Core samples of old aspen stands in Yellowstone National Park showed that these forests, too, appeared in the wake of severe fires during the same period. Today, with fire suppression, there are few young forests of aspen across the Rocky Mountain region. In Wyoming, biologists rank aspen parklands second only to wetlands for overall importance to wildlife. Across California and southern Oregon, the California black oak woodlands are disappearing. But the tree recovers quickly, sprouting from both its root system and root crown.
Undamaged trees sow a profusion of acorns into the cleaned, burned ground.
The airy, parklike oak woodlands become loaded with young conifers and deadfall. When fire appears, it finds plenty of fuel. Burning bigger, hotter, and longer, black oaks suffer a severe setback. Click here to join the discussion on forest fires. Even if the forest fails to burn, the unnatural amounts of shade and litter on the ground create poor conditions for acorn survival.