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The Upside of Forest Fires

Burn Sunset by Voxphoto
And see discussion about prescribed burns

The Bay City Times has an interesting article that looks at how there are already signs of recovery from a forest fire this spring that burned 6,000-acres in Oscoda County. U.S. Forest Service biologist Jeff Chynoweth explains "It is just like a Phoenix - from out of the ashes it will rise ... What you get after a fire is a massive flush of vegetative growth."

Certain species like the jack pine (home to the endangered Kirtland's warbler) need fire to regenerate. In the absence of fire the jack pine's cone cannot open to release its seed. The 1980 Mack Lake fire burned 25,000 acres, and biologists credit the fire for the a warbler population increase to more than 1,000 pairs.

Read Charred remains Oscoda forest reborn, teeming with life after massive fire in the Bay City Times

Posted/updated Jul 13, 2006
by Andrew McFarlane (Absolute Michigan)