Regeneration of Forest and Barrens after the Spryfield Fire

Abstract

This set of annotated photos illustrates the regeneration of vegetation over 16 months after an intense fire that swept through forest and barrens in the vicinity of Spryfield, Nova Scotia on April 30/May 1 of 2009. The fire destroyed twelve homes. The materials were prepared by Richard Beazley and David Patriquin for a talk given at a meeting of the Halifax Field Naturalists (HFN) on September 2, 2010. The text, with a few modifications to suit this format is taken from their report for the Halifax Field Naturalist (HFN's quarterly newsletter). Richard, an outdoor and photography enthusiast, begins the presentation by providing a travelogue-like overview of the landscapes and views of some individual plant species as they began to regenerate after the fire. In turn, David, a retired biologist, examines the mechanisms by which plants regenerate after a fire and discusses some of the implications of living adjacent to or in fire-prone landscapes.