Wildfires as devastating as they can be do have some benefits, from nature regeneration to pest control
Words by Stuart Butler
Whether you live in the southern hemisphere or the northern, in certain areas it feels like it’s starting to become a regular part of summer life. Wildfire. Whether it’s Portugal, Greece or France, Australia or Scandinavia, California or Canada, deadly, raging wildfires have made headlines around the world over the past few summers. But what if we were to say that not all wildfires are bad? Okay let’s clarify that statement. An out of control inferno bearing down on your town and bringing with it widespread destruction, and even death, is nothing to be pleased about. As this writer, who lives in an area of France ravaged by huge wildfires during the summer of 2022 can attest too, when smoke clogs the sky and the slightest unintentional spark could destroy everything you know, then the fear is real and all consuming. But, not all wildfires are so destructive and in some cases – perhaps many cases – they can also bring with them benefits to the local environment and wildlife. Let’s take a look at some of the main benefits wildfires bring.
Regeneration
Fire destroys but with that destruction can come new life. Essential nutrients stored in the leaf litter of the forest floor are released when burnt, and the ash left behind after a fire acts as a fertiliser. In addition, the burning of older trees opens up the canopy to saplings and encourages new growth. Some tree species are actually completely reliant on fire to even reproduce. Examples of such trees would be the banksia tree in Australia or the lodgepole pines in North America. Both of these trees produce cones that only open and release seeds after they’ve been burnt. The reason for this is so that the seedlings can take full advantage of the fertile ash covered soil and they can benefit from their being less competition for sunlight.
Wild Fire Prevention
Fire prevents fire? This might seem like a strange one but in many cases it’s true. Smaller wildfires can prevent huge wildfires. When a small wildfire burns through a forest it clears the ground of dead wood and undergrowth which in turn helps to prevent a large fire successfully taking hold. These smaller wildfires are often not hot enough to actually kill a tree and the forest will normally recover with remarkable speed.
Pest & Disease Control
This is a more localised benefit, but wildfire can actually help repress the spread of pests or disease. When a fire burns through an environment it can kill off certain insects and other creatures that might otherwise become pests or transmit disease. Most often the animals negatively impacted by wild fires are invasive species whose presence can cause enormous damage to eco-systems and human activity.
Improves Grazing Land
Whether controlled man made fires or natural wildfires, when a wildfire blazes across an area of grassland it burns away the thicker, tougher and, often, less nutrient rich older grasses and shrubs and allows rich, soft, green nutritious grasses to sprout. For many grazers – whether wild or domesticated – this is the preferred area to grab a snack. If you’re ever lucky enough to visit the savannas of Africa just after a fire you will likely see that the concentration of antelope and gazelle is often higher in areas that have just burnt and where new growth is emerging. This shorter grass also helps the antelope spot approaching predators earlier.
Prevents the Growth of Woodland
This might seem like a bad thing, but without regular waves of fire many meadows and grassland habitats (which in many parts of the world are rarer than woodlands) would quickly turn to shrub land and then woodland. While this is good news for some species of animal it’s bad news for others. Just like in forests, some grassland species are also completely reliant on fire. In South Africa’s unique shrub land ecosystem, fynbos, wild fires are actually needed every two or three decades so that plants such as the fire daisy can flower. Almost all the plants in the fynbos ecosystem have some kind of fire resistance built into them and are able to quickly re-grow after a wild fire.
As we have seen, wildfires have always been an essential part and parcel of the natural world and the majority of wild fires actually bring positive benefits in the mid and long term. However, the big problem today is that certain areas – parts of Mediterranean Europe being prime examples – are being hit by fire more frequently, and that these fires are getting bigger. And this means that even the most fire adapted species and habitats aren’t getting time to benefit from the positive aftermath of a fire before the next one strikes.
