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Geography

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Oct 30, 2023

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docx

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The World on Fire: Forest Fires & Climate Change I. Introduction A. The effect of climate change on forest fires 1. Climate change has a long history that has impacted our world for millions of years. Climate change alters the average weather patterns on Earth including precipitation, temperature, and the occurrence of natural disasters. It has become a global threat within various sectors (Abbass et al., 2022). Over the past few centuries, the influencing factor of climate change has been human activities including deforestation, burning of fossil fuels, and coal, and agriculture. Climate change does not only impact the weather, but it impacts the lives of animals and plants and their ecological systems. 2. Climate change causes forest fires through numerous factors with the main one being human induced climate change, which can make these forest fires spread quicker, become more frequent, and expand the severity of damage. Higher temperatures, altered wind patterns, drought, and human activity are all contributions that make the conditions of forest fires more intense. B. Ecosystems and animals impacted by forest fires 1. Plant and animal life a) The loss of animals and plants is a major factor of forest fires. Many animals are unable to escape in time or can find shelter to protect themselves from intense flames. Plants that are important to these ecosystems get burnt and animals are unable to get the nutrients and food they need if those plants cease to exist. b) Forest fires can change the structure of species in an ecosystem. With intense fires, the soil structure can be damaged which can decrease the regrowth of several plants. The impact forest fires have on animal life is crucial to keep in mind. Many of the animals living in ecosystems destroyed by forest fires not only die, but can also experience displacement, ecological effects, and habitat loss. 2. Habitat loss and destruction a) With an increase of high intensity forest fires, there has been widespread destruction of habitats that make it less suitable for animals to live in and plant growth. With a decrease of habitats for animals to live in, their behavior and lifestyle can change drastically causing them to become

more ill or violent ( Albery et al., 2021). 3. Endangered species a) Forest fires have a negative impact on endangered species which are already at a huge risk of extinction for multiple reasons. Fragmentation can isolate populations of endangered species making it even harder for them to reproduce and continue to live. Pygmy rabbits and sage grouse are two examples of endangered species who were affected by recent forest fires and lost their habitats ( Garcês et al., 2023). C. Purpose statement: The purpose of this paper is to examine the relationship between forest fires and climate change, unveiling how increased temperatures, warmer and drier conditions, and other climate related components influence the severity of forest fires. Throughout this paper we will examine the effect of climate change on forest fires, the impact forest fires have on ecosystems and animals, and the history of forest fires throughout the world. II. Background Information Forest fires have been a natural element within Earth’s ecosystem, playing a pivotal role in preserving ecological balance. However, in recent years, forest fires have increased dramatically affecting not only the lives of humans, but ecosystems and the plants and animals that live within them. III. Climate Change The relationship between climate change and forest fires is key to understanding the causes behind both issues. Climate change can be a key cause behind forest fires, as severe heat and drought can both cause forests to erupt. Hot temperatures can result in dried out shrubs and trees, which gives us one of the conditions necessary for a forest fire to occur (flammable items/kindling). In a study posted on nature.com, it was found that climate variability has a major impact on the likelihood of forest fires in southeast Australia (Abram et al., 2021) On the other hand, as concluded in the article by Ribeiro-Kumara and others who studied the effect of forest fires on boreal forests, forest fires can affect climate change by releasing copious amounts of carbon dioxide from the soil ( Ribeiro-Kumara et al., 2020) . This causal relationship between the two issues is a key component of both the cause behind

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