Rekindling Nature

Rekindling Nature. Shenandoah National Park. , A wildfire swept over this mountain in 1986, burning 4,475 acres in seven days. While dramatic, it certainly wasn’t tragic. Fire is nature’s way of cleaning house. It keeps the forest healthy by burning leaf litter, dead wood, and even living plants. Fire removes shade-making, fire-intolerant plants from the understory, giving other species sun and space to grow on the forest floor. Many native Appalachian plants, like fire-tolerant oak trees and woodland wildflowers, would disappear without fire in the forest. Fire is as much a part of the ecosystem as rain and sun., The table mountain pine depends on fire for regeneration. Fire’s heat melts the pinecone resin, allowing the table mountain pine’s seeds to drop and germinate on the nutrient-rich forest floor., National Park Service fire managers use fire as a tool to help native ecosystems flourish. Wildland firefighters sometimes set small fires deliberately, as controlled burns. Small, controlled fires prevent flammable materials from piling up and creating conditions for large fires – dangerous to firefighters and nearby communities.