agriculture review
by aditya abhishek
Aboriginal Australians have been practicing fire-stick farming for more than thousands of years to fulfil their local food demand.
It is also known as cultural burning or cool burning. In this method, fire is used to burn vegetation to facilitate hunting, weed control, change vegetation of the area, etc.
According to the evidence found by Gurdip Singh from the Australian National University, Aboriginal Australians began fire-stick farming around 120,000 years ago.
Practicing this farming system has resulted in various environmental changes. A large herbivorous megafauna has become extinct.
The Population of fire-sensitive plants reduced while fire-resistant plants increased gradually. Moreover, it helped Aborginal Australians to expand their area & population.
Tim Flannery believes that 20th Century Australian mammal extinctions are mainly due to the practice of fire-stick farming by Aboriginal Australians.
Some Aboriginal groups such as Noongar peoples have reintroduced this farming system to continue their traditions.
On 14th May 2021, representatives of the Kaurna people practiced controlled burning in Adelaide park lands to restore the ancient practice.
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