February 25

Wildfires and Forest Regeneration

Many ecosystems depend on periodic wildfires for regeneration. Some pine cones only release seeds when exposed to fire's intense heat. Fire clears undergrowth, returns nutrients to soil, and opens space for new growth. Fire suppression has actually increased catastrophic mega-fires by allowing decades of fuel to accumulate. Indigenous peoples used controlled burns for thousands of years, knowledge now being reintegrated into forest management.