advantages are that they burn away flammable ground litter; reduce larger fires
later; release minerals back into the soil profile; stimulate germination for some
species with cones that require heat to open up and release the seeds, such as
giant sequoia and jack pine; help to keep pathogens and insects in check; and
allow vegetation to grow in clearings that provide food for deer, moose, elk,
muskrat, and quail.
WILDFIRE SUPPRESSION
For most of the early 20th century, any form of forest fire was quickly
suppressed for fear of uncontrollable and destructive wildfires. However, by
suppressing forest fires, it created conditions that led to:
■ The accumulation of leaf litter, brush, and other combustible materials on
the forest floor.
■ The accumulation of dead trees that were not cleared out, creating
“ladders” between the ground surface and the upper tree canopies which
allowed wildfires to climb up into the tree tops, resulting in highly
destructive crown fires.
■ An increase in the tree density.
■ A decrease in the number of trees that need fire for their seeds to
germinate (e.g., sequoias and various pines [jack, lodgepole, and
ponderosa]). The heat from the fire melts the resin that holds the cone
together, allowing the seeds to be released (serotinous cones).In the 1960s, policies governing wildfire suppression changed due to
ecological studies that recognized fire as a natural process necessary for new
growth. Today, policies advocating complete fire suppression have been replaced
by allowing fire to act as a tool, such as the case with controlled burns.
The Role and Ecological Importance of Fire
Fires play an important role in the natural changes that occur in Earth’s
ecosystems. The diversity of plant and animal life in the world’s forests,
grasslands (e.g., savannas, steppes, veldts, and prairies), chaparral, and wetlands
is partly dependent on the effects of fire. In fact, some plants cannot reproduce
without fire (fire breaks open the outside coating of some seeds and cones and
stimulates germination). Fire also initiates critical natural processes by breaking
down organic matter into soil nutrients while rain then moves these nutrients
back into the soil. With less competition and more sunlight, seedlings can then