Fire can destroy peatlands. But in Australia, it can also help protect them

Dvoinik/Getty Peatlands are the unsung heroes of nature. These ancient wetlands form when dead and decaying plants partly decompose in wet, low-oxygen conditions. Over thousands of years, this plant material builds up and turns into a dark, soil-like substance known as peat. Brazil, Indonesia and central Africa’s Congo Basin are all famous for their peatlands. Australia is also dotted with these ancient wetlands. Peatlands are crucial carbon stores, locking up roughly one-third of the carbon…