The fire is burning through and threatening groves of Joshua trees – the branching, spiky plants of the Mojave Desert that can live more than 150 years.
Some of the trees have already fallen victim to the flames and burned, Marc Peebles, a spokesperson for California’s incident management team for the fire, confirmed to CNN on Wednesday.
The Mojave National Preserve is a significant hotspot for biodiversity, with one conservationist calling it the “crown jewel” of the deserts of Southern California. Joshua trees only grow, and one of the densest Joshua tree forests is within the burn area, Cody Hanford, executive director of the Mojave Desert Land Trust, told CNN.
“We’re looking at sad outcomes for potentially millions of Joshua trees,” Hanford said. “The fire is dramatically affecting the vegetation landscape.” It’s unclear exactly how many Joshua trees and other plant and animal life had been lost to the blaze, a Mojave Preserve spokesperson said. Preserve rangers will conduct surveys by air and ground once the fire is extinguished to determine the full scope of the damage.
Argentina Últimas Noticias, Argentina Titulares
Similar News:También puedes leer noticias similares a ésta que hemos recopilado de otras fuentes de noticias.
Iconic Joshua trees burned by massive wildfire spreading across Mojave DesertA massive fire burning through the desert in California and southern Nevada has scorched tens of thousands of acres in a biodiverse national preserve and torched its iconic Joshua trees.
Leer más »
Iconic Joshua trees burned by massive York Fire in Mojave DesertThe York Fire – already California’s largest fire of the year – has burned more than 82,000 acres.
Leer más »
Crews are battling 'fire whirls' as York Fire rages in Mojave DesertCrews battled 'fire whirls' in the Mojave National Preserve as a massive wildfire crossed into Nevada amid dangerously high temperatures and raging winds.
Leer más »
'Fire tornadoes' erupt in York Fire in Mojave DesertThe York Fire has burned more than 80,000 acres near the California-Nevada border, with crews battling multiple fire whirls.
Leer más »
Progress made against massive California-Nevada wildfire but flames may burn iconic Joshua treesFirefighters aided by rain have made progress fighting a massive blaze that swept through the California desert into Nevada and could threaten the region’s famous spiky Joshua trees
Leer más »
Massive California-Nevada wildfire may burn iconic Joshua treesIt could take the pinyon-juniper woodlands in the area roughly 200 to 300 years to return, while the blackbrush scrub and Joshua trees are unlikely to regrow after this catastrophic blaze, according to one scientist.
Leer más »