‘Catastrophic wildfire loop’ created after colonisation left parts of Australia more at risk from bushfires, study finds

“‘Catastrophic wildfire loop’ created after colonisation left parts of Australia more at risk from bushfires, study finds”

Researchers found the shift from open woodland to dense forest after 1788 led to more intense fires, consistent with loss of cultural burning practices Sign up for climate and environment editor Adam Morton’s free Clear Air newsletter here The drastic land use changes wreaked by colonisation created a “catastrophic wildfire loop” that rendered south-east Australia more susceptible to climate-fuelled bushfires, experts say. A team of researchers, working with the Gunaikurnai Land and Waters…