Page 58 - 2005 DT 12 Issues

Some like it hot! of manzanita, shrub interior live oak, common substance in smoke and in air
creosote, black brush, big sage, desert pollution, has been shown to stimulate
ildfires are a fact of life in holly, teddy bear cholla and both Joshua certain chaparral species. Other cues
the West. Vegetation made and pinyon-juniper woodlands. The come from different components of
Wabundant by winter rains chaparral of the western Mojave in smoke. Wood smoke contains at least
becomes fodder for disaster when the California is denser and receives more four active compounds shown to affect
hot, dry summer arrives. Dry lightning, rainfall than our eastern Mojave does. germination. Unlocking the secrets of
careless campers, a tossed cigarette and Both communities are closely associ- regeneration can help to re-establish
ated with fire. Many of the plants are those ecosystems needing help to re-
fire can sweep through thousands of quite flammable because of resins in habilitate after prolonged or repeated
acres at breathtaking speed, killing any- their woody stems. Dead branches and fire stress.
thing that cannot get out of the way. But accumulating litter add to the volatility. As communities regenerate, plants
the news is not all bad. Fire cycles are Fire adapted plants will readily and animals can return to an environ-
essential to the health of an ecosystem. re-sprout from underground tubers or ment purged of various invasive
Like the Phoenix, nature has a way of germinate in response to the fire’s heat, species that increasingly replace na-
rising from the ashes, often tive populations. Cheatgrass and other
resurrected by the power of non-adapted invaders will eventually
fire itself. return, however, if new grasses and
Remarkably, environ- plants do not take hold. In some areas,
ments that are highly appropriate native grasses must be re-
susceptible to wildfires planted in time for the next monsoon
usually profit most from Courtesy, Mark Rekshynskyj ©2005 rains to provide forage for grazing
them. Many species of animals and to discourage the return
plants and animals have of non-native plants.
evolved to live and re- Suppressing the fire cycle is some-
produce under certain fire times necessary for reasons of safety.
regimes and may even de- As human populations continue to
pend upon fire for survival. surround or inhabit volatile landscapes,
In a variety of ecosystems intervention becomes inevitable. Co-exist-
worldwide, fire triggers a Pine Creek Fire, June 13, 2005 ing with wildfire requires development
burst of new growth, enrich- maps that respect the realities of the
ing the soil with charcoal, clearing chemicals left in the charcoal or the ef- landscape. Understanding how to work
away underbrush and triggering seed fects of wood smoke. with nature’s own cycles of destruction
For many years, intense heat was and regeneration can help to keep life
dispersal and germination. thought to be the main cause of ger- and property intact while letting nature
Chaparral communities are typi- mination in most fire adapted species. take its course.
cally very dense with impenetrable Lodgepole pines, ubiquitous in moun- 
shrubs, but can display highly diverse tainous areas of the West, regenerate af-
species. Elevation, available rainfall ter a fire. Only then will their pinecones Campground
and temperature extremes affect their open to disperse seed. In South Florida
make up. In the United States, most of rare plants such as Calamovilfa curtissii, THANK YOU to Ken
these communities are found in South- found only in shallow marshlands, cannot Osgood and Larry Dunn
ern and north-central California. They be maintained without fire. for braving the heat and
are subject to periodic fires in cycles of Yet, experiments in the last few helping get the last coat of
10 to 30 years. years have revealed that smoke, not paint on the Camp Hosts
The Mojave Desert chaparral of heat, is the key to regeneration for many sheds. Thanks guys!—
Southern Nevada is a mixed environ- plants. Smoke contains a variety of dif- Barb Jorgensen
ment characterized by open shrublands ferent compounds. Nitrogen dioxide, a

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