Natural fires occurred approximately every 5-15 years in sequoia groves. Sequoias thrive in a forest with frequent fire which opens the canopy for this sun-loving tree and clears the ground so there tiny seeds can germinate and grow.
Giant Sequoias Yield Longest Fire History From Tree Rings
California’s western Sierra Nevada had more frequent fires between 800 and 1300 than at any time in the past 3,000 years, according to a new study based upon tree-ring research.
The report, Multi-Millennial Fire History of the Giant Forest, Sequoia National Park, California, USA, was published in the electronic journal Fire Ecology in February.
A 3,000-year record from 52 sequoia trees show that California’s western Sierra Nevada was droughty and often fiery from 800 to 1300, according to the study led Thomas Swetnam, Director of the University of Arizona Laboratory of Tree Ring Research.
Scientists can crossdate multiple samples (no live trees were sampled) by matching characteristic patterns of signature rings, usually years in which the trees grew little. For example, 1580 was an exceptionally dry year that is reflected as a very small ring in most giant sequoias. Once dated the actual calendar years in which fire scars were formed can be determined and a history of fire reconstructed.
The scientists found the years from 800 to 1300, known as the Medieval Warm Period, had the most frequent fires in the 3,000 years studied.
“While its intuitive that climate patterns influence fire regimes, this study’s data provides some of the first looks at how past fire regimes responded in a sequoia grove. Periods of droughts saw more frequent, though smaller fires, as a rule. Wetter periods saw less frequent fire. However, this also gave fuels a chance to accumulate and this led to larger fires.”
Mikey Mann has erased the MWP, and Fox News thinks that the current fire is going to kill trees which have survived hundreds of fires over the last 3,000 years.
A massive wildfire racing through the Yosemite wilderness — fueled by high winds — is threatening San Francisco’s fresh water and power supply as well as California’s iconic giant sequoias.
What we can conclude from the tree ring data, is that human stupidity has never been higher at any time during the last 3,000 years. Forests need regular fires. Can these morons please stop whining every time one occurs?
Reblogged this on Health Science Watch.
“…and clears the ground so there tiny seeds can germinate and grow.”
There. They’re. Their. Stupidest indeed.
If you substitute ‘in that place’ for ‘there’, the sentence still makes sense.
They have sent a special crew to “Protect” a couple of groves near Yosemite! Maybe a couple of dozen trees that are still there.
They’re all part of the IPCC. And that means they are pretty dim on facts, and fairly bright with alarmisim and spin.
Given that the IPCC was awarded a Nobel Peace Prize, that alone provide adequate proof that these are very stupid people indeed. Just look at some of the other peace prize “winners”.
Plus : The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change does no original research, but instead periodically assesses and summarizes the published scientific literature on climate change. Looks like they can disavow any responsibility since they did no research. http://www.nytimes.com/2013/08/20/science/earth/extremely-likely-that-human-activity-is-driving-climate-change-panel-finds.html?_r=2&pagewanted=all&
This Headline is hilarious… love the site..