|
|
|
|
 |
Daily Speculations The Web Site of Victor Niederhoffer & Laurel Kenner Dedicated to the scientific method, free markets, deflating ballyhoo, creating value, and laughter; a forum for us to use our meager abilities to make the world of specinvestments a better place. |
Write to us at:
(address is not clickable)
Andrew Moe
11/19/04
Wildfires
Almost a year ago today, San Diego suffered through the worst wildfires to hit the state in over 30 years. The Cedar fire alone charred over 100,000 acres and burned out hundreds of homes. Armed with my trusty digital camera, I took a ride out to one of the hardest hit areas to see what could be seen.
The canyons of Southern California are typically filled with thick, dense, low growing brush. As we have an extremely dry climate, these are hardy plants that can survive many months without water. They have also evolved the ability to recoup after wildfires. Here are some of the survival strategies I observed.
1. Deep roots allow most types of plants to grow again in the same spot. I was amazed at the number of new plants growing directly at the base of the charred remains of the old plant. Clearly, they are new growth from the same root system.
2. The native trees seem as though they have allowed an outer layer of bark to burn, but have preserved the inner fibers necessary for survival. New growth is robust, especially around the base of the trunk, perhaps to shield the new bark from vines, pests, etc.
3. Seeds that were either well underground or spread from other areas have almost no competition. In areas that were laid completely bare by the fire, small clover type ground cover and grasses have moved in quickly.
Wildfires are currently blazing throughout the pharmaceutical industry. Those who survive will emerge in fertile conditions with lessened competition for natural resources. Who have roots deep enough to survive? Who will move in to take advantage of the burned out spaces?
11/18/04 Kim Zussman adds: I Have witnessed similar aftermath of many So. Cal. brushfires, one which came very close to home in '92 (Greenmeadow fire, Thousand Oaks). Although I did not quantify the change, one could see in the years following the burn that the mix of revitalized flora was different than before. This pattern is still noticeable 12 years later. Perhaps long periods of easy growth relaxes selection for hardiness, and the landscape becomes choked with weak and inadaptable plants. These fires, which have (even without modern arsonists) occurred naturally for thousands of years, in effect cull the fragile and reward the strong and their seeds with passage to the future.
11/18/04 Jeff Sasmor on Wildfires I used to live in San Diego until about 8 years ago. Every year we'd get one of two brushfire prognoses:
1. There wasn't much rain so the brush was very dry. Very high danger for fires.
2. There was a lot of rain, therefore a lot of brush growth. Very high danger for fires.
Had large fires come near to my house on 2 or 3 occasions. Unnerving. Helpless. Exciting?