Listen to part of a talk ill ail environmental science class.
There's one more method of forest conservation I wanna talk about before we end today. And that's forest fires. It may come as a surprise to many of you, but fire is a key element of many ecosystems. For example, It's a natural normal process that helps maintain a healthy forest For decades, we believed fire should be suppressed at all costs, so they were put out as quickly as possible to preserve the environment. But in the last 20 years or so, we've come to realize the advantages of regular controlled fires to an ecosystem. In fact，a lot of plant species depend on fire for survival. In a forest full of pine trees, for example, fire is necessary for reproduction. Pine trees in particular, need fire in order to spread their seeds. Pine trees of course have pine cones, which contain their seeds. So what happens is that the heat from a fire melts the resin, you know that sticky stuff that holds the cone scales together. So the resin melts, and the cones open up, and the seeds inside the cone are released on the ground. And Eventually, young pine trees grow from them. So thanks to the fire, we've got a new generation of pine trees. Like I said earlier, fires can help grow better forests, which in turn creates a better habitat for wildlife in the areas, for instance, they have all impact on the density of the forest, a fire that kills some trees, but not others can open up a forest area previously thick with trees. This let's in sunshine, which encourages growth of new shrubs and grasses. The new plant life in turn brings in new animal species.
Using the examples from the lecture explain why forest fires are beneficial to the forest ecosystem.
Using the examples from the lecture, explain why forest fires are beneficial to the forest ecosystem.
The professor mainly talks about two benefits that forest fires can bring to the ecosystem. The first one is that forest fires can help certain plant species reproduce. For example, pine trees’ seeds are contained in their pine cones which are held together by their sticky resin. Once there’s a forest fire, the resin will be melted and the pine cones can open up, making it possible for their seeds to spread and grow.
The second one is that forest fires help grow a better habitat for the wildlife, because they can affect the density of the forest. After a fire, some trees are killed so certain areas will be opened up. This lets in the sunshine, which encourages the growth of shrubs and grasses. So eventually, new animal species will also be attracted to this area.
