There are numerous peatlands within the alpine resorts. These habitat types are terrestrial wetland ecosystems where waterlogged conditions prevent plant material from fully decomposing.
This means that much of the carbon from the dead plants remains in the soil instead of being released into the atmosphere, helping to slow climate warming.
Peatlands cover about 3% of the Earth’s surface but store more carbon than all other vegetation types combined.
Types of peatlands
There are 2 types of peatlands:
- alpine bogs receive water from precipitation
- fens receive water predominantly from groundwater.
Vegetation is mostly made up of sphagnum mosses, herbs, sedges and shrubs that filter, clean and regulate water flow.
In addition to being an important carbon sink, peatlands store pollen and charcoal that give us information about past climates, landscapes and fires.
As soil layers can be dated, pollen and plant remnants detected at different zones in the peat tell us what flora was present at that point in time.
Conservation status
Alpine peatlands are listed as endangered under the Commonwealth Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC), and threatened under Victoria’s Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act 1988 (FFG).
They provide habitat for many threatened species like the Alpine Water Skink, Alpine Bog Skink and Broad-toothed Rat.
Threats to bogs and fens
Bogs and fens face several threats, including:
- invasive species
- impacts from climate change
- extreme natural events like bushfires.
Poor drainage systems on nearby roads and tracks can result in concentration of water during rain events which may cause soil erosion and loss of alpine plants.
Infrastructure can interrupt natural water flows, leading to water loss, altered conditions and increased stress.
Impact of alpine fires
Many alpine bogs and fens have been burnt during frequent and extensive alpine fires over the past 2 decades, including fires in 2003, 2006–07, 2009 and 2019–20.
Following these fires, alpine bogs and fens have been subject to widespread weed establishment, including highly invasive willows. As the fires followed each other in quick succession, fire sensitive plants have been destroyed, with communities struggling to adequately recover.
Alpine peatlands are critical to protect as they provide high quality and quantities of water essential for potable and snowmaking water supplies, as well as contributing to supplies downstream.
What we're doing to protect peatlands
We undertake peatland protection and restoration projects within all resorts, as well as programs to maintain vegetation cover and limit soil erosion and sedimentation.
Restoration work across the resort includes creating weirs with natural material to slow water flow as it enters bogs, revegetation planting and removal of invasive species.
Even when alpine bogs and fens are degraded, they remain important carbon stores and provide habitat for many native species. However, degraded peatlands do not regulate water or store carbon as effectively as healthy systems, so restoration is important to ensure peatlands can function at their full capacity.
Learn more on the North East Catchment Management Authority Alpine Peatlands web page.
Page last updated: 21/04/26