Explain how wildfires help restore soil nutrients to forest ecosystems
Question:
What is a good thing that fires can do for ecosystems?
Answer:
Wildfires break down organic matter faster than decomposition does, so nutrients are returned to the soil faster. Fire gets rid of low-growing brush, cleans up the forest floor, lets in more light, and feeds the soil. When there is less competition for nutrients, the trees that are already there can grow stronger and healthier. When wildfires happen, they change the soil in a big way. All of the plants and other organic matter on the surface of the soil are burned away by the heat of the fire. This makes some nutrients more available to the soil and changes others into gases that are lost (chiefly nitrogen).
