ASD Libraries: G06: Ecosystem Problems & Solutions: Temperate Forest & Fires

Problem

Temperate Forest Biome

Impact of forest fires

Wildfires and Climate Change
Climate change has been a key factor in increasing the risk and extent of wildfires in the Western United States. Wildfire risk depends on a number of factors, including temperature, soil moisture, and the presence of trees, shrubs, and other potential fuel.
A Drier Future Sets the Stage for More Wildfires
Droughts can create ideal conditions for wildfires. Lack of rain and low humidity dry out trees and vegetation, providing fuel. In these conditions, a spark from lightning, electrical failures, human error or planned fires can quickly get out of control.

WWF report: Increasing forest fires are a crisis for the planet
A crisis is taking place in forests, where the latest fire seasons have been raging with unprecedented ferocity, from the Amazon to the Arctic. In April 2020, the number of fire alerts across the globe were up by 13% compared to last year – which was already a record year for fires.
Increasing Wildfires
The frequency of large wildfires and the total area burned have been steadily increasing, especially in the Western United States. As the National Wildlife Federation reports, climate change is a major contributing factor dues to:
Climate change drove Australian wildfires to extremes
Devastating wildfires blazed across southeastern Australia in late 2019 and early 2020. Researchers now report that human-caused climate change made those fires at least 30 percent more likely to occur.
Wildfires worsen extreme air pollution in U.S. northwest
The northwestern United States has become an air pollution hot spot — literally. And scientists are blaming the problem on bigger and more frequent wildfires. These disasters spew plumes of fine particles that pollute the sky.
Is climate change fanning megafires?
Many areas across the world have seen a rise in extreme fires in recent years. Those include western U.S. states and southern Europe. They also include places you might not expect.

Fire Ecology

Fire Ecology
Fire ecology is a branch of ecology that focuses on the origins of wildland fire and it’s relationship to the environment that surrounds it, both living and non-living. A wildland fire is defined as any fire that is burning in a natural environment. Fire ecologists recognize that fire is a natural process, and that it often operates as an integral part of the ecosystem in which it occurs.
Are All Forest Fires Bad?
Did you realize, though, that not all forest fires are bad? It's true! Sometimes forest officials set fires on purpose. They do this when they use a forest management tool called a prescribed — or controlled — burn.

The science of Wildfires

Solution

EpicBooks - Forests & Fires

Temperate forests & fires - EpicBooks
First log into getepic.com as a student with your class code: ecs1182. Then click on this link to get access to the books. The books can only be read during school time unless you have a home subscription.

Fighting wildfires

How to stop wildfires

We Know Exactly How to Stop Wildfires—With Money
Wildfires would be much less destructive if forests were managed actively, with controlled burns and by culling trees and undergrowth. But someone has to pay for that.
How to Prevent Wildfires
If you live in a wildfire-prone area you should follow our tips on how to prepare for wildfire – but also know that prevention is an important part of preparation. Because the “safest” wildfire is one that never starts.

Post Fire restoration

Eight Important Facts You Should Know About Post-Fire Restoration
Wildfire is a necessary and important part of a natural landscape, but it is undeniable that some wildfires have harsh and negative impacts on communities, water resources, outdoor recreation resources, and fish and wildlife habitat. In these cases, post-fire restoration can be crucial to prevent further damage and to spur recovery.
Forest After Fire: The Forest’s Restoration & Regrowth After Wildfire
In the harrowing aftermath of a major wildfire, it may be difficult to appreciate the restorative power in the fire itself. Especially when nothing remains to hold the land in place once the rain comes, resulting in flash flooding and mudslides.
Restoration & Rehabilitation
For management purposes, the Colorado State Forest Service defines forest restoration as restoring healthy, diverse and resilient ecological systems to minimize uncharacteristically severe fires, especially on critical watersheds. Long after the flames are out, land managers and community leaders continue to struggle with the impacts of wildfire on people and ecosystems.
Wildfire Restoration
This new, increasingly intense fire regime requires a new way of thinking about fire science, particularly in post-fire restoration. Historically, in forests adapted to wildfires, burns periodically cleared out brush and dead trees, while most of the established, healthy trees survived. Today, after decades of fire suppression policies, forests are stockpiled with these accumulating fuels, what scientists refer to as a “fire debt.” Fuel-laden forests, combined with climate changing risk factors like mild winters, early snowmelt, and summer drought have created a perfect storm of conditions for mega fires.

Wildfire: Interactive Visualisations

See How the Dixie Fire Created Its Own Weather
Days after California’s Dixie fire ignited in mid-July, towering storm clouds burst from the flames, generating lightning and wild winds that pushed the fire “in every direction,” according to firefighters battling the blaze.

The storm — an early sign of Dixie’s devastating potential — was part of a broader outbreak of extreme fire behavior across the West this summer.
Caldor Fire’s March to the Edge of South Lake Tahoe
On Aug. 30, 2021 more than two weeks after it was ignited dozens of miles away, the Caldor fire lurched over the Sierra Nevada mountains and began pushing toward Lake Tahoe, one of California’s most recognizable tourist destinations.
Days later, the fire was burning a few miles just to the south of the city of South Lake Tahoe, whose 22,000 residents had been ordered to evacuate.
USA WEST interactive fire trackers

G06: Ecosystem Problems & Solutions: Temperate Forest & Fires

Problem

Temperate Forest Biome

Impact of forest fires

Fire Ecology

The science of Wildfires

Solution

EpicBooks - Forests & Fires

Fighting wildfires

How to stop wildfires

Post Fire restoration

Wildfire: Interactive Visualisations

Firestorm - an interactive documentary