Wildfires burning on Lake Okeechobee’s exposed lake bed could end up helping drought-strained wildlife habitat.
While it may seem weird to see fire spreading across land usually covered by water, wildfires are a natural part of Florida’s ecosystem, Audubon of Florida scientist Paul Gray said Thursday.
Lingering low water levels dried out aquatic plants in the normally soggy marshes along the northwestern and southwestern portions of the lake.
The fire can burn away the dried up plants as well as invading ragweed, torpedo grass and other out-of-place plants that spread to the lake bed due to dry conditions, Gray said.
That helps clear the way when the...