Study finds Indigenous fire management ‘locks up’ more carbon than alternatives

Callan Morse Published August 27, 2024 at 6.30pm (AWST)

environmental protection

A James Cook University study has indicated Indigenous fire management captures and stores more carbon in the earth's surface than other methods of native bushland management. (Image: Matt Palmer)

Scientists from Queensland's James Cook University have determined Indigenous fire management techniques can 'lock up' more carbon than alternative methods of native bushland management, with the practice also considered potentially lucrative for landholders.

The research has been published in a new study co-authored by JCU's Distinguished Professor Michael Bird, which compared carbon sequestration in the tropical savannah of northern Queensland's Undara Volcanic National Park to the equivalent just outside of it.

The results showed a significantly higher levels of pyrogenic carbon (PyC) in the area under Indigenous fire management.

"PyC, also known as char, is resistant to degradation for centuries or even millions of years, it locks carbon in the ground and is also beneficial to soils and crops," Professor Bird said.

"We found the area subject to Indigenous fire management had on average a quarter tonne of PyC per hectare more in the topsoil than the area that had not."

Professor Bird said the results mean PyC sequestration of 1250-2500 tonnes of carbon annually is potentially achievable for an average pastoral property of 100,000 hectares with an Indigenous fire management regime including at least five early dry season fires per 10-20 years.

Although not currently eligible for carbon credits, the results suggest returning to an Indigenous fire regime could generate significant revenue on the approximately two hundred million hectares of tropical savanna in Australia should regulations change

"A return to a managed, early dry season, higher return interval fire regime could provide significant long-term carbon sequestration that would be beneficial to the climate and direct revenue to regional Australia," Professor Bird said.

Professor Bird said the benefits of more frequent fires should be weighed against the opportunity costs of forgoing other land use options, broader changes in ecosystem carbon stocks and greenhouse gas emissions as well as some potentially negative (as well as positive) impacts on biodiversity.

The full paper, titled Impact of fire return interval on pyrogenic carbon stocks in a tropical savanna, North Queensland, Australia is available online.