Rekindling Nature

A wildfire swept over this mountain in 1986, burning 4,475 acres in seven days, but fire is a natural force that helps keep the forest healthy by burning leaf litter, dead wood, and even living plants. It removes shade-making, fire-intolerant plants from the understory, giving other species sun and space to grow on the forest floor. Many native Appalachian plants, including fire-tolerant oak trees and woodland wildflowers, would disappear without fire, and the table mountain pine depends on fire for regeneration because heat melts pinecone resin and allows its seeds to drop and germinate on the nutrient-rich forest floor. National Park Service fire managers also use controlled burns to help native ecosystems flourish and to prevent flammable materials from building up into dangerous large fires.

Virginia · United States