Cold fire (Noongar fire type)

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Cold fire (Nyungar: karla nyidiny) is a type of controlled burn frequently used in the Noongar Aboriginal culture of Western Australia to clear undergrowth and promote easier access and movement through the country.

The cold fire is of low intensity and does not damage the middle or upper layers of the bush. Allowing movement through the bush and access to sacred sites is vital for Noongar culture. The cold fire also promotes a diversity of new growth, especially plant types that have a high food value, which in turn attracts animals to these areas. Additionally the cold fire is used to maintain large tracts of grazing habitat which need to be coordinated in a mosaic pattern every two years.

Without these cool types of fire a dramatic ecological shift would occur like large areas in Tasmania which are now covered in thick scrub.[1][2][3][4]

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References[]

  • The creation of this article was via translation from the relevant section of the Nyungar Wikipedia article Karla (Fire)
  1. ^ Kelly, G., 1998. Karla Wongi Fire Talk: A Noongar Perspective on Forest Burning. Landscope, 14(2), pp. 9-13.
  2. ^ Whitehurst, R. (1997). "Noongar Dictionary" (PDF) (2nd ed.). Noongar Language and Culture Centre.
  3. ^ Abbott, Ian (2002), Historical records of Noongar fires, 1658-1888 : a compendium, Dept. of Conservation & Land Management, retrieved 12 April 2019
  4. ^ Ward, David (September 2004), "Blackboys tell an interesting story", Institute of Public Affairs Review: A Quarterly Review of Politics and Public Affairs, The, 56 (3): 23–24, ISSN 1329-8100
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