Major forest fire Doi Suthep, Chiang Mai

[chiangmaiexpat]

Stimulate mushroom growth? That's a myth: it actually has the opposite effect. Indeed burning the forest floor over the years has destroyed hundreds of different species (not just mushrooms!) that have been unable to fight back.

The ash contains large amounts of potassium which is an essential plant nutrient and therefore acts as a fertilizer. The huge amounts of ash, however, make the soil become acid. Only a few plants can grow in such acid soil, but mushrooms are not as affected as other plants. Their spores stay under the soil which is why they survive the fires. And because much of the floor-covering plants have been eliminated, they can grow and spread without having to compete with other plants. There is only a short period of time between the fires and the "hed thob" harvest. Three to five weeks, depending on the rain. It's predictable like clockwork every year. As a mountain biker, this is the only time of the year when I meet large groups of villagers in remote forest locations. They come with their baskets on their backs. A full basket of hed thob makes them several thousand Baht. If they know where to find them, they can pick a month's salary in a single day. Many foragers make several ten thousand Baht or even a hundred thousand Baht during the short season. That's a lot of money for them.

The hed thob mushroom is not the only reason for the burning though. The foragers also burn the undergrowth to make the forest accessible to them throughout the rest of the year. They hunt and collect all kinds of things, such as edible plants, ant's eggs, bird's eggs, honey, and small game. If you have ever tried to walk through a dense patch of Thai jungle, it is clear why this is also a big reason. Moving through thickets is exhausting, slow, and somewhat dangerous, 1-2 kp/h tops with a good machete. As mentioned before, the Doi Suthep area is special and it is protected for a reason. If you compare Doi Suthep with other forests around Chiang Mai, the difference is quite stark. Many other forests, such as the Khuntan range, the Mae Taeng area, the Doi Saket area, the Maejo area have very poor soils that has suffered years of erosion and agricultural abuse. Not much grows there. These areas have been reforested in recent years and are currently dominated by very few plant species. They are somewhat boring to walk or bike through, because they all look the same. Doi Suthep / Doi Pui on the other hand, is quite different. Or at least, it used to be. Three different vegetation zones, each one with its own plants, flowers, and animals. Dozens of waterfalls, small streams, beautiful shady valleys, rocky precipices, lychee orchards, giant dipterocarpus and white figs, bamboo thickets, it's all there.

Go out and have a look while you still can. If things keep going at the current rate, its destruction is imminent. I am signing off.

Cheers, CM-Expat

[bangon04]

Massive Chiang Mai Fire Likely Caused by Humans

at least they are not blaming the pesky "Aliens" for this too....