In the recent fires, that distinction lost meaning — even rainforests and peat swamps caught fire, likely changing them forever. “Anybody would have said these forests don’t burn, that there’s not enough material and they are wet. ADFire is a normal part of an ash forest life cycle, clearing out older stands to make way for new growth. Already ash forests in parts of Victoria had been hit by wildfire every four to five years, allowing less marketable tree species to take over or meadows to form. AD“If a young ash forest is burned and killed and we can’t resow it, then it is lost,” Bassett said.

Source: Washington Post January 19, 2020 03:00 UTC