How long does it take for foliage to grow back on the volcano?
Jeff
Buckler
Hi Jeff,
You've asked a good question. The answer is that it depends on how
much rain falls in the particular area. For example, on the rainy side of the
island of Hawai'i, flows that are only 2 years old already have ferns and small
trees growing on them. Probably in 10 years they'll be covered by a low forest.
On the dry side of Hawai'i there are flows a couple hundred years old
with hardly a tuft of grass in sight. This means that when you are
looking at old lava flows and trying to determine how old they are based
on the amount of vegetation, you have to take the climate into effect as
well. Keep asking good questions.
Sincerely,
Scott Rowland, University of Hawaii
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