Trees and Wildfires

Trees face many challenges including pressure from overdevelopment, climate change, exotic pests/diseases, storms etc.. One of the most noticeable environmental challenges is wildfire. Fires are often created in nature due to drought conditions and lightning strikes. Fires can also be caused indirectly from human activities and something as small as a flicked cigarette butt in the wrong place can cause a devastating fire.
While fires can be disruptive and dangerous certain species of trees have evolved to tolerate and in some cases require periodic fire events to reproduce and thrive. The US Forest Service along with many State forestry agencies routinely conduct controlled burns to help eliminate undergrowth and improve the health of forests. The National Forest Foundation further discusses how trees thrive and survive in fire prone areas.

Image used courtesy of Mike McMillan/Spotfire Images

Image used courtesy of the Government of Alberta

Dead Trees/ Snags

I'm often asked when do dead trees need to be removed, and do they always need to come out. The answer typically involves the location of the dead tree(s) and the potential targets should the tree experience a failure level event. Dead trees located near walkways, parking lots, busy streets or anywhere that could cause damage to people or property should be removed. If the likelihood of injury or damage to property resulting from a dead tree's disintegration is minimal the tree can/should be preserved as a snag/home for wildlife. Generally, these trees will be in isolated locations, such as natural areas or heavily wooded areas of parks. Snags provide shelter and cover for multiple species and are an important part of the natural environment. To learn more about tree snags please visit the below websites:

Photographs used courtesy of Donna Bollenbach FNPS and Savaatree.com


https://www.nwf.org/Garden-for-Wildlife/Cover/Trees-and-Snags
http://wdfw.wa.gov/living/snags/
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/uw175
http://fnpsblog.blogspot.com/2016/12/dont-cut-down-that-snag.html