redwoods and fire
... the ability to get inside and burn the flammable part of the tree. Chemicals called tannins are on the bark to deter insects and other animals. If the fire is very hot, the fluids inside the tree might explode which would also let the fire in. When it comes to dependency, redwoods rely on fire for a variety of things. Firstly, fire enriches the soil for the redwoods. As it spreads through the forest, other plants and debris are burned and therefore nutrients become available to encourage growth from the redwood seeds. The ash left by the fire contains a high concentration of minerals and nutrients, which are exposed by the rain. Fire clears the forest of smaller trees and underbrush. Without their removal, there is a lack of nutrients for the redwoods, since the smaller trees take the nutrients out of the soil around the redwoods. The redwoods grow four to five times faster after the fire cleans the forest floor. Also, the redwood seeds, which were previously killed by fungus before sprouting, finally have a chance and the space to grow after a fire. The intense heat from the fire causes the seeds to pop open and fall to the ground to easily sprout. In addition to creating space, destroying competition, and assisting the seeds, fire also causes redwoods to sprout new trunks from the tissue in the burl (root collars). Burl is the bud tissue that is dormant until damage occurs on the parent tree. After the damage, the burl tissue begins growing. Burls are all over the tree, not only at the base, helping redwoods to grow two trunks if dama...