Big Pine Key Out of Control Prescribed Burn

Short movie filmed 31 days after the burn on Big Pine Key near Blue Hole. Before this was filmed, it had rained 5 inches.

Category:

Education

Tags:

• Fire
• Out
• Burn
• Control
• Mind

[BigPineacutus]

@firehappensdude, The Lower Keys pine rockland that HAS NOT BURNED IN 40 YEARS shows Chamaecrista lineata growing in abundance in a sunny opening. There are other endangered plants, Evovulus, Chamaesyce, and Catessbaea here too! They are thriving because no one has destroyed the pine rocklands, their habitat.

Fire happens, BUT NOT VERY FREQUENTLY!  Nature works well, man does not do such a good job.

[BigPineacutus]

@firehappensdude, It does show the end of a mature Lower Keys pine rockland. There is over 90% mortality of slash pines, many are 100 years old. There is not enough time to regrow a forest with this structure again. There are few trees to produce seed. Even fire resistant, Thrinax palms have suffered substantial mortality.

Where is the grass, resprouting blackbead, locustberry, buttonwood, that should be present after 31 days and 5+ inches of rain. There is little regrowth. THIS IS NOT NATURAL.

[firehappensdude]

Interesting video, but it doesn't show the end of the ecosystem here. What you are showing 1 mo post-fire is NATURAL. Lush healthier regrowth will occur in a matter of months.The endangered species shown (chamaecrista lineata, aka cassia keyensus) DEPENDS UPON FIRE to create sunny openings in its habitat; after a fire, more light and less competition helps it thrive.