Giant sequoias have a unique relationship with fire.
Everybody knows them: Giant sequoias.
They are the largest — most massive — trees in the world (if measured by trunk volume), and only grow in the wild in a very few groves in the Sierra Nevada.
The famous General Grant tree — one of the largest specimens in the world — measures 267.4 ft (81.5 m), has a circumference (at the ground) of 107.6 ft (32.8 m), and has an estimated volume of 46,608 cubic ft (1,320 cubic m).
Also, Giant sequoias are amongst the oldest living organisms in the world (some are 3,500 years old !).
Needless to say, there were much more sequoias before humans started to harvest the wood of these ancient giants, and destroy the population.
But did you know that Giant sequoias LOVE fire, and even more: NEED fire ?:
Sequoias rely on fire to release most seeds from their cones, to expose bare mineral soil in which seedlings can take root, to recycle nutrients into the soil, and to open holes in the forest canopy through which sunlight can reach young seedlings.
Their (extremely soft) bark is unusually fire resistant, and can grow to be more than 3 ft (0.9 m) thick.
Although the seeds can germinate in moist needle humus in the spring, seedlings will die as the duff dries in the summer. They require periodic wildfire to clear competing vegetation and soil humus before successful regeneration can occur.
Without the fire, shade-loving species will crowd out young sequoia seedlings, and sequoia seeds will simply not germinate.
“Love is a burning thing
And it makes a fiery ring
Bound by wild desire
I fell into a ring of fire
I fell into a burning ring of fire
I went down, down, down and the flames went higher
And it burns, burns, burns
The ring of fire, the ring of fire”
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References: Google images and the sites quoted in the text. The quote at the end is taken from “Ring of fire” (Johnny Cash, of course).