The mediterranean cypress and forest fires.
by Chris, 7 October, 2016, 1 comments
According the United Nations FAO, some two million hectares of forest were burnt in the Mediterranean region, between 2006 and 2010. Most of these fires were 'human induced'; they (the fires) are the most frequent cause of degradation / loss of forest / woodland in this region. In 2012, a fire swept through some 20,000 hectares of forest near Andilla (Valencia). After the fire, it was found that though oaks, holm oaks, pines and junipers had been completely burnt, the vast majority (98% +) of the Mediterranean Cypresses were still standing, tall and green. There followed a three year study of the fire resilience of the Mediterranean Cypress (Cupressus sempervirens var horizontalis) to see if stands of these trees might function as buffer zones to hinder or prevent the spread of forest fires. Read more...
