Why Developing Land Causes a Disruption in Natural Fire Ecology?

Pine Barrens Fire Ecology

Pine Barrens are common in New Jersey as well as Florida and both share similar ecology including the reliance on wildfires. Wild fires in the pine barrens restricts the overgrowth of underbrush in the forest as well as helps to germinate pine trees seeds by opening pine cones.  Pine trees have developed thick bark to also prevent the trees from catching fire. Another adaption to the fire is to partition all the needles to the top of the trees so photosynthesis can still occur after a burn. In order for the forest to thrive forest fire has to be incorporated into the ecology naturally or artificially. 

Development Prevents Natural Fire

Since fire can be destructive and quite literally burn down multiple homes or buildings especially for areas surrounded by forest humans prevent fire from occurring. This is good because developed areas do not burn down and are not at risk of fire damage if natural forest fires are suppressed in that area. This can be problematic for the forest considering a major part of the ecology is linked to wildfires for germination and overgrowth control. Since forest fires can damage human development but is necessary for the forest to survive the only solution is to do artificial or prescribed burning. This type of burn is controlled and only burns forest rather than peoples homes.

Above is a picture of an unburned pine forest in the everglades, the pictures shows the overgrowth if the low vegetation. The pine trees in this picture also allocated pine needles to only grow high above the ground. 

Using roads and other natural features the controlled burning can be stopped by a break line to prevent further burning and uncontrolled combustion of trees. 

This picture shows the same forest on the adjacent side of the road that has been more recently encountered a controlled burn and results in less low level vegetation. The pine needles are also at the top of the tree to maximize photosynthesis after a burn. 

The solution to developing in areas that rely on forest fire ecology is to do controlled burns to simulate natural wild fire events. In doing so there will not be over burning from major fire events that could cause harm to the forest or lack of fire events resulting in overgrowth and minimal germination. 

Other Links:

Prescribed Fire

Fire in the Pines

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