Explain why cavities in a fire look brighter than the rest of the fire
Answers
Answer:Basal cavities are ubiquitous in coast redwood. They are common in the humid coastal forests of Del Norte County and the dry forests of the southernmost extent of the species range. Tourists delight in them, bats take shelter in them and fire managers see them as an indicator of tree weakness and decline. Known locally as "goosepens", these basal hollows can be large enough to hold livestock, as they did for early Euro-American settlers. For centuries, large cavities also provided the occasional shelter for Native Americans. Because they often become so large, basal cavities fascinate us, as they add to the uniqueness of the coast redwood forest type.
How do these unusual features form? Are they a threat to the health and viability of coast redwood trees, or are they an inevitable quality of the species, given its evolutionary environment?
As shown at right, the key reason why these cavities exist is fire. While coast redwood likely evolved with fire, their ability to survive fires is decidely mixed.
We have all heard that coast redwood have adaptations to deal with fire--like the ability to sprout at their base and along their bole and branches and their often thick fire resistant bark and heartwood, but the highest flame lengths that occur during a coast redwood forest fire are inside the trees. Something about cavities make them appear to be the tree's Achilles' heal. By understanding the process of cavity formation and development, we gain insights not only into the reasons why coast redwood collapse, but an ultimate source of compositional diversity of the forest and the tradeoffs associated with fire management alternatives.
Explanation:
Answer:
Basal cavities are ubiquitous in coast redwood. They are common in the humid coastal forests of Del Norte County and the dry forests of the southernmost extent of the species range. Tourists delight in them, bats take shelter in them and fire managers see them as an indicator of tree weakness and decline. Known locally as "goosepens", these basal hollows can be large enough to hold livestock, as they did for early Euro-American settlers. For centuries, large cavities also provided the occasional shelter for Native Americans. Because they often become so large, basal cavities fascinate us, as they add to the uniqueness of the coast redwood forest type.