Episode 158. Forest Ecology, Bush Fires and Health with Professor David Lindenmayer

It’s difficult to walk through an old-growth natural forest anywhere in the world and not feel awe and a connection to the majesty of our beautifully stunning Earth, however, when these amazing ecosystems burn as forest fires the consequence has devastating outcomes for affected communities. In recent times in Australia the Ash Wednesday fires of 1983 claimed 75 lives, The Black Saturday Fires of 2009 claimed 173 lives, 3500 buildings, and 2000 houses and the Black Summer fires of 2019/2020 claimed 26 lives and 2500 houses.

The health consequences in terms of mental health, acute pulmonary disease and socioeconomic effects from these disasters is difficult to comprehend and the loss of life devastating. 

The normal response to fire prevention has been to recommend controlled burns and to thin forests through commercial logging. Is this scientifically correct? We talk with Professor David Lindenmayer from the Fenner School of Environment at ANU in this episode to explore this idea further. David is a leading world expert on forest ecology and resource management, conservation science and biodiversity conservation. He has published over 900 peer reviewed scientific papers and written 48 books with his latest book The Forest Wars addressing myths concerning forest management and ecology to be released in the next few weeks. He is frequently consulted by government and has lectured widely on this subject.

His scientific work has pointed to the reduced flammability of mature forests, wet or dry, compared to younger forests subject to recent logging or controlled burn offs. Forest disturbance has been found to stimulate flammability; an effect referred to as disturbance-stimulated flammability. Both crown fire -where burn occurs up to 7 times the height of flames, and house loss were more likely in the 2009 tragic Victorian fires if the area within 1 km of houses had been burnt off within the past 5 years. His work highlights the value of reviewing the science on the subject at hand, to be curious and question the evidence and rationale underpinning decision making and to muster the courage and commitment to educate the world despite the resistance and ignorance that exists to hear and understand the truth.

As Bill Mollison said, “If we lose the forests, we lose our only teachers”.

It was a great privilege to have this conversation with David who I believe is at the vanguard of ecological change and thinking both in Australia and on the world stage. I look forward to reading his new book The Forest Wars and hope you will also. Please welcome David to the podcast

References:

Professor David Lindenmayer, Professor of Ecology and Conservation Biology at the Australian National University’s Fenner School of Environment and Society

Identifying and managing disturbance-stimulated flammability in woody ecosystems. David Lindenmayer and Phil Zylstra, Biological Reviews (2023)

The Forest Wars, David Lindenmayer, Allen & Unwin 2024