Abstract
Almost half the world's soil carbon is stored in peatlands in peat layers up to 25 m deep. Peat, the precursor to coal, is formed from undecomposed plant matter and is extremely flammable. Tropical and boreal peat fires, usually resulting from clearing and drainage, are typically catastrophic destroying flora and fauna. The subterranean peat can burn for years. In Australia, bushfires have been a natural part of the environment for millennia. We are studying the ecology of unique, fire adapted peatlands found in the tropics and subtropics along the coastal sand plains of eastern Australia. These peatlands are resistant and resilient to frequent wildfires. Our multidisciplinary team is studying flora, fauna, microbes, peat cores, water chemistry, litter decomposition, nutrient cycling and food webs in relation to fire history. Peat cores (>8 m deep), exhibit layers of charcoal, proving fires have been common for many thousands of years. These peatlands are dominated by the peat forming wire rush Empodisma minus. Empodisma protects the peat underneath with thick, spongy, water-filled roots, and it resprouts rapidly after fires which burn competing plants. Rather than being destroyed by fire, fire is essential for these peatlands to maintain the dominance of Empodisma and prevent the swamps being taken over by woody species of Banksia, Melaleuca and Leptospermum. When this happens, peat no longer accumulates, the peat layers dry out, shrink, and become susceptible to fire. The fauna are adapted to survive not only the extreme acidic, anaerobic, nutrient poor, peatland conditions but also frequent fires. 250 words max