The Greek word for fire is "pyro". I'm sure you have probably watched a movie or two that involved a "pyromaniac" or someone that loves to start fires... Did you know that there are plants that love fire and the only way they can reseed is if they are burned? They are called "pyrophytic" plants. This sounds crazy, but ecosystems need a fire to help them continue to be healthy ecosystems. Plants like Lodgepole Pine and Eucalyptus trees produce little cones that are completely sealed with a resin, or pitch like substance. The heat of the fire melts the resin and the cones pop open and drop their seeds. Other species of shrubs and bushes need the "chemicals" in smoke, heat or the charred particles to open up their seeds. Sometimes the seeds lay in the soil for decades until a fire comes along and then the seeds are activated and sprout. Giant sequoias have a fire retardant bark. It is able to withstand high heat, the fire may scorch the outside bark, but the inside of the tree is protected. Other trees and bushes may burn to the ground, but their roots are protected and will sprout up as soon as the ground becomes moist. On ground that is covered in ash, other plants find it a nutritious place to open their seeds and cover the ground in prolific flowers. These flowering plants are the first to grow in the ash left by Mt. Saint Helen's in Washington.
Fire is a horrible natural disaster that kills many plants and animals, but again, nature has provided plants that have evolved to survive even the worst disasters. Life has a way of doing that.
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Mrs. TaylorI love science! Everything about the world is interesting and never boring. I love to study plants, animals, insects, and people. My favorite subjects are my students who are the most unique organisms on the planet! Categories |