Running head: WILDFIRES AND THEIR POSITIVE IMPACT ON ECOSYSTEMS 1

Wildfires and Their Impact on Ecosystems

Jamie L. Jones

Salt Lake Community College

WILDFIRES AND THEIR POSITIVE IMPACT ON ECOSYSTEMS 2

Abstract

Although the aftermath of wildfires may appear catastrophic, they actually pose a huge benefit to

ecosystems. Wildfires are a necessary part of nature and maintaining the natural balance of

things. Fire clears the weaker trees and debris and enables new vegetation to grow. Additionally,

many wildlife species have been able to adapt and evolve because of fires in their natural habitat.

Fires are an important part of maintaining healthy ecosystems and preventing worse fires form

happening in the future.

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Wildfires and Their Impact on Ecosystems

A wildfire is a rapidly spreading wilderness, brush or countryside fire that is destructive

to the area affected (Google.com). Although a fire is generally defined as destructive, they are a

necessary part of nature. They are fueled by three fundamental things. The first is vegetation

which is all plant life in an area. The second is weather, which is the state of the atmosphere at a

specific time when observing current conditions of temperature, wind, clouds and precipitation.

Lastly is topography which refers to the physical features of the land. Each fundamental element

creates what is called an ecosystem. An ecosystem consists of all living things in an area and the

way they affect each other and the environment. Consequently, when a wildfire takes place it

effects the ecosystem but not all of these effects are bad. Lets explore how wildfires positively

impact ecosystems.

For a wildfire to burn there are three conditions that need to be present. A heat source, a

fuel and oxygen (Thiessen, P. B.). Heat sources aid in the ignition of a wildfire and enable the

initial spark to occur. Wildfires are often ignited by lightning and by humans by means of

campfire, fireworks, and even the sun can aid in causing a spark by drying out vegetation and

heating the Earths surface (Thiessen, P. B.). Fuel refers to any flammable material surrounding a

fire such as brush, grasses, trees and sometimes even manmade things such as homes or

buildings. When the area has a lot of fuel available, this means that the fire will burn more

intensely. Additionally, oxygen aids in creating a chemical reaction known as oxidation which is

required for a fire to burn (Thiessen, P. B.). Furthermore, wildfires depend heavily upon variable
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factors such as weather patterns, fuel availability, human activities in addition to the resources

available to suppress a fire in the unlikely event they are needed.

Vegetation

Although fires may seem catastrophic from a human perspective, there are many benefits.

Fire stimulates vegetation regeneration, promote[s] landscape diversity in terms of vegetation

types, provide[s] a habitat for many species and sustain[s] other ecosystem services (Moritz,

Max). The removal of dead trees and overgrown underbrush and other debris allows the soil to

become exposed. The soil is then made receptive to sunlight so that it can be nourished (Bonsor,

K). Don Despain, a former Yellowstone research biologist thinks that there is a chemical

released after a fire that causes flowering plants to take off. He goes further by stating that there

is a nitrogen compound in smoke that stimulates other species to germinate (Lee, Robert).

Research has also found that there are some species of trees and plants that are fire-

dependent. Some trees have fire resistant bark and cones that require heat to open and release

seeds for regeneration (Bonsor, K). Species such as the lodgepole pine require intense heat for

seed germination (Lee, Robert). In addition, some wildlife play a role in the miracle of bringing

new life to the area as well. Several species of small mammals and birds are important seed

dispersers and predators for trees. Animals scatter hoard pine seeds, which, if they fail to relocate

them, sometimes results in seedling establishment (Franklin, Bergman). Without the help of

fire, many trees and plants would eventually surrender to old age and no new generations would

ever carry on their legacy (Benefits of Fire).

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Weather

Weather plays a major role in the creation, growth and decay of a wildfire by means of

moisture, temperature and wind. It has been referred to as one of the most important factors but it

is never constant and every-changing. Other significant factors are relative humidity which is the

ratio of moisture in the air in comparison to the amount of moisture necessary to saturate the air.

Fuel moisture is also important, it represents the approximate moisture content of the fuel which

is vegetation in the area. In places where we see a prolonged period of low precipitation in

addition to temperature, this causes what is referred to as a drought. Droughts give wildfires the

favorable conditions to ignite because as the heat from the sun bakes the Earths surface, it heats

and dries potential fuels increasing the likelihood for a spark to occur. Wind patterns have the

biggest potential to impact a fires behavior as it is the most unpredictable factor. It supplies the

fire with additional oxygen which aids in the combustion process and spurs the fire to unburned

fuel. It also reduces the moisture that remains in the vegetation and this also pushes the fire to

move. The heat produced closer to fuel in the path of the fire increases radiation. Due to this

process, there is a potential to push the fire across the area faster by carrying embers in its

stream.

