Fire in the Southwest Proposal - Essay Sample

Fires have been part of the ecosystem distribution since the origin of terrestrial plants (Pausas & Keeley, 2009). The native wildfires played a significant role in the dispersion of plant and animal species. Evidence of fires is present in fossils, cultural artifacts, soil, and living organisms’ adaptations (Ryan et al., 2013). According to studies, wildfires' early causative agents included weather conditions like drought and lightning (Ryan et al., 2013). However, human-induced fires altered natural fire regimes; thus, forests experienced high severity fires. Researchers recently employed satellite imagery and wildfires' data to establish statistical models predicting the occurrence of fires caused by human activities and climatic changes (Parks et al., 2016). Therefore, they developed fire suppression practices to prevent and control forest fires. Forest fires exclusion measures aim to protect the environment; however, their application affects ecosystems that adapted to thrive after wildfires. Many plants, soil microbes, and insects’ populations require fires to grow and survive due to the availability of sufficient nutrients and the elimination of potential predators (Pausas & Keeley, 2009). Furthermore, the suppression of fires increases the fuel load, resulting in high severity forest fires that damage the ecosystems more (Schoennagel et al., 2004). According to Keane et al. (2002), the fire exclusion policies in the US has caused the health of many Rocky Mountain ecosystems to decline.

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In this research paper, I will be arguing that fire is an integral part of the ecosystem since the origin of terrestrial plants; therefore, fire exclusion practices are damaging the ecosystem's health rather than restoring it. Natural wildfires are responsible for the dispersal and distribution of plant and animal species in forests and neighboring zones, such as the US Southwest region. The prevention and control of fires eliminate the restoration of necessary conditions for the growth and development of living organisms. Moreover, the practices initiate severe, uncontrollable wildfires; thus, causing further harm to the ecosystems. Researchers have to consider evaluating the role and applicability of fires in improving the health of the environment instead of fighting against it.

Environmentalists can use this research to employ new fire exclusion policies that enable and regulate natural wildfires but restrict human activities that trigger severe forest fires. Moreover, ecologists can expand their research on the vital roles of wildfires in the coexistence and survival of biota. I intend to create more awareness on the importance of fire in the southwest US region ecosystems.

Annotated Bibliography

Parks, S. A., Miller, C., Abatzoglou, J. T., Holsinger, L. M., Parisien, M. A., & Dobrowski, S. Z. (2016). How will climate change affect wildland fire severity in the western US? Environmental Research Letters, 11(3), 1-10.

The study critically analyzes wildfire data from 1984 to 2012 to create a statistical model of how fire regime characteristics correlate with anthropogenic climate change. The authors also applied the model to develop climate change projections in the mid-century of 2040-2069. The model’s prediction suggests a decrease in widespread fire severity in the western USA due to human-induced disequilibrium between climate and plant communities. This study is an appropriate source for future research because it provides insights into the pros and cons of facilitating or resisting variations in fuel load and vegetation composition, integral in the survival of forest ecosystems.

Parks, S. A., Holsinger, L. M., Panunto, M. H., Jolly, W. M., Dobrowski, S. Z., & Dillon, G. K. (2018). High-severity fire: Evaluating its key drivers and mapping its probability across western US forests. Environmental Research Letters, 13(4), 1-13.

The research discusses factors driving fire severity, including vegetation type, weather, terrain, and fuel load. Through a satellite-inferred index, the authors explore the drivers of high-severity fires in the western US region from 2002-2015. The researchers established that live fuel was the most effective factor, followed by weather, topography, and climate. The research is a significant source because it demonstrates how forest managers employ model predictions and frameworks as performance metrics to prevent and combat natural wildfires essential for the distribution of biota in forest regions and neighboring zones.

Parks, S. A., Dobrowski, S. Z., & Panunto, M. H. (2018). What drives low-severity fire in the Southwestern USA? Forests, 9(4), 1-14.

The article focuses on the probability of having a stand-replacing fire by evaluating several potential causative agents, such as fuel. The authors used satellite imagery to define low-severity fire and concluded that fuel and climate variation were the main causative agents. The study is essential since it provides foresters with valuable information on forest fires prevention and control. Forest managers also learn the restoration processes of ecology, including plants and animal species.

Pausas, J. G., & Keeley, J. E. (2009). A burning story: The role of fire in the history of life. BioScience, 59(7), 593-601.

The article highlights how experts such as ecologists downplay the role of fire in the ecosystem. Instead, they concentrate on the effect and control of soil and climate on the ecosystem's distribution. The authors reviewed evidence from various disciplines throughout history to demonstrate that wildfire existed from the origin of terrestrial plants. Changes in climate and paleo-atmospheric conditions defined the distribution of fire since the ancient centuries. Wildfires played a role in the dispersion of ecosystems and plant adaptations before the emergence of human beings. This article is an essential source since it highlights how the human population is threatening forest sustainability. People’s daily activities have dominated and changed the natural ecosystem through their extensive use of fire.

