Canada

For decades, forestry companies in B.C. have used chemical herbicides like glyphosate to kill off plants that might compete with trees destined for timber. Trembling aspen, named for its almost heart-shaped leaves that seem to quiver in the wind, is often on the hit list.

But after years of destructive wildfires that have wiped out whole neighbourhoods and sometimes whole towns, more and more people are questioning the wisdom of killing off this tree. Because when wildfires sweep across the landscape, aspen can help calm the flames.

In B.C. aspen is found sprinkled along the mighty rivers that wind through the southwest, in patches across the southern Interior and in groves that mark the transition from prairie to boreal forest. Wherever the trees grow, they’re important. Beavers prefer aspen trunks and twigs to build their dams. Birds nest in their cavities. Moose, deer and black bears eat their leaves.

And in the summer, when aspens are lush and green, they act like a sponge, holding moisture from the forest floor in their bark and leaves. Conifers, by contrast, are drier, and their needles are packed full of flammable resin. Where conifers spur on fire, aspens can slow it down.