Dominic Mazoch posted:I am going to day something some will not like. But to have a healthy forest, over the long haul, there actually has to be a fire every so often. I do not know if this is needed in this forest. But the fires in Yellowstone a few years ago were EXACTLY what the park needed. You need fire to get rid of undergrowth. Also fire is needed for some tree seeds to sprout.
Dominic, you are right, fires are needed to keep a forest healthy, and yes, some conifers need fire to activate their cones' seeds. A productive fire is small and not very hot. You may here about "prescribed burns." These are small, man-made, controlled fires that reduce undergrowth and activate seeds. Most or all of the fires that make the news out West are huge and much too hot to be productive. These are destructive fires. (Will Mother Nature recover from a destructive fire? Eventually, yes.)
—Matt
