It could take more than a century for the freshly burned forest in Jasper National Park to regenerate into its previous postcard-perfect form, a wildfire expert says.
The dense forest香蕉视频直播檚 regrowth could be affected by how deep the fire burned into the ground and how many pine cones hatched like popcorn in the intense heat and released seeds 香蕉视频直播� not to mention climate change more generally, said Jen Beverly, an associate professor with the University of Alberta香蕉视频直播檚 Department of Renewable Resources.
香蕉视频直播淭his is not a catastrophe from an ecological perspective, but we do know there香蕉视频直播檚 a lot of uncertainty into the future,香蕉视频直播� said Beverly, who has been studying wildfires for more than 25 years.
香蕉视频直播淓cosystems are going to evolve and that might span decades to centuries where an open area becomes forested, then there香蕉视频直播檚 a disturbance, and now it香蕉视频直播檚 open again. We can香蕉视频直播檛 keep them like a postcard that doesn香蕉视频直播檛 ever change.香蕉视频直播�
On July 22, wildfires cut road access through the park and forced the Jasper townsite香蕉视频直播檚 5,000 residents, along with about 20,000 park visitors, to flee through smoke and ash. Two days later, the fire overwhelmed crews and hit the town, destroying one-third of its buildings.
Residents were allowed back Friday, but have been warned they may have to leave again with one hour香蕉视频直播檚 notice as the out-of-control fire continues to burn within the park.
Those returning were greeted by a changed landscape of blackened trees reduced to skeletons.
Beverly said some clues on how rapidly Jasper香蕉视频直播檚 landscape could regenerate are scattered elsewhere in the park where previous wildfires have struck.
Some of those clues can be found a 30-minute drive north of Jasper香蕉视频直播檚 townsite and a few valleys away in the Syncline Ridge area.
In 2003, Syncline香蕉视频直播檚 more than century-old spruce and pine trees overlooking a valley were burned all the way to the nearby highway, Beverly said.
Syncline香蕉视频直播檚 landscape was similar to the forest area south of Jasper香蕉视频直播檚 townsite before it, too, burned, she said. Both were affected by wildfires recorded in the early 1900s and had been referred to as 香蕉视频直播渓ong unburned香蕉视频直播� forest.
香蕉视频直播淣ow, Syncline is still classified as grass and it香蕉视频直播檚 been 20 years since that fire,香蕉视频直播� she said.
香蕉视频直播淎nd that can change over time as forests establish. (The previous forest) took decades and decades for it to reach that stage of mature forests. So overall, anyone visiting the park who frequents it in the decades ahead are much more likely to see open landscape for quite a while.香蕉视频直播�
Beverly said after a fire has travelled through a forest, it has typically left behind a healthy environment for regrowth.
香蕉视频直播淚t香蕉视频直播檚 actually a really great process where the fire is killing the fuel trees, opening the pine cones, setting the stage for this beautiful seedbed,香蕉视频直播� she said.
香蕉视频直播淭his is a natural event and these ecosystems have evolved with fire.香蕉视频直播�
Climate change is a player in the recovery, too.
香蕉视频直播淲e know climate could have an impact on the way the ecosystem responds in the years ahead, or other things like continued drought,香蕉视频直播� she said.
Evolving conservation efforts could also change how seeds sprout into new forests, Beverly added.
香蕉视频直播淲e have to kind of accept management actions taken by people 香蕉视频直播� Prescribed burning, removing fuels proactively to mitigate the area can all alter what those valleys look like,香蕉视频直播� she said.
香蕉视频直播淎nd that could be quite interesting to watch in the years ahead as we see what comes back and how it looks over the next 10, 20, 50 years.香蕉视频直播�
Fakiha Baig, The Canadian Press
