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Let it Burn…
Shiban Khan
Wildfires are often portrayed in the media with adjectives like "destructive" and "engulfing" — "wiping" out acres of forested land. Yet, scientists consider these fires to be an integral part of a healthy forest ecosystem, nature's way of making room for new generation of trees.
 Periodic
fires act to remove dead vegetation and brush from the ground, usually
allowing older trees to survive with minimal damage. In doing so,
fires allow seeds greater access to the soil, giving a wider range
of plant species better chances of becoming established and growing.
Fires also add nutrients to the soil, and can increase the amount
of sunlight reaching lower layers of forest ecosystems.
Overzealous fire fighting not only eliminates these benefits to our forests, but allows leaves and brushes to build up to the point where, when fires do start in earnest, they can burn out of control.
Fire suppression has been identified as a principal threat to some tree species. According to Biodiversity in Pennsylvania: Snapshot 2002, a report published by the Pennsylvania Biodiversity Partnership, the rare serpentine barrens in southeastern Pennsylvania and pitch-pine scrublands in the north and central mountainous regions of the state depend on fire for their regeneration. The report also asserts that the oak and chestnut dominated forests, which are a major component of forests in Pennsylvania, owe their existence to repeated past fires.
After the infamous 1988 fire in Yellowstone National Park, it was thought that the charred area would possible take decades even to grow into a meadow again. However, resurgence of the dominant species occurred within a year, and after ten years most fire affected areas were completely recovered.
Wildfire management plans generally focus on protecting people and property over animals and trees. Consequent U.S. Forest Services attempts to thin out forests to prevent wildfires from spreading have been met by protests from environmental groups, accusing the government of favoring timber companies. Accordingly, the federal government has blamed these environmental groups for contributing to forest fires.
As periodic burning is essential for many fire-dependent species, controlled burning can be an effective management tool. This calls for the closely monitored burning of naturally induced fires and prompt extinguishing of fires caused by humans.
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