Chronosequence: The Story So Far

Change is inexorable and takes many forms fast and slow. The skeletal structure of the forest was abruptly revealed by the fire, as the fire turned the forest’s typically rich green and brown color palette to black. The stark beauty lasted several months before a gradual succession of colors began returning to the forest. Many plants sprouted from legacies of the pre-fire ecosystem hidden in the soil and under protective bark, returning green to the forest.Seeds of pioneer species arrived on the wind, germinated and grew vigorously. Specialized species of fungi, moss, and herbs, notably fireweed, are adapted to rapidly occupy the landscape, holding soil and nutrients in place, adding organic matter, and leading the way for the future forest. 

The forest expresses resilience in various ways. There is continuity in the forest, despite fire and other types of disturbances. Surprisingly, more than 95% of the carbon remains on site in the forms of root systems, tree trunks and canopies. Dead wood legacies of forests from centuries past have persisted. The abundance of fire-killed organic matter will decompose over coming decades and centuries, slowly releasing carbon into the soil and the atmosphere. The vast majority of nutrients are retained on the site, ready to nurture the next forest.

But signs of the uncertain future are appearing quickly – climate change, invasive species, and continued intensive industrial logging. Operating independently and interactively, these forces can reduce the resilient capacity of the forest. Will changing environmental conditions, especially increased fire frequency and severity caused by climate change, permit forests as we’ve known them to return? These sources of uncertainty are all consequences of human intervention. That’s a hopeful sign, because we can do something about them. 

This chronosequence project has been a rather dispassionate account of how a forest changes following fire. However, working in the fire zone has been a deeply moving experience, prompted by frequent reminders of loss of forests, homes, livelihoods, and lives. A burned forest challenges us to dial our emotions to a fruitful place between grief and hope to motivate actions for environmental stewardship in a dramatically changing world. Hope gives direction and energy to go forward. Telling these stories through photographs and field observations provides an opportunity for everyone to find their own stories in the landscape.