"Six months after a bushfire destroyed 6200ha of Wilsons Promontory National Park, new life is rising from the ashes.
Flowers rarely seen since the last big fire more than 50 years ago are starting to bloom. "Orchids the red beaks orchid [Pyrorchis nigricans] lizard orchid [Burnettia cuneata] and hare orchid [Leporella fimbriata] ... are starting to flower," Parks Victoria ranger Graeme Baxter says." "A fire comes through creating a bed of ash and seeds then drop into the ash, which is a bit like a fertiliser," Baxter says. "Normally when you have a canopy of forest there's not much light and there's competition from existing trees. But these seeds can germinate and grow without such drawbacks," he says. The fire, which started from a controlled burn-off that got out of hand and raged for several days... tourists who choose not to see the burnt-out Prom may be missing something very special... the rebirth of a forest is a unique event." source, photos (Wilsons Promontory .... view of Mt Oberon from Tidal River, bushfire at Oberon Bay in April 2005; forest and vegetation regrowth after the bushires.) and complete news item : http://escape.news.com.au/story/0,9142,17622701-27978,00.html?from=rss ************** Regards, VB _______________________________________________ the OrchidGuide Digest (OGD) [email protected] http://orchidguide.com/mailman/listinfo/orchids_orchidguide.com
