Natural stresses

PCW has adapted to natural cycles of drought and flood over time. The changing availability of water has in fact promoted biodiversity in the wetland with plants suited to waterlogged conditions in the core and plants needing drier conditions but able to survive some inundation on the periphery

Natural wildfires are infrequent, and plants able to regenerate or resist the fires. Paperbarks can resist fire and eucalypts regenerate from nodules under the ground or within the trunk.

In the future anthropogenic climate change may impact the ability of the ecosystem to maintain its functioning - this will depend on the rate of change. If there is a slow increase or decrease in temperature the wetland may not be severely impacted. If the wetland becomes wetter, species adapted to waterlogged conditions may spread to dominate the fringe area and Woolybutts may die out. A slow change gives an ecosystem time to reach a new equilibrium. If change is fast, an ecosystem may not be able to adapt quickly enough to maintain its current functioning.