Topography

Topography is a detailed depiction of an area taking into account the shape and surface

features of the land, it includes everything natural or manmade. Examples include, mountains,

hills, creeks, roads, trails and water masses. These characteristics are very influential when it

comes to a fires behavior. Topography consists of 3 variables: slope, aspect and terrain (Bonsor,

K). The slope refers to the steepness of the land and this ultimately has the biggest influence on
WILDFIRES AND THEIR POSITIVE IMPACT ON ECOSYSTEMS 6

fire behavior. It affects the speed and direction the fire will spread. Aspect is the direction the

slope faces and terrain influences how the wind will flow over the area. If there is less resistance,

it will increase the speed at which the fire is progressing and vice versa.

Wildlife

Most people think that when a fire takes place that wildlife is in danger. It is important to

understand that fire does not negatively impact wildlife populations. They respond and adapt to

fire in numerous ways and actually benefit from fire either directly or indirectly. Wildlife experts

have been using fire since the 1930s to improve habitat conditions, even at the risk of harming

individual animals. While wildlife mortality in any fire event is possible, the overall impact on

wildlife populations is considered minimal (Gleason). While most animals have the ability to

retreat from a fire, biologists have discovered that many animals survive because they use the

things in their habitat for protection. Amphibians, reptiles and both small and large mammals are

able to retreat into areas of safety. They can utilize wet areas, burrow under logs or rocks, or

escape to underground burrows. Bodies of water such as streams and rivers that flow through a

burned area can be altered as well. While impacts from wildfires can be detrimental to aquatic

species but there are some positive effects. Fires change water flow and volume. More water is

running off the slope or through the soil instead of being drawn up by plants. As a result, debris

will flow or landslides can occur and these may alter the course of a stream. However, some of

the sediment that infiltrates the water is filled with nutrients for insects, which in turn becomes

good for fish and plants.

While research has found that there are only a few casualties during a fire, the population

in its entirety is still able to live on and thrive. In fact, there is no known case of an entire
WILDFIRES AND THEIR POSITIVE IMPACT ON ECOSYSTEMS 7

wildlife population or species becoming extinct by fire (Lee, Robert). Mary Ann Franke of the

Yellowstone Center for Resources noted that the only animals for which there is evidence of a

population decline as a result of the fires are moose and snails (Lee, Robert). Wildlife species

have adapted and evolved because of fires in their natural habitat and know how to respond to it.

As the flames dance across the ground and climb up the plants and trees, they eat away at

what was and leaves behind only ash and blackness. What is left may seem catastrophic when

looking at the aftermath, but there are many benefits. Fire clears the weaker trees and debris and

enables new vegetation to grow. Additionally, many wildlife species have been able to adapt and

evolve because of fires in their natural habitat. Essentially, they give nature its necessary and

needed balance. Fires are an important part of maintaining healthy ecosystems and preventing

worse fires form happening in the future.

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References

Bonsor, K. (2001, May 29). How Wildfires Work. Retrieved May 02, 2017, from

http://science.howstuffworks.com/nature/natural-disasters/wildfire2.htm.

Franklin, Janet and Erin Bergman. "Patterns of Pine Regeneration Following a Large,

Severe Wildfire in the Mountains of Southern California." Canadian Journal of Forest Research,

vol. 41, no. 4, Apr. 2011, pp. 810-821. EBSCOhost, doi:10.1139/x11-024.

Gleason, Karen Miranda and Shawn Gillette. "Myth Busting about Wildlife and Fire: Are

Animals Getting Burned?" Fire Management Today, vol. 69, no. 1, Winter2009, p. 26.

EBSCOhost,libprox1.slcc.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?

direct=true&db=f6h&AN=43492496&site=eds-live.

Lee, Robert W. "The miracle of recovery: though the ecological legacy of the

Yellowstone wildfires is a mixed bag for some species, the forest's remarkable recovery shows

how the news media overstated the fire's impact. (Environment)." The New American 18 Nov.

2002: 19+. Opposing Viewpoints in Context. Web. 30 Apr. 2017.

WILDFIRES AND THEIR POSITIVE IMPACT ON ECOSYSTEMS 9

Moritz, Max A., et al. "Learning to Coexist with Wildfire." Nature, vol. 515, no. 7525, 06

Nov. 2014, p. 58. EBSCOhost, doi:10.1038/nature13946.

(n.d.). Retrieved May 02, 2017, from https://www.google.com.au/

The Benefits of Fire. (n.d.). Retrieved April 27, 2017, from

http://www.fire.ca.gov/communications/downloads/fact_sheets/TheBenefitsofFire.pdf

Google. Google, n.d. Web. 15 Apr. 2017. <https://www.google.com/#q=what is a

wildfire&spf=391>.

Thiessen, P. B. (2016, July 23). Wildfires Information and Facts. Retrieved May 02,

2017, from http://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/natural-disasters/wildfires/