In what could be the perfect example of a circular chain of events, wildfires are affecting trees which is seemingly influencing climate change, generating more wildfires.
A new study might of found the perfect loop of events, after analyzing the increase in wildfire occurrence and the relation with climate change.
According to the study, in the past 35 years there has been a steady and worrying increase in the number of wildfires recorded. Causes for wildfire have been increasing by as much as 20 percent, which coupled with human territorial expansion, and other factors have changed the global climate.
Climate change has influenced temperatures, in some cases increasing them to record levels, which meant that wildfires were harder to stop and easier to ignite.
In turn, wildfires have burned a huge amount of trees over the last decades, which meant that less carbon dioxide from the atmosphere was absorbed.
With less carbon dioxide absorbed, climate changes have increased, generating even higher temperatures, which meant even more wildfires.
The study also states that the area of wildfire vulnerable land has also doubled since 1979, while the only areas seemingly less affected are Australia and Antarctica.
African forests and grasslands are burning at an exceeding rate, while South America is experiencing wildfire seasons which are even a month longer.
All and all, the situation is steadily becoming uncontrollable, and extremely expensive. The U.S. alone has spent $1.7 billion in trying to handle or prevent wildfires.
The study also states that wildfires are heavily influenced by whether, which is the largest and prime driver of local fires.
With the increase in human population numbers across the planet, more and more land is being developed into housing and industrial projects. Some of this land was populated with trees and other carbon absorbing plants, before humans settled on it, a fact which has also helped generate even more drastic changes in temperature levels.
The ratio between tree populated land and human populated territory has also decreased, not only because of housing development but also because of deforestation. As such the needed levels of carbon absorbing areas is becoming insufficient at the moment.
The study was published in the journal Nature Communication on 14 July 2015.
Photo Credits boston.com
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