Fire ecology is an area of science concerned with natural biological processes involving fire within an eco-system and its environmental implications, the relationships between fire and its biotic and abiotic components of an eco-system, and its role as such an eco-system process. It is also concerned with the consequences of human interventions on such processes. This area of study has offered significant advances in knowledge about how we reduce or control the destructive potential of fire, which is necessary if we are to ensure that we maintain a sustainable environment for us and future generations. However, it is widely acknowledged that even after understanding all of the reasons and solutions to contain fire, understanding the process by which fire maintains and spreads across an eco-system is still essential for effective management and control. This process is still poorly understood.
There are five primary factors that drive fire ecology; biological processes, energy dynamics, biomass burning, competition and disturbance. Each of these factors is a complex set of interacting external factors, often controlled by other external factors, and can greatly influence the dynamics of a given ecosystem. Understanding each of these dynamic drivers is crucial to fire management and reduction, both in the broad sense of how many acres of forest must be protected in order to achieve a safe level of ash emission, and in the specific context of managing forests that have been cut down for the purposes of building a coal power plant.
The biological processes that are involved in fire ecology are complex and multifaceted. Fire may kill organisms without killing vegetation or leaving any trace of burned remains. Many species of plants may be able to survive with minimal disturbance. However, in most cases, even this isn’t the case. Fire also involves the transfer of carbon and other greenhouse gases from the ecosystem to the atmosphere, which ultimately affects global warming. Fire ecologists to evaluate the health of the ecosystems that they are studying before determining the optimal solutions for change.
Biomass burning, in contrast to the “right” type of foresting, usually results in massive carbon dioxide emissions, with corresponding climate change impacts. Fire’s act alone can drastically alter the landscape and plant communities of an area. It can destroy forests and cause millions of dollars in damages. Scientific interest in fire ecology has resulted in a number of recent articles on the topic. One of the more popular is” ecology of wildfire”, written by David R. Tilman and titled” Ecological Restoration and Wildfire Extinction”. In it, Tilman discusses the relationship between biological management of forests and climate change.
The second major factor driving the dynamics of ecological fire ecology is biomass burning. In most areas of the world, combustible materials such as wood and coal are used for energy production. As a result, in the process of converting these resources into usable heat and electricity, large amounts of carbon are released into the atmosphere. This component of the global carbon cycle is considered by many to be a primary cause of climate change, since it significantly contributes to the creation of the greenhouse gases that have threatened the existence of life on earth.
The relationship between climate change and wild land fires is complicated. While many scientists feel that understanding both aspects of the issue will prove beneficial in predicting long-term climate change, there is currently no known way to directly monitor changes in vegetation and fuel use rates. Fire ecologists are trying to develop theories concerning how the processes within ecosystems might respond to drastic changes in these two factors. Currently, much of the research done on this topic has been based on studying relationships between climate and ecosystems in Eastern U.S. states such as Wyoming and Montana, where massive blazes often occur.
Fire ecology has shown strong connections between climate and fire history, particularly the timing of major fires. Research has found that certain species of trees may act as a safety net during periods of high fire intensity, helping to reduce loss of trees in wildfire prone areas while also reducing the frequency of grass fires. The research has also indicated connections between vegetation and climate, with some researchers indicating that certain types of trees may help regulate temperatures and precipitation, both of which could be useful for climate change adaptation.
Many ecological groups are attempting to focus attention on forest management and wildfire prevention, with some advocacy groups calling for increased regulations on the use of large woodpeckers and other larger engineered vehicles. Fire experts have expressed concerns about increasing pressures being placed on wildfire-prone forests. Increasing livestock production is one possible pressure, as is an increase in development of forests for housing development. A recent study suggested that an expansion of non-native Bamboo in China could be harmful to the Amazon’s rainforests. More efforts must be made to understand and preserve the delicate ecosystems within wildfire prone landscapes. Fire ecologists continue to monitor the progress of research and to develop theories about how and why fires may continue to rage.
