Not that many years ago, I drove through dozens of miles of charred forest in Yellowstone National Park. My travelling companion and I were horrified. Then the Park Ranger explained the forest’s life cycle.
Fires, we were told, consume dead, decaying vegetation accumulating on the forest floor, thereby clearing the way for new growth. Some species, such as the jack pine, rely on fire to spread their seeds. The jack pine produces durable resin-filled cones that remain dormant until a fire occurs and melts the resin. The cones pop open and the seeds fall or blow out, creating the forest anew.
