Peatlands are the unsung heroes of nature.
Author
- Christopher Auricht
Visiting Research Fellow in Natural Resources Management, Adelaide University
These ancient wetlands form when dead and decaying plants partly decompose in wet, low-oxygen conditions. Over thousands of years, this plant material builds up and turns into a dark, soil-like substance known as peat .
Brazil , Indonesia and central Africa's Congo Basin are all famous for their peatlands. Australia is also dotted with these ancient wetlands.
Peatlands are crucial carbon stores, locking up roughly one-third of the carbon found in our planet's soils.
But when peat dries out and burns, the consequences can be disastrous: incinerated soils, smouldering wetlands , air pollution and massive carbon emissions.
But surprisingly, peat fires in dry Australia aren't always a problem. Sometimes, these fires do vital ecological work.
When peatlands burn
Globally, peatland fires are generally viewed as an environmental danger .
In Indonesia, for example, authorities this year are bracing for severe peat fires under the hotter, drier conditions created by a strong El Niño weather pattern. Peatland fires are also worryingly common in countries such as Malaysia and Chile .
These fires are most destructive when they don't just burn vegetation, but the peat itself. When peat catches fire, it can smoulder underground for months or even years.
These hidden blazes are much harder to extinguish, and inflict long-term damage on wetland plants, animals and ecosystems. They also release massive amounts of stored carbon back into the atmosphere.
Australia: a more nuanced picture
In some environments, fire is both a danger and a vital ecological process. Australia is a case in point.
Australia is home to various kinds of peatlands. These range from desert mound springs in outback Western Australia and South Australia to subtropical coastal peat swamps , which stretch from Queensland to New South Wales. There are also the buttongrass moorlands of Tasmania and alpine bogs found across eastern Australia.
Some of these ecosystems have evolved to thrive even after being burnt. So under the right conditions, authorities can use fire to help conserve them.
Ecological burns involve lighting controlled, low-temperature fires to maintain, restore or boost the health of an ecosystem. These fires stop vegetation from growing too densely . They also create and maintain crucial habitat for local wildlife by making space for new plants to grow. Heat and smoke from fire can also germinate the seeds of certain fire-adapted plants.
We can see this in the Fleurieu Peninsula swamps of South Australia. At these nationally threatened wetlands, authorities often run ecological burning programs. These burns have ensured several threatened species - such as the Yundi guinea-flower (Hibbertia tenuis) and southern emu-wren (Stipiturus malachurus intermedius) - are now flourishing. Other research shows heat and smoke from managed fires have accelerated seedling growth across these swamps.
Ecological burns are not a modern invention, but have many parallels with cultural burning . Charcoal and pollen records suggest First Nations communities were already burning parts of the Fleurieu Peninsula wetlands well before European settlement .
Burning plants, not peat
To restore peatlands with fire, it's crucial that any flames burn vegetation without affecting the peat below. This ensures the peat stays wet and protected.
If a blaze reaches the peat layer, it becomes an urgent environmental risk.
This happened not too long ago in the peatlands of south-west Western Australia. There an underground peat fire burnt for more than six months in 2024, becoming one of the state's longest-running fires . And it kept burning despite record rain and the efforts of local firefighters.
Wetlands can take centuries to recover from peat fires. Studies of major fires in Australian alpine peatlands show various factors - including fire severity, peat moisture and vegetation type - affect how quickly and well an ecosystem recovers.
Climate change will make it harder
In a warming world, peat fires are becoming increasingly common.
Hotter temperatures, drier conditions and more frequent above-ground fires increase the risk of damaging peat fires. These factors also mean ecological burns must be carefully planned and managed.
This problem has no simple solution. We can't just ban all forms of fire, or simply get rid of peatlands.
Instead, we should identify which peatlands may actually benefit from ecological burns. When lighting controlled fires, we must ensure peat stays wet and protected at all costs. And we urgently need more research to understand how other factors - such as peat depth, moisture, vegetation and fire history - may heighten the risk of peat fires.
Christopher Auricht is director of Auricht Projects, a small environmental consultancy that undertakes applied environmental assessment and conservation management work, including wetland and peatland-related projects. This article is not connected to any current client commission or commercial project.
