AMID the focus of the loss of lives, destruction of property and wildlife from the summer bushfires, there is a concern the significant damage to Australian soil may have been forgotten.
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Soil experts say, with agricultural productivity and native vegetation recovery at risk, more work is crucial to help this essential resource recover.
A bushfire expert brief, 'Soil Conditions After Bushfires', published today in the Australian Academy of Science expresses calls for a nationally consistent approach to soil data collection, storage and accessibility.
Academy Fellow Alexander McBratney, Unviersity of Sydney, was one of the experts who contributed to the document and say the damage to millions of hectares of land from bushfires was not just above ground but to the soil as well.
"This has clear implications for soil fertility, Australia's agricultural productivity and the recovery of native vegetation," he said.
"As a nation we can do more to monitor our soils.
"Post-bushfires there are opportunities to improve and implement initiatives to better manage Australian soils as we develop a soils recovery plan.
"A nationally consistent framework for soil data collection, storage and accessibility is important to provide the scientific evidence that underpins policy development."
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The expert brief discusses the effects of bushfires on soil condition.
It also highlights research that has found significantly lower nutrient levels, such as phosphate and nitrate, in the soil for up to 80 years following a fire event.
Changes to nutrient levels can result in severe deterioration to soil condition with major ecological and functional implications.
At a bush summit last year, Australia's Prime Minister Scott Morrison acknowledged Australia's soils were under strain and highlighted the benefits and importance of good soil management.
Fellow of the Australian Academy of Technology and Engineering Rob Fitzpatrick, University of Adelaide, also contributed to the expert brief.
"We need to accurately monitor our soils and ecosystems before fires, and start documenting fire intensity and severity and ensure soil assessment and management are integrated fully into bushfire recovery programs," he said.
"The successful recovery of Australia's soil condition also extends further than the immediate soil ecosystem.
"Interlinked systems such as biodiversity and conservation programs, agricultural and horticultural industries, and broader ecosystem services will also benefit from better monitoring and management of soil condition."
Professor Fitzpatrick said they would be working with the National Advocate for Soil Health, Major General Michael Jeffery, state governments and other stakeholders to try and better manage Australian soils.
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