Enigma of the trees that resist wildfires

Human-induced fires represent one of the most frequent causes of forest degradation in the Mediterranean region.

Bernabé Moya, José Moya and Gianni della Rocca, a Marie Curie Fellow, have found that the Mediterranean cypress could help combat wildfires.

"Mediterranean cypress, because of the particular structure of its leaves, is able to maintain a high water content even in situations of extreme heat and drought, and this is a very favourable starting point concerning fire risk," says Della Rocca.

Could the Mediterranean cypress be useful in other parts of the world, like California or the Patagonia in Chile and Argentina?

Get the answer thanks by reading the integral version of the article published on the BBC News website!