Reconciling 22,000 years of landscape openness in a renowned wilderness

A groundbreaking study reveals that Tasmania's wilderness, particularly the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Site, has been shaped for at least 18,000 years by the intentional fire management practices of the Palawa people. Contrary to the long-held belief that Tasmania's landscape is a result of minimal human activity, this research demonstrates that the contemporary open landscapes, such as buttongrass moorland, are a direct consequence of strategic cultural burning. Using sediment core analysis from Lake Selina in western Tasmania, the study employed palaeoecological proxies including pollen, charcoal, and geochemical data to reconstruct landscape changes over 22,000 years. The findings highlight the significance of Aboriginal fire practices in maintaining open landscapes and preventing the re-establishment of rainforest, challenging the narrative of wilderness as untouched by human influence.

Fletcher, M.-S., Romano, A., Lisé‐Pronovost, A., Mariani, M., Henriquez, W., Gadd, P., Heijnis, H., Hodgson, D., Blaauw, M., & Sculthorpe, A. (2024). Reconciling 22,000 years of landscape openness in a renowned wilderness. Geographical Research, 62(4), 503–525. Portico. https://doi.org/10.1111/1745-5871.12658