Fire Ecology - Devils Tower - Devils Tower, WY
N 44° 35.503 W 104° 42.753
13T E 522816 N 4937636
A National Park Service/U.S. Department of the Interior interpretive sign stands along the Tower Trail, noting the important role that fire plays in keeping the nearby ponderosa pine forests healthy.
Waymark Code: WMPV8B
Location: Wyoming, United States
Date Posted: 10/22/2015
Views: 7
The sign depicts a wild fire, with a caption, "Today the National Park Service uses prescribed fire as a tool to promote a vigorous forest ecosystem." The main text is:
As you walk around the Tower you see trees scarred by fire. Fire plays a natural role in the growth cycle in ponderosa pine forests. The thick bark of mature trees protects them from low-burning, fast-moving fires.
People have suppressed fire here for more than 100 years. Without regular fires, fuels accumulate to hazardous levels. Fires then burn very hot and long, killing mature trees and seeds. A forest may take hundreds of years to recover from such a fire.
An inset shows a normal forest environment, with a caption:
A healthy ponderosa pine forest is open. Healthy forests take only about five years to recover from fire.
Marker Name: Fire Ecology
Marker Type: Rural Roadside
Addtional Information:
Controlled burns are not without their risks: A 2013 prescribed burn was fanned by high winds, which caused the fire to spread slightly _out_ of control. No serious damage occurred, although local power was out, and the park had to be closed down.
Group Responsible for Placement: National Park Service/U.S. Department of the Interior
Web link(s) for additional information: [Web Link]
Date Dedicated: Not listed
Marker Number: Not listed
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