Deer and How Forest Fires Affect Them

In the United States there is about 75000 forest fires a year, much of these forest fires occur on scavenging grounds, and habitats for the White-Tailed Deer. These fires do not pose a very big threat for The White-Tailed Deer. The White-Tailed Deer can run up to 50 kilometers per hour which is much faster than a fire which moves at about 1.2 meters a minute. Many people think forest fires kill many animals, which is not the case. The White-Tailed Deer just leaves the area until the smoke, and fire has cleared their habitat, then the Deer move back into their land. There is then a time period where food is very scarce due to the fire burning everything edible that the White-Tailed Deer could eat. The nutrient-rich ashes over the soil results in many new plants, which the White-Tailed Deer enjoys eating, starts to grow quickly in the soil due to the lack of competing plants. Predators leave the habitat to find food elsewhere giving time for the White-Tailed Deer population to grow and allow time for mating. Forest fires are in direct control of raising deer populations; Forest fires are very beneficial to the White-Tailed Deer.

Grasses and How Forest Fires Affect Them

Graminoids are herbaceous plants with very slim, long leaves growing out from the base. Graminoids is a term used to describe the group that is made up of all grass-like plants. Grasses have existed for centuries and will continue to do so. Grasses live on most of the world’s continents. Grass is one of the world’s most versatile organisms. Grass is described as a monocotyledonous green plant. Grasses fall under the Poaceae family which is a family of flowering plants. Some types of grasses include Kentucky Blue Grass, Goose Grass, Scurvy Grass, Bahia Grass, and Buffalo Grass. Grasses are affected by forest fires more negatively than any other organism in the vicinity of a forest fire. Since fires spread from tree to tree on the ground all the grass is destroyed in the process. The grass acts as a pathway between the trees. When the grass burns it kills the entire plant leaving only the soil left, and some dead roots. All the grass in the area of the forest fire is burned up, and the habitat is destroyed. The grass eventually spreads back into the area, but the original grass living there is destroyed. This is an important part of the habitat lifecycle though; when the grass is burned away it gives opportunity to seeds of trees and other plants to grow. If the grass had been there, the new plants would not have grown. Forest fires are important to the habitat so that new life can be brought into the habitat, but it happens at the expense of the grass.

Fire Management's Impact on Biotic Systems

Fire management has a very important role in keeping the health of the Boreal Forest, and its organisms in good condition. The Jack Pine is an important tree in the Boreal Forest Biome, but without fire management, it would never be able to grow. When a fire enters the Boreal Forest the Jack Pines are wiped out from the surface, all parts of the Jack Pine are destroyed except for the Pine Cones left on the ground. As the fire raged through the area the intense heat melts the resin holding the seeds dormant inside of the cones. Then the seeds are able to grow into large Jack Pines until the next forest fire. Without Fire Management the Jack Pine species would eventually die off from the ecosystems. Since it is so cold in the northern forests it would be impossible for the Jack Pine seeds to grow into larger seeds. Fire Management help impact the biotic parts of the Boreal environment.

Fire Management's Impact on Abiotic Systems

In the Boreal Forest in the north, there are many aspects to the ecosystem. Many parts of this ecosystem are crawling with biotic organisms, but a big part of the Boreal Forest is the abiotic side of it. Fire Management is very important for clearing out dead wood from the area, but a major part of Fire Management has to do with soil. When grass and moss covers the floor of the environment it gives no chance for any other plants to grow there. Fire Management burns away the grass and moss, and leaves soil covered by nutrient filled ash. This allows new plants such as trees to grow before the moss and grass covers the floor again. Without Fire management dead wood, grass, and moss would cover the environment and choke out any other forms of life trying to grow there.

Fire Management's Impact on Food Chains

Fire Management also does a great job at managing natural food chains in the ecosystems. When a forest fire travels through the boreal forest most predators have to leave the area, but many organisms can burrow underground or stay in water giving them a short time to live without fear of predators. Then all the small plants start growing back giving these animals a good food source, then organisms also begin to mate and can raise their young for a short period of time without having to worry about predators. There is a short period of time after the fire where the entire food source for herbivores is destroyed. This throws off the food chain, but thankfully this is only for a short period of time. The predators also lose their source of food in their natural habitat, so they must go elsewhere for food. Fire Management impacts the natural food chain in the Boreal Forest greatly.

Fire Management's Impact on Species

Another aspect of Fire Management in the Boreal Forest area is the impact it has on entire species. The Insecta class can grow quite numerous in the Boreal Forest due to its favorable conditions but with the help of Fire Management, it can help to control the growth of the population from getting too great and causing problems for the ecosystem. Another species impact of Fire Management is its capability of destroying disease. Diseases grow great in numbers in the Boreal Forest but Fire management can burn the Airborne diseases, as well as the diseases on surfaces. It can also help to kill infected animals which would only spread the disease to other organisms.

Caribou: To Save, or Not To Save?

Up until now in this paper forest fires have been made out to seem very good, but there is an obvious negative to forest fires that has not been mentioned yet. This negative is the affect that forest fires have on the Caribou population in northern Canada. Forest Fires burn down forests, which are a good thing, but it takes a long time to grow back. Caribou prefer sheltered forests, but because of all the fires the Caribou’s migration paths continue to shrink. Since the Caribou will not go near the forest, it makes them a great target for timber wolves, which love to hunt in the open grounds. Caribou only have one offspring so they cannot survive heavy predation. Another problem is that the fires burn all the lichens, which are needed because that is the Caribou’s main source of food in the winter. This poses a major issue for the Canadian Government, do they choose to continue Fire Management, or do they stop to protect the Caribou. In my own eyes I have to weigh the odds;