Statement on the March 8th Pine Barrens Fire

Staff and board members of the LIPBS toured the Dwarf Pine Plains on Tuesday to assess the impact of the recent fire that burned several hundred acres in eastern Brookhaven and western Southampton Towns.  Much of the blueberry and scrub oak understory was burned off and the dwarf pines were burned too. Interestingly, we saw hundreds of seeds fluttering in the air as the closed or serotinous cones of the dwarf pines opened up, due to the fire melting the resin that helps to keep the cones closed, and shed their seed. We will monitor the impacts of the fire in the weeks and months ahead to see how the vegetation and wildlife respond.