Another tract of land that has burned in the relatively recent past as evidenced by the char on the tree trunks. Here, enough time has lapsed that saw palmetto in the understory has recovered to the point that it is dense but not overly dense. The plants and animals that live here have evolved in ways that enable them to survive low-intensity fires and even require periodic fires in order to thrive. Royal Palm Beach Pines is large enough that prescribed burns are possible without threatening nearby homes or businesses. In smaller, more urban preserves, managers resort to mechanical clear-cutting understory plants, taking care to protect rare or endangered species.
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