The Seeds That Only Open in Fire

In the longleaf pine forests of the American Southeast, something remarkable happens after a prescribed burn. Park rangers at Eglin Air Force Base in Florida deliberately set fire to thousands of acres each year, and what looks like destruction is actually the beginning of renewal. The intense heat cracks open seed cones that have remained sealed for years. Wiregrass, dormant beneath layers of dead needles, sends up bright green shoots within days.…