Growing From The Ashes

Growing From The Ashes. Fire Ecology in the Upper Canyon. , Ignited by lightning, the Florida Fire of July 2005 burned 23,183 acres. Fortunately, the wildfire burned in a mosaic pattern, and only 638 acres were severely burned. Remnants of this severely burned area can be seen across the northeast slope of the Canyon above., Why Do Forests Need Fire To Remain Healthy? , Fires reduce the accumulation of woody debris and leaf litter under trees while recycling nutrients to the soil. Fires thin out the number of regenerating trees, providing more growing space and light for the trees that remain. Fires also prune lower branches reducing the possibly of "crown" fees that jump from treetop to treetop., Recent Fire History, Over the last 130 years, vegetation structure, plant composition and fire patterns have changed in Madera Canyon and the Sky Islands, mostly as a result of human influences. Fire suppression, grazing, water usage and the introduction of non-native invasive plants have altered the historic vegetation patterns and fuel conditions. As a result, wildfire frequency and intensity have changed, as have the quality of wildlife habitat and, in some cases, soil., What Are The Results Of Long Term Fire Suppression? , Historically, Ponderosa Pine Forests typically burned as low intensity surface fires every 2-10 years. Mixed Conifer Forests burned every 5-22 years with a mixed severity fire, burning on the surface and sometimes into the crowns. Studies of fire history indicate that beginning in the early 20th century, fire suppression greatly decreased the frequency of natural fires. Unfortunately, the evidence also shows that wildfires now burn more intensely over larger areas than in the past. Excluding fires from the forests causes trees to grow in dense clusters called "dog hair" thickets, instead of open, well-spaced healthy stands. These crowded trees grow stressed and unhealthy from inadaquate space, light and nutrients. Dead and dying trees add to acumulating fuels underneath, often resulting in large high intensity wildfires., How Did The Florida Fire Help? , Despite loss to some old growth trees, the Fire was beneficial. The Fire reduced accumulations of woody debris and helped thin and open up the forest. Ash from the fire provided nutrients for plant regeneration., Fire is a necessary element of maintaining healthy dynamic forests. Periodic wildland fires, carefully planned prescribed burns, and judicious thinning of small trees and undergrowth can help restore our forests. It will be decades before the evidence of the Florida Fire disappears, but the process of regeneration has already started.