sequoias
Newsletter
Credit: Patrick Mayor/Unsplash
Fire threatens natural regeneration of giant sequoias
Severe megafires in 2020 and 2021 have significantly harmed sequoia groves in California, hindering their ability to regenerate naturally, two new studies reveal.
In short:
- Studies found drastically low seedling densities in groves burned by recent megafires, threatening natural regeneration.
- Researchers observed that high-severity fires kill seeds and mature trees, making long-term recovery unlikely without intervention.
- Sequoias store substantial carbon, helping combat climate change, but they struggle to adapt to new climate conditions.
Key quote:
“Our data suggest that sequoia grove areas that were severely impacted by the fires may not have enough reproduction to replace the sequoias lost.”
— David Soderberg, lead author and Ph.D. ecologist at USGS Western Research Center
Why this matters:
Giant sequoias, essential for carbon storage and climate mitigation, are at risk due to increasingly severe wildfires. Without intervention, these iconic trees may not recover, impacting biodiversity and climate resilience.
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Newsletter
Credit: James Fitzgerald/Unsplash
Native tribes use controlled burns to save sequoias
In response to devastating wildfires, Indigenous tribes in California have resumed cultural burns to protect ancient sequoia trees.
In short:
- Tribes including the Tule River, North Fork Mono, and Tübatulabal are conducting controlled burns to prevent wildfires and protect sequoia forests.
- These cultural burns were banned in the 19th century but were reintroduced in 2022 after extreme wildfires highlighted their necessity.
- Cultural burns help manage forest undergrowth, preserve sequoias, and maintain Indigenous cultural practices.
Key quote:
"I want to tell the spirit on the other side of the sun to give us power for this burn. Give us a good burn."
— Robert Gomez, chairman of the Tübatulabal Tribe
Why this matters:
Restoring traditional burning practices aids in wildfire prevention and helps maintain the health and cultural heritage of sequoia forests. As climate change intensifies, these practices are could be valuable for forest resilience and community survival.
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California’s giant sequoias are burning up. Will logging save them?
The Sugarbowl,an amphitheater of solemn and enormous trees, part of the Redwood Mountain grove, one of the largest collections of giant sequoia on Earth, has become a graveyard.
U.S. taking emergency steps to protect sequoias from wildfires
The U.S. Forest Service will expedite plans to clear brush that fuels fires and take other measures to protect the centuries-old trees.
The key to protecting Yosemite’s sequoias from wildfires? More fire
For decades, the park has used prescribed fire to make its forests healthier—and it’s paying off right now to protect the famous Mariposa Grove.
Charles Ng/Flickr
To save sequoias from wildfire, we must save them from ourselves
Once thought to be basically immortal, sequoias are now dying in droves as fires burn bigger, hotter, and longer than any other point in human history. Protecting them is possible, but managing western woods is a Pandora’s box of tough choices.
Newsletter
Yosemite fire grows as crews protect iconic sequoias
A wildfire threatening the largest grove of giant sequoias in Yosemite National Park more than doubled in size in a day, and firefighters were working Sunday to protect the iconic trees and a small mountain town.
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