Endemic flora extinction by wildfires?
My arguments and, devastating fires seen almost yearly over 2 decades may proove it.

Endemic flora as well as fauna has resistance to an incredible extent.

However, during the recent wildfires in Tenerife many were extremely worried. Even, experts said that irrevocable damage to the environment might have been caused by the fires.

Great varieties of indigenous plants which is the better known expression for endemic flora or, endemic plants occur due to geological and, climatic differences.

An unbelievably large amount of them have become fire resistant over times that we, often, only may guess.

The plants themselves have created their own immunities against wildfires. They have become resistant. Some have changed over periods of thousands of years or, more.

What is striking is that the smaller a species, be it fauna or flora, the better its chances of survival. Just look at the cockroach or even at the ant.. And what about the most common weeds? The human species must be the big exception despite its size. It is a fact that man has changed and evolved tremendously.

Evolution and, adaptability are like trump cards all nature has been provided with in the cradle of its creation.

The tajinaste is an endemic flora
found at 1400 meters of altitude in Cañadas del Teide, Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain.

The tajinaste needs environment created by volcanic eruptions.

Geographically, this indigenous plant of the echineum family grows on an island in the Atlantic.

Another variety is the blue tajinaste. In my page Tenerife which you may also find in the Index you may see a whole valley in the Cañadas, lit up with fully flowering tajinastes.

Here, you may go to my page Tenerife where you may admire more Tajinastes.

Endemic flora and, fauna will have to fight harder when geological conditions are changed.

It's true that wildfires may cause such change indirectly when landslides follow. But a lot of soil needs shifting and, changing.

The Canary pine will therefor not perish. The Canary Island pines are part of endemic flora. Only what is very weak is going to be wiped out for good.

Oh, tourists like the lovely French girls in this photo would not be so happy if the pines were not there.

If they needed to regrow or, to recover I mean. Here we see them in the Mercedes forest in Tenerife.

That forest was not harmed by fires, recently, by the way.

However, indigenous plants may become extinct when dug up by humans.

Endemic flora may also be destroyed by animals to a certain extent.

Here is an interesting article by the New York Times about indigenous fighting immigrant plants in Tenerife.

They may surely become extinct by chemicals.

But, they may never be destroyed by wildfires such as the wildfires in Tenerife. The fires caused great havoc in some of its forests to Canary pines and, the small flora below.

Indigenous flora will change or, perish due to longtime deprivation of minerals.

They will also get wiped out by extremely long times of drought.

But, endemic flora will always recover after fires, provided that roots and, bulbs are located deep enough in the ground.

Endemic flora will normally not survive when taken away from its natural habitat.

Landslides mean, therefore, one significant threat.

I have seen fire resistance of endemic plants over a period of 17 years.
My property border was threatened by wildfires almost at the end of every dry season.

A dry season meant a period of at least 4 months. It could certainly last longer.

You may see a fire scorched endemic tree stem on the right. Believe me that its leaves always sprout again.

You may also notice the natural creme colored stones.

That's where scorpions and, other creepy crawlies may hide. Once, I tried to dig up something very small and, indigenous. I hit a hornets' nest. Normally, they don't go underground.

That photo is from a postcard. It shows the nature reserve well after the rains. Flowering only happens at the start.

The few indigenous trees always looked totally scorched after fires.

My wild property in the Valley of the 1000 hills had an area of 5000 square meters. There were no fences in between neighboring grounds. The nature reserve stretched over the slopes of a 6 km long ridge.

Hundreds of different species of South African endemic flora were burned by wildfires on a regular basis. This included indigenous trees, low bushes, herbs, reeds, some weeds, flowers (most of them bulbous) as well as the millenniums old queen ferns that grew in a small valley on my grounds.

In the picture you may make out a green spot by an equally green tree. All is fed by a tiny natural fountain.

That's were queen ferns grow while the rest of the land turns dry, and yellow. Only, by the end of the dry season the ferns turn brown.

The wildfires with flames as high as the ones seen now in Tenerife were
shaving off all small plants like razor blades, right down to ground level.

Strong, hot winds were always the fires' companions.

Later, when the rains came, everything sprouted back so quickly. It, definitively, seemed like a miracle of nature.

The black ash covered land, lightened by small granite like boulders transformed itself looking like born again. Everything turned into the most magic carpet of spring. Pastel colors with a deep blue or purple in between were its characteristics.

We took the miracle so much for granted.

You know, I always suspected that fires are needed for the rejuvenating of certain plant species.

And, what was the most surprising is that the population of lizards and, other creepy crawlies never looked extinct.
They most probably had learned where to hide to survive, long ago.

Here again, small creatures had better chances to find shelter.
The weaker ones might have been killed. That's the rule of nature.

. Perhaps, the University of la Laguna has a an indigenous nursery geared towards preservation and, study of endemic plants for the Canary Islands. It would also help.

I am concerned, because my main Homepage is about holiday homes in Tenerife. The holiday home, however, is also a great concern for Tenerife with tourism being its main industry.

Many fincas in Tenerife known in English as farmsteads were harmed by fires in 2007. I don´t know if holiday havens were affected. They shouldn't. There are ways to protect property such as fincas or a holiday home from flames. It's actually much easier than what one would think it is. Here, you may learn from my 20 year track record...

Please, go hear about a treasure chest of indigenous plants and, marine life in the Teno mountain range of Tenerife/Canary Islands. The Teno is roughly 9 million years old.

You may also go to find out about Tenerife tours to Tajinaste country such as the home of the world's 3rd biggest volcano on the biggest of all Canary Islands. Here, are also detailed indications how to do Tenerife tours to the Canadas del Teide yourself.

All about Tenerife

Here, you may go back to HOMEPAGE...