Fire Nature's Own Cleanser

Fire Nature's Own Cleanser. . Before European settlement, healthy stands of widely spaced ponderosa pines and Douglas-firs covered the montane ccosystem., These open forests likely occurred because lightning caused and human-set fires eliminated some young trees, pine needles, cones, limbs, and dead snags from the understory., After 1900, people began to suppress fires within the forests, which increased in density. Wildfires in thick forests are difficult and expensive to control. They also pose serious threats to people and property, lead to erosion and flooding, and can sterilize soils., Forests can be protected from dangerous fires by: , . Public education in wildfire prevention. , . Forest thinning, which opens spaces between trees that mimic the original forest structure, reduce the risk of hard-to-control crown fires, promote vegetation diversity, and provide wildlife habitat. , . Prescribed fires, which decrease or eliminate flammable material in the forest understory without harming healthy, mature trees. These burns must be done regularly and must be carefully monitored. The burned plant material acts as a fertilizer and makes an area less susceptible to damage by future wildfires, insects, and diseases., In the long run, a combination of all three elements most effectively ensures the health of managed forests.