How some wildlife can benefit from wildfires and their aftermath, according to environmentalists

Although massive wildfires can cause disruption and danger to both wildlife and humans, environmentalists in B.C. note these wildfires can also bring benefits to certain species.

According to Jesse Zeman, executive director of the B.C. Wildlife Federation, burned forest trees release nutrients into the soil, and the absence of canopy barriers allows for increased sunlight.

These factors, he says, contribute to the regeneration of the soil, making it suitable for the growth of new plants and berries, which serve as essential food sources for moose, grizzly bears, elk, mule deer and sheep.

"We'll see species like sheep or deer move into these burns after the first rain because there's a bunch of really fresh shoots that have a lot of digestible energy and high protein content," Zeman told host Carolina de Ryk on CBC's Daybreak North.

Dave Quinn, a program co-ordinator for the conservation advocacy group Wildsight, based in Kimberley, B.C., says if the fire burns the appropriate type of soil under favourable conditions, it can lead to the growth of a diverse range of deciduous trees and shrubs, which can then serve as an abundant source of food for wildlife.

"Those are just all-you-can-eat salad bars," Quinn said. "You can get these huckleberry patches that show up, and they can persist 80 to 100 years in the same area — and those are incredible for bears, moose, birds and all kinds of things."

Zeman adds that fallen trees in the burned areas also offer protection for long-legged species, like moose, from predators. 

"They're able to navigate that landscape really well, and some of their predators, like wolves, can really struggle if there's a lot of trees on the ground."

Canada has been grappling with numerous wildfires this summer, including the Donnie Creek fire, the second-largest recorded wildfire in B.C.'s history. 

While the impact on wildlife is yet to be assessed by the provincial government, the Ministry of Forests notes that fires historically provide opportunities for regrowth of trees and soil regeneration.

"In the long-term, large wildfires have been demonstrated to be beneficial to most wildlife species through increased and better quality forage production, because forage begins to regrow shortly after fire event and become more abundant in future years," the ministry said in an emailed statement to CBC.

The province notes that the negative impact of wildfires on wildlife, such as the loss of forage and security covers, is historically temporary.

However, Quinn raises concerns about the vulnerability of caribou, as it may take centuries for their habitats to return to their pre-fire states. 

Caribou have a preference for mature and old-growth forests as their habitats, according to the province, and the loss of these habitats and wolf predation are driving them close to extinction. There are currently only 1,500 caribou worldwide, with 98 per cent of them residing in British Columbia.