What are 5 possible environmental impacts of bushfires?

Answer 1

Social impacts range from the impacts of life due to the damage to the grief for lost loved ones to the tearing apart of communities. Lives are changed drastically when a bushfire destroys property. Often the families are unable to muster enough money to repair the damage and as thus it changes their entire lives. This can be very stressful and depressing and can sometimes lead to divorces and the like. It is not uncommon for people to die in bushfires and the grief this can cause can lead to major changes in the families' lives as a result. Both of these options lead to the splitting of communities.

Answer 2

The economic impacts vary greatly due to three factors. First is where the fire is positioned and where it is heading (ie. Whether settlements are in its path), how severe the fire is and the force and speed behind the response to the fire. If the fire proceeds unmolested through a built up suburban area the overall recovery cost will be incredible compared to if the fire just ravaged an area of bush. Funds to replace destroyed or damaged property can come from a number of sources: the government, insurance agencies and public donation.

Outside of the obvious loss in urban areas of housing and businesses, economic impacts are seen in:

• loss of income for farmers if their land and/or livestock has been affected
• potential loss of the tourism dollar for that area
• the fact that some people will not return to an area that has been fire-ravaged, so they are no longer contributing to the economy of the region

Answer 3

Bush fires affect the economy by making the government and insured companies pay for all damages and repairs, it destroys farms and many more. When farms are destroyed this increases the costs of fruits and vegetables as well this includes meat, because farms contain meat like cows, sheep, chickens, ducks and much more: all these animals would die and go to waste.

Answer 4

Bushfires can have both a positive and negative impact on the environment.

Some plants require fire to spread their seeds. This is the case with the banksia in Australia. Some species like this actually require the heat and the smoke to release their seeds. Without bushfires, these plants could not reproduce. Similarly, fire can generate new growth in existent plants. Eucalypts, for example, often sprout new growth after a fire.

However, for every positive effect, there's a negative effect as well. Bushfires release huge amounts of smoke and ash which, apart from creating pollution (provoking Asthma and causing other health problems), also cause weather changes in the immediate area. Heat pushes up the air, creating cumulus clouds which, if met by air of a different temperature, can result in storms.

Animals such as Leadbeater's possum, which is unique to certain forestry areas in Victoria, can be severely threatened by bushfire. For fifty years, the Leadbeater's possum was believed to be extinct, largely as a result of the devastating Black Friday bushfires in 1939. The Leadbeater's possum is found only in the tall eucalypt and mountain ash forests in the central highlands of central Victoria. It nests in the hollows of old trees, preferring trees which are over 150-200 years old. Bushfires can wipe out these habitats in a single season, so many species of animal can be very vulnerable to the effects of bushfires.

Answer 5

1. Habitat destruction for flora and fauna.
2. Soil erosion and degradation leading to loss of fertility.
3. Air pollution from smoke and ash, affecting air quality.
4. Release of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases, contributing to climate change.
5. Loss of biodiversity as ecosystems are altered or destroyed.