Like giant sponges on a dry forehead, they slowly cool and wet the nearby environment. Lightning is the greatest source of forest fires and when it strikes, a wetland can contain and slow a forest fire.
Wetlands can also serve as fire breaks, providing a defensible moist area for firefighters.
It is natural to have some fires in nature, and in fact some wetlands species need fire to survive. For example, longleaf pines in Southeast wetlands need fires to clear out the space from larger hardwoods so their seedlings have enough space and light. Wetlands help with fire containment, but not elimination. All rights reserved.