In 2005, a human-caused fire devastated almost the entire La Colle Noire massif, near Toulon, in the south of France. This coastal Mediterranean forest with fifty, even century-old trees, was charred in a few hours. How did the guards of the Conservatoire du Littoral work to rehabilitate this forest after the passage of the flames? A coastal ranger from the massif along with rangers from the four corners of the world came to discuss the challenges linked to climate change in forest areas.
Nearly 20 years after the fire, the Colle Noire forest looks more like a scrub. Some pines have reached several meters, but there are mainly shrubs. “ In the Mediterranean, we have aromatics. Here, look at the rosemary that you know very well in the kitchen. There, wild lavender, you can smell »: Franck Bertrand, coast guard, leads the group of international rangers on the path which winds above the Mediterranean Sea.
« Here, 19 years ago, there was nothing here. There was no longer a fly flying, not a single piece of grass. There were only charred trunks “, he remembers. To rehabilitate the forest after the fire, the rangers of the massif did only one thing: they made “ fascines .
« The biggest danger after a fire here is the loss of material, of the earth. So, we made fascines. It is the cutting of dead and charred trees that are placed across slopes to retain water during heavy rains and keep this land which will promote the regeneration of seeds and the forest. », Develops the French guard.
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The benefits of natural regeneration
And then, they let nature take its course. Letting the vegetation regenerate on its own is more effective than replanting. “ We have the cork oak, the champion of adaptation. Its bark will burn first. And once the fire has passed, the buds that are dormant inside will start again », explains Franck Bertrand.
Because trees that grow back naturally are more resistant, particularly to drought: “ These trees, which have experienced these fires year after year, know how to defend themselves. They really adapt to the environment. Whereas a tree that has grown in a nursery, which has undergone daily watering once in the natural environment, has very, very little chance of surviving. Or none. »
Fire is part of the natural functioning of many forests. But because of climate change, urbanization and human carelessness, the frequency of these fires is being disrupted. In the Mediterranean, we went from one fire every 600 years to one every 50 years.
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Preventive fires and protection of biodiversity
Facing the French guard, Benson Kanyembo, ranger of South Luangwa National Park in Zambiaagrees. His problem is the poachers: “ We plan preventative fires to avoid large late-season fires in the park. But sometimes the poachers set the fire before us. They do this to cover up their illegal activities. »
For Lisa Jennings, a ranger in the Eastern Blue Ridge Mountains of UNITED STATESit’s the opposite. To protect the people who have set up their homes in the woods, she can no longer let her forest burn as it should:
« We have many species that rely on fire to grow. Pine cones, for example, only release their seeds when certain high temperatures are reached through fire. We also have a dense layer of shrubs at the base of the trees. And without fire, it prevents grasses and wildflowers from growing. »
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