36 



NATURALIST'S GUIDE TO THE AMERICAS 



face stratum will be affected in propor- 

 tion as this stratum is involved, while 

 those that hide beneath the trash which 

 litters the ground are almost sure to be 

 destroyed. In less severe fires, how- 

 ever, many species and numerous in- 

 dividuals escape by being hidden within 

 and beneath fallen logs, where neither 

 the flames, the heat, nor the poisonous 

 gases generated in the fire reaches them. 

 In the case of surface fires these three 

 agencies (heat, etc.) destroy many forms 

 in the forest canopy above but also 

 spare many, especially if these are pro- 

 tected by being in the crevices of the 

 bark, beneath it, or in cavities within 

 the trees. 



Fires also affect animal life by remov- 

 ing the cover behind which they find 

 concealment, by destroying their nests 

 and young, or the animals themselves 

 in early stages of development, and by 

 eliminating their food supply. At the 

 same time a limited number of forms 

 that live upon dead organic matter may 

 find their opportunity in the half- 

 destroyed remains of animals killed by 

 the fire. 



Succession operates among animals, 

 as among plants, and corresponding 

 invasion occurs. The succession is very 

 short in the case of grassland, where the 

 original conditions are more speedily 

 restored, but in the case of woodland 

 the succession is more extended and 

 occurs by several stages. First, in 

 forest regions, animals of open ground 

 may invade the burned area, later those 

 resorting to thickets find congenial sur- 

 roundings, and last the forest forms 

 themselves return. Here again, how- 

 ever, certain of the original species may 

 have disappeared never to return. For 

 a short time after a forest fire a fauna 

 flourishes, the existence of which is due 

 to the presence of dead standing timber. 

 This includes wood-boring insects and 

 the predaceous forms which prey upon 

 them. Woodpeckers find now both food 

 and nesting places in the dead trees, 

 while raptorial birds find the devastated 

 area a favorable hunting ground. 



Not only is animal succession after a 



fire dependent upon plant succession, 

 but in certain respects the latter is 

 affected by the former. For instance 

 forest-dwelling mammals such as squir- 

 rels, and also certain woodland birds, 

 which feed upon the seeds of coniferous 

 trees, being excluded, the cones within 

 the area which have escaped destruction 

 may open and reproduction begin by 

 means of the seeds which they have 

 enclosed and protected, whereas in the 

 undisturbed forest these would have 

 been found opened, and the seeds eaten 

 by the animals. In other cases seeds 

 buried by rodents are the only ones 

 left. 



To one interested in the conservation 

 of wild life, forest and prairie fires are 

 sources of profound regret, not alone 

 because of the destruction of life, but 

 also because of the fact that the areas 

 burned over are rendered incapable for 

 some time of supporting an abundant 

 and varied fauna and flora. To the 

 ecologist fires mean the destruction of 

 the evidence upon which may be based 

 conclusions as to the history of the past 

 succession of both plant and animal 

 life, and the creation of new conditions, 

 which, though they present many in- 

 teresting problems, do not yield data of 

 general or fundamental value in the 

 determination of the principles of 

 ecology. 



Fires due to natural causes are un- 

 avoidable and unpreventable but these 

 may be limited by constant watchfulness 

 especially on the part of fire wardens. 

 Those which are incendiary can only be 

 reduced in number by the faithful co- 

 operation of all the members of a com- 

 munity in the detection and bringing 

 to punishment of the persons responsible 

 for them. Those due to carelessness, 

 which constitute by far the largest 

 number, can be avoided in the degree 

 to which the public generally is aroused 

 to a realization of the damage resulting 

 from fires and educated to the need of 

 legislation and of care on the part of 

 every individual. 



It is absolutely essential, if bird and 

 game refuges and all tracts set aside for 



