Canary Island Pine Regrowth After Eruption
April 12, 2022
Photographer: Ana García Suárez
Summary Author: Ana García Suárez
This photo from January 29th, 2022 shows a Canary Island Pine (Pinus canariensis) that sprouted again a little more than a month after the end of the volcanic eruption on the island of La Palma. For kilometers around the volcano, forests are no longer green because of the emission of gases and acid rain. These acidic gases damage the photosystems of the trees, causing plant tissue chlorosis and necrosis. As is evident in the photo above, even after these severe eruption episodes involving noxious gases, acid rain, and ash, the vegetation is not dead. Slowly the landscape is growing back, including the Canary Island Pine that is particularly known to be able to sprout again after a fire. Nature takes its course and does not give up.