Ryan, K. C., Knapp, E. E., & Varner, J. M. (2013). Prescribed fire in North American forests and woodlands: History, current practice, and challenges. Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment, 11(1), 15-24.

The article provides evidence of wildland fire and its effect on the landscape seen in cultural artifacts, fossils, soils, and biota. According to the authors, many North American ecosystems were affected by fire ignited by Native Americans or lightning. The fire suppression practices in ancient times and Euro-American settlements altered fire regimes, causing more severe wildfires in some regions due to excessive fuel accumulation. Forests became adapted to wildfires, thereby developing shifts to fire-sensitive forest species. The article is beneficial for forest fires studies because it summarizes the current forest land practices in America and the challenges related to wildfires.

Schoennagel, T., Veblen, T. T., & Romme, W. H. (2004). The interaction of fire, fuels, and climate across Rocky Mountain forests. BioScience, 54(7), 661-676.

This study evaluates the relative influence of climate and fuel on wildfires in an increasingly populated area within the Rocky Mountains region. The authors suggest effective fuel management techniques that can control wildfire distribution since it is necessary to predict and respond to how fire is affected by climate change. Through studying the dry ponderosa pine forests, authors criticize that fire suppression practices carried out for decades promoted unnatural fuel accumulation, which causes wildfire in the western USA. The article is resourceful because it summarizes and synthesizes the current research and lessons learned from previous fires. Thus, present a practical case study for fuel use reduction near forest land to limit human activities’ influence in altering wildfire distribution.

Swetnam, T. W., & Betancourt, J. L. (1990). Fire-southern oscillation relations in the southwestern United States. Science, 249(4972), 1017-1020.

Through fire statistics since 1905 and tree growth chronologies from 1700 to 1905, The authors claimed that New Mexico and Arizona have smaller regions that burn after wet springs while other more significant areas burn after dry springs. During wet springs, there is a low phase of the Southern Oscillation (SO), while dry springs are associated with a long period of SO. The climatic variability in southwestern regions of the US influences vegetation dynamics through the synergetic influence of fuel conditions and spring weather. The study is a valuable source for forestry research related to the significance of wildfires. It elaborates on the climatic fire regimes that influence the vegetation in the US southwestern region.

Keane, R. E., Ryan, K. C., Veblen, T. T., Allen, C. D., Logan, J., & Hawkes, B. (2002). Cascading effects of fire exclusion in the Rocky Mountain ecosystems: A literature review. Fort Collins Service Center.

In this article, the authors argue that the policy to exclude fire in managing ecosystems has caused many Rocky Mountain ecosystems to decline health-wise. People living around the rangelands and forests within Rocky Mountain are at risk since fire exclusion policies have made it hard to fight forest fires. The study discusses the cascading effects of suppressing fires on the vegetation type, ecosystem characteristics, and spatial scale. Therefore, the article is essential because it provides critical steps towards improving the health of various ecosystems through the restoration of several facades of the native wildfire regimes.

References

Keane, R. E., Ryan, K. C., Veblen, T. T., Allen, C. D., Logan, J., & Hawkes, B. (2002). Cascading effects of fire exclusion in the Rocky Mountain ecosystems: A literature review. Fort Collins Service Center.

Parks, S. A., Dobrowski, S. Z., & Panunto, M. H. (2018). What drives low-severity fire in the Southwestern USA? Forests, 9(4), 1-14.

Parks, S. A., Holsinger, L. M., Panunto, M. H., Jolly, W. M., Dobrowski, S. Z., & Dillon, G. K. (2018). High-severity fire: Evaluating its key drivers and mapping its probability across western US forests. Environmental Research Letters, 13(4), 1-13.

Parks, S. A., Miller, C., Abatzoglou, J. T., Holsinger, L. M., Parisien, M. A., & Dobrowski, S. Z. (2016). How will climate change affect wildland fire severity in the western US? Environmental Research Letters, 11(3), 1-10.

Pausas, J. G., & Keeley, J. E. (2009). A burning story: The role of fire in the history of life. BioScience, 59(7), 593-601.

Ryan, K. C., Knapp, E. E., & Varner, J. M. (2013). Prescribed fire in North American forests and woodlands: History, current practice, and challenges. Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment, 11(1), 15-24.

Schoennagel, T., Veblen, T. T., & Romme, W. H. (2004). The interaction of fire, fuels, and climate across Rocky Mountain forests. BioScience, 54(7), 661-676.

Swetnam, T. W., & Betancourt, J. L. (1990). Fire-southern oscillation relations in the southwestern United States. Science, 249(4972), 1017-1020.