Look
closely at this trunk of a giant sequoia. Do you see where there
is some fire damage? The tree survived the fire, and is healthy
and strong. Its bark helps it to resist fire because it is so
thick and does not burn easily. Botanists say that giant sequoia
trees are 'fire
resistant.'
Now
look at the trunk of this tree. It has also lived through a fire,
but if you look closely you will notice that the bark is starting
to grow over the fire scar. This tree is in the process of healing.
Even though giant sequoias are resistant to fire, the trunks will
still burn a little bit if the fire is hot enough.
Do you remember which part of the tree helps the sequoia
be fire resistant? That's right - it's the bark. What do you suppose
might happen if the bark is taken off the tree? Click on these
two photos to look at this tree up close, then tell what you think.
Are they still alive?
This tree is named the 'Mother of the Forest.' Many years ago, people stripped the bark from this tree. Without its bark, the tree soon died because its natural fire protection was gone. You can still see the burn marks from the fire in 1908 that killed the Mother of the Forest.
