SA bushfire destoryed soil for years ahead

Soil in the Adelaide Hills will take years to recover after January's devastating bushfire.

Organic matter in thousands of hectares of soil has been destroyed because of the intensity of the Sampson Flat bushfire, a University of Adelaide study has revealed.

"Natural ecosystems rely on soil processes where leaves and other organic material are broken down by organisms such as beetles, ants, earthworms, bacteria and fungi, releasing nutrients into the soil to be taken up again by plants. Fire interrupts this cycle," soil scientist Professor Petra Marschner said on Tuesday.