Wildfire is a natural part of the life cycle of the boreal forest. Boreal forests are susceptible to fire because litter from black and white spruce, balsam fir and jack pine does not easily decompose. As a result, it builds up on the forest floor and becomes extremely flammable. This build-up of litter also locks in nutrients. By burning litter, fire releases mineral nutrients and establishes the right conditions for seeds to germinate.
Fire also determines species distribution in the forest, age-class and carbon storage.
These changes may already be upon us. Since 1984, an average of 1.7 million hectares of forest have burned in Canada because of wildfires. The summer of 1995 almost tied 1989 - nearly seven million hectares burned because of wildfires. The carbon cycle All living plants, including trees, grow by absorbing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere through a chemical process called photosynthesis. When trees and plants decompose or burn, they release this carbon dioxide back into the atmosphere.