Kings Tableland, revealing significant carbon loss that could have broader implications for carbon accounting and downstream environments. This finding underscores the rapid impact of climatic-driven changes on these sensitive systems.

Carroll, R., Wright, I. A., & Reynolds, J. K. (2023). Loss of soil carbon in a world heritage peatland following a bushfire. International Journal of Wildland Fire, 32(7), 1059–1070. https://doi.org/10.1071/wf22204