Impact of Climate Change on Increased Wildfires

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Table of Contents

Introduction
Body
Transition
Conclusion
References

Introduction

Climate change is irreversible. Annually global temperatures are rising, posing a growing risk of wildfires and destruction of vegetative cover in many areas worldwide. Over the past decades, America has experienced the most severe fires in its history regarding the coverage of affected areas and the cost of damage. Today, I will explore the relationship between wildfire trends in recent decades and climate change in the United States and globally. This speech aims to draw more attention to the issue and attend to the correlation between climate change and fires. I will specifically focus on the causes of wildfires and the effect of global warming on their spread. Also, in this speech, the impact of fires on the environment and the local community life will be discussed. Awareness of the problem can help establish a more rational use of resources and impel a careful attitude towards nature.

Body

Although the prevalent causes of wildfires remain unchanged — the human action and lightning — it is the rising temperature that affects their intensity in the 21st century. Record summer heat, especially in the western United States and elsewhere around the globe, has contributed to the spread of massive wildfires destroying square miles of forest. Since the mid-20th century, more than 60 thousand wildfires occur in America annually. In just over 50 years, a total of more than 235 million acres of forestland have been burned out (Brusentsev & Vroman, 2016). At the same time, since the 1990s, the acreage per fire has tripled to over 100 acres. Fires are spreading intensively over the northern hemisphere. For instance, in the first decade of the 21st century, more than half of the wildfires in the United States occurred in the western states (Brusentsev & Vroman, 2016). The fires spread rapidly west of the Mississippi, where annual rainfall is meager.

Transition

In addition to understanding the causes of wildfires and the impact of human actions and temperature increases caused by carbon emissions, it is also essential to delve into their devastating consequences. The intensifying wildfires cause significant losses and threats to the local community. Due to the expansive spread of fires, federal expenditures on fire management and elimination of consequences increased five times compared to the 1980s and amounted to more than $ 1.5 billion in 2013 (Brusentsev & Vroman, 2016). In addition, high firefighting costs have been associated with an increase in burnt acreage. Forest fires are hazardous for the life of communities. According to Ahmed, Rahaman, and Hassan (2018), among the key factors affecting the level of risk of structural damage depends on the proximity of fuel, terrain, weather, and other dimensions. The local community in fire-affected areas frequently loses dwellings and other structures. Many people die in fires, and the suffocating smoke causes a particular danger.

In addition to the colossal risks for local communities and infrastructure in areas prone to fires due to increasing summer temperatures, apparent damage is done to the environment.

Due to the forest fires provoked by climate variation, the local flora and fauna suffer significantly. In particular, plant and animal species are subject to loss or risk of extinction. According to Davis et al. (2019), due to extreme temperatures and changing climatic conditions, the ability of plants to postfire regeneration is significantly reduced. For example, seedlings are less likely to spread, and, as a result, the wildland ecosystem changes significantly. Moreover, forest scientists and ecologists indicate changes in the balance of tree species and ecosystems in zones under the influence of increasing annual temperatures and susceptibility to large-scale summer wildfires. As Mathews (2020) points out in his monograph, some American tree species were forced to migrate and moved further north in recent decades. In this case, experts can help distribute species and their further planting in more northern territories.

Conclusion

In my speech today, I focused on the intensification of wildfires and its relationship to global summer temperature increases. Particular attention was paid to the causes of the occurrence and spread of fires and their impact on human communities, flora, and fauna. Scientists record that the area affected by fires has increased significantly in the present century. In America alone, federal spending on fire management and combat exceeds a billion dollars annually. The most severe consequences of fires are human losses, suffocating smog, destruction of infrastructure. In addition, species of vegetation and animals forced to leave their habitat due to increased temperatures and forest burnout are particularly prone to damage. Being aware of the correlation between global warming and fires and the dire consequences of the latter, we need to learn to be more environmentally friendly and maintain the ecosystem’s delicate balance.

References

Ahmed, M. R., Rahaman, K. R., & Hassan, Q. K. (2018). Remote sensing of wildland fire-induced risk assessment at the community level. Sensors (Basel, Switzerland), 18(5), 1570.

Brusentsev, V. & Vroman, W. (2016). Wildfires in the United States: A primer. Urban Institute.

Davis, K. T., Dobrowski, S. Z., Higuera, P. E., Holden, Z. A., Veblen, T. T., Rother, M. T., … Maneta, M. P. (2019). Wildfires and climate change push low-elevation forests across a critical climate threshold for tree regeneration. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences – PNAS, 116(13), 6193–6198.

Mathews, D. (2020). Trees in trouble: Wildfires, infestations, and climate change. Counterpoint.

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Impact of Climate Change on Increased Wildfires

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