A Single Fire Killed At Least 10% Of The World's Giant Sequoias, Study Says : NPR - 2 views
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At least a tenth of the world's mature giant sequoia trees were destroyed by a single California wildfire that tore through the southern Sierra Nevada last year,
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a copy of the report that describes catastrophic destruction from the Castle Fire, which charred 273 square miles (707 square km) of timber in Sequoia National Park.
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Researchers used satellite imagery and modeling from previous fires to determine that between 7,500 and 10,000 of the towering species perished in the fire. That equates to 10% to 14% of the world's mature giant sequoia population, the newspaper said.
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The consequences of losing large numbers of giant sequoias could be felt for decades, forest managers said.
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Redwood and sequoia forests are among the world's most efficient at removing and storing carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.
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"I have a vain hope that once we get out on the ground the situation won't be as bad, but that's hope — that's not science," she said.
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The newspaper said the extent of the damage to one of the world's most treasured trees is noteworthy because the sequoias themselves are incredibly well adapted to fire.
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The old-growth trees — some of which are more than 2,000 years old and 250 feet (76 meters) tall — require fire to burst their pine cones and reproduce.
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Brigham estimates that the park will need to burn around 30 times that number to get the forest back to a healthy state.