Much of Big Cypress National Preserve in south Florida is swampland. And like most areas with native vegetation it evolved with fire as a major component of the ecosystem.
Today the Preserve released a new film, “Fire Swamp,” that explains the relationship. Here is how they describe it:
‘Fire Swamp’ reveals the untold story of how fire burns in a swamp. Get a front row seat to fire flowing through our interwoven ecosystem of high and dry pinelands to cypress swamps with two National Park Service professionals who manage this dynamic ecosystem. Down here in the Big Cypress, the borders between fire, water, people, limestone, plants, and animals creates an exquisite mosaic of beauty.
Jen Brown, and recently with Rick Anderson, has been making films about fire in South Florida since at least 2012. Their company, IntoNatureFilms, has helped the land management agencies in the area interpret for the general public the value of public lands and inform them about how they are managed. More agencies around the country could learn from this approach.
Fire Swamp…?
What about the R.O.U.S.s?
Having evolved in the fire swamp, R.O.U.S.s have many mechanisms to deal with fire. For instance, when a fire approaches their den, they employ a backfiring technique that involves gathering a mouth full of fine fuels, rubbing two sticks together with their front limbs and igniting the available fuels around their den entrance.