Post-fire restoration of Sphagnum bogs in the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area, Australia

Sphagnum bogs in Australia are small, with a limited distribution, but of high conservation value. They are restricted to cool, wet environments that are typically fire free and are poorly adapted to recover from fire disturbance, unlike most Australian flora. Increased fire activity due to anthropogenic climate change is threatening Sphagnum bogs. This increased threat has stimulated interest in their restoration. Compared with the northern hemisphere, there have been few studies of the ecology of Sphagnum restoration in the southern hemisphere. Here, we report on a field experiment in Tasmania, in an area burned by an extensive fire in 2016. We investigated the role of shade, fertilizer and transplants, factors demonstrated to be important in the restoration of burnt bogs on the Australian mainland. Treatments commenced three to 4 years after the fire. Overall, we found that fire-damaged Sphagnum recovers very slowly, and that there was no recovery in severely burned areas. The addition of shade increased recovery of damaged Sphagnum, but fertilizer was harmful, even to healthy Sphagnum. Transplants in fire-killed Sphagnum grew poorly in both moderately and severely burnt Sphagnum areas. Our findings support the use of shading in post-fire Sphagnum recovery projects, although further work is required to determine the optimal approach and duration of providing shade.

Automated summary

Sphagnum bogs in Australia are small, with a limited distribution, but of high conservation value. The increasing fire activity caused by anthropogenic climate change poses a threat to these bogs. A field experiment in Tasmania showed that fire-damaged Sphagnum recovers very slowly, but the addition of shade can enhance recovery. Fertilizer, on the other hand, is harmful to healthy Sphagnum. Further research is needed to determine the optimal approach and duration of shade provision in post-fire Sphagnum recovery projects.