How Nature Returns to Land Destroyed by Fire
After this summer's large-scale wildfires in Europe, burned landscapes can take years to recover — in parts of the UK, land still looks almost lifeless years after a fire, Latvian Television reports.
This summer's extensive wildfires across Europe, driven by drought and heat, once again showed how quickly large natural areas can be destroyed by flame. But putting out the fire is only the first step in a much longer process.
According to Latvian Television, in some parts of the United Kingdom the ground still looks almost lifeless even several years after a wildfire. Full recovery of the ecosystem can take a long time.
The recovery process typically begins with plants, and only afterward do animals return to the area, since they depend on vegetation for habitat and food. This process can span years, and in some places the marks left by fire remain visible for a long time, underscoring how severe the consequences of large-scale wildfires can be.
