Tuesday, December 04, 2018
‘It blows my mind’: How B.C. destroys a key natural wildfire defence every year
On the Watts Up With That? website, Charles the Moderator recently posted about this:
"The eradication of trees like aspen and birch on regenerating forest stands is meant to make room for more commercially valuable conifer species like pine and Douglas fir.
But experts say it also removes one of the best natural defences we have against wildfire, at a time when our warming climate is helping make large, destructive fires more and more common. 'It blows my mind that nobody is talking about this,' said James Steidle, a member of the anti-glyphosate group Stop the Spray B.C.
'The experts know this stuff. They’ve known about this stuff for decades, but it’s just not being translated into reality.'
When aspen and other broadleaves are allowed to flourish, they form “natural fuel breaks” if their leaves are out, according to Lori Daniels, a professor of forest ecology at the University of B.C. That’s why aspen stands are often referred to as “asbestos forests” in wildfire science circles."
