Stepping back for the big picture, it's obvious that fire is a natural event for forests, plains, and other bioregions that contain flammable material. As podrock points out, since these environments have lasted many thousands of years, they obviously can deal with fires. Or beetles, for that matter.
Fires mostly make trouble because they burn human stuff, or wood we'd rather use for houses than have it just burn up.
There's a lot out there about how beetle-killed trees increase (or decrease) fire dangers. I wonder if anyone is looking at how natural fires might keep down pine beetles.
The great redwoods in my area are supremely adapted to fire, fog, insects, and even floods. You don't get to be a couple of thousand years old without having a few tricks.
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As with all environmental issues, this is a very complicated equation.
The whole thread (17 posts)
- Fires, Pine Beatles, and Logging