More Open Spaces, Fire-Charred Land Coming to National Parks
By Rocky Thompson on July 27th, 2011
A new study has found that climate change will cause more frequent wildfires like the one that burned Yellowstone in 1988. By 2050 it will be extremely unlikely that a season could pass without a massive wildfire, and by 2075 it will be considered the norm. Some of our National Parks in the West will go from dense forests to more open plains and grasslands with fast-growing firs and shrubs. Basically, climate change means that the 400sq mile burns seen on a regular basis in the American Southwest will work their way into Colorado, Idaho, Wyoming, etc.
Tags: climate change, fires, Green, nps, yellowstone
Ooohh, climate change, duh. And all this time I thought it was a result of poor forest management leading to overgrown forests, pine beetle infestations, etc. Silly me.
pine beetle infestation is a symptom of climate change – winters are no longer cold enough to kill the amount of the population they used to. overgrown mountain forests, while certainly partially a management issue, are also a symptom of climate change – invasive ground cover is creeping into increasingly high elevations as the temperatures there warm, enabling the more rapid spread of wildfire across what would have previously been lightly vegetated forest floors.
Rick….you could do yourself a big favor by opening books and reading them. Good luck!