Despite the devastation and the hardships that both forest owners and residents endure after a fire, the forest is not long in coming. Already after a few weeks, you can see signs of a return of life when shoots from blueberry and lingonberry rice stick out of the ground.
The small shoots are the result of roots that survived the fire below the earth's surface. Soon after, other plants and mosses take over, which have adapted to the ash-covered and nutrient-poor soil.
Requires fire to germinate
Among these adaptable pioneer plants we find, among other things, the fire and slash and burn fist. These plants have a unique property – they require fire in order to germinate. Their seeds have adapted to survive for long periods of time and patiently await the next fire.
"A year after a fire, you can find these real fire specialists, whose seeds require heating to germinate. They can lie in wait for a fire for 50-100 years, sometimes even longer," says Joachim Strengbom, associate professor of ecology.
Come along to Varglyan Nature Reserve just outside Eskilstuna where Joachim Strengbom shares more unexpected milestones on the forest's road to recovery.