This series of photographs provide a graphic demonstration of the fire risk caused by invasive alien infestation.
Things to notice in the photograph above, taken in 2010: In the top right hand corner stands of spider gum. Below the stand of gums, going down the slopes towards the road -recovering fynbos vegetation growing in patches in areas cleared in 2008/9. In the middle of the picture on the slopes to the right of the Blue Gums dwellings – stacks of biomass that had been cut down in 2009 but not yet cleared through controlled burning.
The same photograph taken this week – one month after the fire. The invasive stands of spider gum that were in the top right hand corner are now gone: consumed by the flames. Below the burnt patch going to the road, the fynbos vegetation, now more mature, has acted as a fire break, and is virtually untouched by the fire. In the middle of the picture on the slopes to the right of the Blue Gums dwellings – the stacks of biomass have been burned during the winter of 2011 and the fynbos is returning.
In this photo above (2005) : at the top on the higher slopes of the mountain see mature stands of fynbos – over 20 years old and overdue for a burn. Then see again the spider gum stands in the middle of the photo, with cleared land below, showing new fynbos beginning to emerge.
After the fire: the old fynbos on the upper slopes have burnt down. The stands of invasive trees are almost completely gone. The rejuvenated fynbos around the house (where invasives were cleared over successive years from 2001 to 2011.
And in my last post I promised a photograph of post-fire picture of BlueGumsFree taken from the road.
bluegumsfree 