Mega wildfires may help ecosystems thrive, BYU study says

SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4) — A recent study conducted by BYU shows that megafires could potentially be beneficial for some forest types.

Brigham Young University released a study that indicated that drier weather over several decades of fuel buildup from fire suppression efforts has led to more megafires, which are defined as fires greater than 100,000 acres.

While larger wildfires (and other wildfires) can be devastating for residents who have to evacuate or who lose their homes and the smoke can pose health issues, they may help some forest communities thrive, according to this study.

Over three years, researchers collected data in the Pole Creek area of Northern Utah, which had a variety of burns ranging from severely burned to unburned areas from a fire in 2018. They measured tree density, height, and what seeds animals seek out.

The areas they researched had a variety of trees, including aspen, fir, maple, oak, pinyon, and juniper. Reportedly, three years after the fire, all tree species showed positive recovery.

Trees like aspen and oak, which regenerate from their roots, appeared to recover especially well after the fire, and grew faster and denser than trees in unburned areas.

This study indicates that burning these trees could help future forest growth. Sam St. Clair, a BYU professor who was working on the project, “Aspen trees are pioneer species that set the stage for the rest of the forest after fire; they should ideally be burning every 50-70 years.”

Additionally, animal populations in the area showed positive recovery post-fire.

“Deer and elk populations are much higher than they were historically, and now we have livestock, too,” St. Clair said. “We found that when a fire is large enough and burns with mixed severity, the resulting surge of tree regeneration across forest types exceeds what the animals can consume.”

“While there are tradeoffs with the smoky air, the overall effects of fire on the forest communities appear to be positive,” He added.

Prescribed Burns

Notably, other agencies have established reasoning that can help corroborate BYU’s study. According to the United States Forest Service, “after many years of fire exclusion, an ecosystem that needs periodic fire becomes unhealthy.”

Trees in those ecosystems can become stressed by overcrowding, while “fire-dependent species disappear and flammable fuels build up and become hazardous.” Fires can help reduce the fuel buildup.

Additionally, fires can also minimize the spread of disease and remove invasive species, allowing native flora and fauna to thrive. They can also recycle nutrients back to the soil, which promotes growth for trees, wildflowers, and other plants.

Notably, wildfires can endanger lives and communities and are ineffective if in ecosystems that can’t regenerate as quickly, or when in remote or residential areas.

This is why the U.S. Forest Service and other agencies conduct prescribed burns in specifically planned areas. Those burns “consider temperature, humidity, wind, moisture of the vegetation, and conditions for the dispersal of smoke” and help manage ecosystems.

Considering BYU’s study, those burns may make a huge difference.