. Coast watch. Marine resources; Oceanography; Coastal zone management; Coastal ecology. T Aho JLhousands of years ago, lightning- spawned fires raged regularly along North Carolina's coastal plains, devouring hundreds of square miles. Yet in their wake, bounty followed. Orchids bloomed. Nature was reborn. Lightning was the bearer of good. Rather than devastate the landscape, the fires lit from the heavens consumed the underbrush, allowing seeds to germinate. As a result, whole generations of plants adapted to life under fire and came to depend upon it. The patchy nature of the blazes often al
. Coast watch. Marine resources; Oceanography; Coastal zone management; Coastal ecology. T Aho JLhousands of years ago, lightning- spawned fires raged regularly along North Carolina's coastal plains, devouring hundreds of square miles. Yet in their wake, bounty followed. Orchids bloomed. Nature was reborn. Lightning was the bearer of good. Rather than devastate the landscape, the fires lit from the heavens consumed the underbrush, allowing seeds to germinate. As a result, whole generations of plants adapted to life under fire and came to depend upon it. The patchy nature of the blazes often allowed animals to escape. By Odile Fredericks "The entire coastal plain portion of North Carolina is one that has evolved through time and been affected by fire, and those fires - at least prior to humans - were ignited by lightning," says Tom Wentworth, a North Carolina State University botany professor. "They were spectacular fires - not in the sense that they were They were light, fast-moving fires that just consumed surface materials and typically did not get up into the crown (of a tree)." As old as time, lightning seems to have had a predilection for North Carolina, feasting on some inhabitants while giving life to others. Lightning is more apt to strike the southeastern United States, according to a 1991 study by Texas A&M University. Most of North Carolina received between three and five flashes of cloud-to-ground lightning per square kilometer that year, while a small part of the southeastern comer of the state was struck between five and seven times. Central Florida experi- enced the most intense concentration nationally, with nine to 13 flashes per square kilometer. Continued COASTWATCH 11. Please note that these images are extracted from scanned page images that may have been digitally enhanced for readability - coloration and appearance of these illustrations may not perfectly resemble the original UNC Sea Grant College
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookcollectionunclibra, booksubjectoceanography
