From devastation to wonder as Kangaroo Island bushfires lead to cave discoveries (abc.net.au)
44 points by speckx 5 days ago
achow an hour ago
Curious about the bushfire and recovery there after, found this from Lonely Planet (2023)..
A dangerous mix of hot weather, highly flammable eucalyptus oils in the air and strong winds meant that flames quickly scorched their way through the vegetation, burning almost half of the land in the process.
Australia’s native flora and fauna regenerates and even thrives after burns; in fact, some seeds will only germinate after a fire.
Kangaroo Island has turned out to be astonishingly resilient. Just 48 hours after the flames died down, a rock-like fungus started growing on the ash.
As the fungus digested the ash, it changed the pH levels of the soil, allowing other microorganisms and eventually plants to take root. Some of the plants, says McKelvey, hadn’t been seen for decades. Unlike on the Australian mainland, there were no rabbits to eat the new growth – meaning there was nothing to hold back the regeneration.
It helped that donations flooded in from all over the world after the fires. This money helped to eliminate some of the feral pigs and cats that had been damaging the local ecosystem and killing endangered wildlife.
Three years on, Flinders Chase National Park is as lush as ever, with thick undergrowth providing shelter for the island’s camera-shy wallabies.
The only reminder of the fires that ravaged this land? The blackened branches of eucalyptus trees poking out from the greenery below, giving the landscape an eerie, post-apocalyptic air.
Providing a nesting ground for birds and habitat for insects, even these uncomfortable reminders will disappear in a couple of years, as they get swallowed up by the island’s resilient vegetation.
https://www.lonelyplanet.com/news/kangaroo-island-south-aust...
verisimi 27 minutes ago
> Australia’s native flora and fauna regenerates and even thrives after burns; in fact, some seeds will only germinate after a fire.
Indeed. As is the case in most places where there are wildfires. I suppose using the word "devastation" is appropriate - fires create a radical change in the local environment - but the change is a necessary one for the local flora and fauna.
Perhaps because humans like things to stay the same, and perhaps because these sorts of natural, inevitable changes aren't that common - most of us don't regularly see fires in our local environment - we label this change in an emotive way: devastating, despite the necessity of the thing.
ehnto 4 hours ago
That was a great read. I visited Kangaroo Island some months after the fire mentioned in the article, and the regrowth was something to behold. Vast sweeping hills of blackened tree trunks, all covered in winding regrowth in vivid greens, with flowering undergrowth spreading across the forest floor. The devastation was clear, but just as evident was that the ecosystem has the capability to withstand and thrive after a wildfire.
It was an incredible trip, and the locals were very excited to have tourists supporting the economy there. I can highly recommend it, especially for anyone with a lean towards exploring nature. The free flight raptor show was very cool, you get to see a whole bunch of unique Australian birds in a fairly relaxed environment for the birds, sometimes they decide not to be part of the show and just fly away for a while.
The landscape is indescribable, even for Australia which is already quite unique.
larusso 32 minutes ago
Just teaches you that wild fires, maybe not as devastating than that one, are parts of nature. They have a great exhibition at Wind Cave NP in South Dakota. They show a series of photos explaining how the prairie recovers after a wild fire. Seeing the number of days between the Fotos and how fast nature can recover at least visually is awesome.
gorfian_robot an hour ago
we did a christmas vacation there one year. spoke to the neighbors and the next thing you know we were jumped into the local christmas potluck celebration. my nephew even got called up on stage to see santa and get a present!
inshard 3 hours ago
Nice page design and even nicer photography.