Yellowstone Fires: Ecological Blessings In Disguise

Yellowstone Fires: Ecological Blessings In Disguise : NPR:

"Fire ecologists now know just how important these fires are to Yellowstone's vegetation. The forests of Yellowstone are dominated by lodgepole pines, which thrive despite the poor quality of the soil. Their tall, skinny, limbless trunks are thought to have been favored by American Indians for building lodges and teepees — hence the name lodgepole pine.

These trees produce what scientists call a serotinous pine cone. Resins hold the scales of the cones tightly closed with the seeds inside, and they can remain in the crowns of the trees for 30 to 50 years. Without fire, the seeds would likely never be released. "