Does firefighting foam affect the growth of some Australian native plants?
Kerry Hartskeerl A B , Dianne Simmons B and Robyn Adams B CA Land Protection Officer, Mornington Peninsula Shire, Private Bag 1000, Rosebud, Victoria 3939, Australia.
B School of Ecology and Environment, Deakin University, 221 Burwood Highway, Burwood, Victoria 3125, Australia.
C Corresponding author. Telephone: +61 3 9251 7606; fax: +61 3 9251 7626; email: radams@deakin.edu.au
International Journal of Wildland Fire 13(3) 335-341 https://doi.org/10.1071/WF03065
Submitted: 10 September 2003 Accepted: 23 June 2004 Published: 16 November 2004
Abstract
Firefighting foams (Class A foams) are an effective and widespread firefighting tool, and are frequently used in environmentally sensitive areas. They are known to be ecologically damaging in aquatic environments; however, their impacts at the plant species or ecosystem level are relatively unknown. Reports of shoot damage to plants, suppressed flowering and changes in plant community composition suggest that the environmental damage caused by their use may be unacceptable. Applications of four levels of foam to seedlings of seven Australian plant species, from five representative and widespread families, showed no detectable impacts on a range of vegetative growth characteristics. The results are encouraging for continued use of firefighting foam in sensitive natural habitats.
Additional keywords: Australian plant species; class A foam; ecological impact; wildfire suppression.
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