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

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 See the latest content from Gardening Australia as it goes live by hitting subscribe: http://ab.co/GardeningYouTube Watch Gardening Australia on ABC iview: http://iview.abc.net.au/programs/gard... About Gardening Australia: Gardening Australia is an ABC TV program providing gardening know-how and inspiration. Presented by Australia's leading horticultural experts, Gardening Australia is a valuable resource to all gardeners through the television program, the magazine, books, DVDs and extensive online content. Connect with other Gardening Australia fans: Like Gardening Australia on Facebook:   / gardeningaustralia   Follow Gardening Australia on Instagram:   / gardeningaustralia   Visit the Gardening Australia website: http://www.abc.net.au/gardening This is an official Australian Broadcasting Corporation YouTube channel. ******** Contributions may be removed if they violate ABC's Online Conditions of Use http://www.abc.net.au/conditions.htm (Section 3).