A forested landscape can look like absolute death after a fire burns through it. But not for long, because life has a way of asserting itself in a hurry.
The places where the Slater fire burned in September 2020 provided a good example recently. The hills exploded into a "super bloom," with wildflowers of many types bursting from the soil. It's not because anyone scattered seeds, it's just a natural process.
Luke Ruediger from the Klamath Forest Alliance and retired Forest Service botanist Julie Kierstead documented the bloom in the middle of July. They join us to share the stories of this bloom, and what makes any such bloom happen.
Julie told us that this DOES happen on many fire burn scars, sometimes from seeds that have been in the dirt for decades, just waiting for more light.