Natural History Wanderings

Xerces Society reported

Extreme fires across the west are becoming more frequent, more severe, and more extensive, as climate change and decades of fire suppression create the perfect conditions for these disasters. Extreme fires are an ever-increasing threat to human infrastructure and ecosystems across the west. However, it is important to recognize that these disasters are different from the fires that used to occur in western forests.

Wild fires, such as those started by lightning strikes, are indeed something that happens naturally in many landscapes, and historically were far less intense than modern fire disasters. In many ecosystems, plants and animals have adapted to fire and other disturbances, like floods, storms, and herds of grazing animals, as long as they aren’t too frequent or destructive. There are in fact several plants that have evolved specifically to grow in recently burned areas, leading to an ecosystem where occasional fires are actually beneficial!

Source: Burning for Butterflies: The Role of Fire in Western Forests | Xerces Society