A wildfire in California’s Joshua Tree National Park burned through some 29 hectares (72 acres) of land during the recent federal government shutdown in October and November. That’s a small fire by California standards, but firefighters estimate it scorched roughly 1,000 of the park’s iconic Joshua trees, according to The Los Angeles Times.
The burned area was considered one of the most climate-resilient refuges for the trees as the region grows hotter and drier amid climate change.
Joshua trees (Yucca brevifolia) provide critical food and shelter for wildlife species in the Mojave Desert ecosystem. The trees are listed as least concern on the IUCN Red List and currently have no federal protection outside the park. But they’re increasingly threatened by habitat loss and the effects of climate change.
Adult trees are relatively drought-tolerant but scientists are concerned about young trees, which are more sensitive to drought, heat and predation. Adding to their vulnerability, Joshua trees can take up to 70 years to reach sexual maturity and depend on a single pollinator, the yucca moth (Tegeticula synthetica), which is also stressed by climate change.
The recent fire took place near the park’s Black Rock Campground, “the location of some of the most robust and healthy Joshua tree forests in Joshua Tree National Park,” Mark Butler, a former superintendent of Joshua Tree National Park, told Mongabay in a video call. The area sits at a higher, cooler elevation and was considered the climate-resilient Joshua tree habitat in the park.
Since 1895, precipitation has fallen in the park by nearly 40% while temperatures have increased by an average of roughly 2° Celsius (3.6° Fahrenheit), according to the National Park Service.
“So, Joshua trees have got this double impact,” Butler said. “They’re being affected chronically by the long-term effects of a changing climate and then acutely by things like wildfire that can take out significant numbers of trees in a very short amount of time.”
Invasive grasses have also worsened wildfire risk. Historically, the arid landscape lacked fuel to spread fires, but grasses now sprawl across the land, often right to the base of trees, creating a pathway for flames to spread.
Experts estimate that as many as 30% of the Joshua trees damaged in the recent fire may survive and regrow from the roots. However, most trees won’t survive without active intervention, a growing challenge as National Park budgets and resources have been slashed in the second Trump administration, Butler said.
“Without some changes to how we manage and protect the Joshua tree, we can reasonably say that its days might be numbered. I think that we need to decide as a society if we are going to take the steps to preserve this tree for the enjoyment of future generations,” Butler said.
Banner image: A Joshua tree in California’s Joshua Tree National Park. Courtesy of Michael Faist, National Park Service.
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