Finding multiple and different resilience strategies in a field in Montana.
Lodgepole Pines seeds are stored in cones that are designed to open/drop at 240 degrees (high temp). The serotinous cones of the Lodgepole Pine (Pinus contorta) are sealed with a resin that a fire melts away, releasing the seed. This heat causes the fire-activated seeds to germinate and the young plants can then capitalize on the lack of competition in a burnt landscape
Ponderosa Pines often survive through the use of numerous protective layers that can be sacrificed when needed.
Quaking Aspen commonly deal with fires through acceptance and regrowth
The Quaking Aspen (Populus tremuloides) is an example of a tree that propagates using a rhizome. Aspen clonal colonies in the American West, such as the large Pando colony in Utah, may have been living for over 1 million years. The rhizome of an aspen colony is the key to its longevity. Foragers, insects, fungus, and forest fires may destroy the above-ground portion of the tree, but the underground rhizome is somewhat protected against these threats.
