Woods on fire
To an increasing number of homeowners, wildfires are a threat to life and limb. But to an increasing number of scientists and land managers, they're a part of nature that can be postponed but not denied. This edition of The Why Files examines the role of fire in natural systems, and the role of science in understanding wildfires.

Image © Oregon Department of Forestry.

They fought the fires at Yellowstone National Park in 1988, but it didn't do much good. What happened next? (Here's a logical start; to continue, point your fire hose toward that little flare-up in that grove of trees.) What is the status of computer models of forest fires? Here's a handy-dandy, hands-off technique for spotting blazes. Many ecologists wild fires. Why? Costa Rican ecologists working on one of the world's largest ecosystem restorations forest fires. Why? Maybe controlled burning isn't such a splendid idea...

These folks had a burning desire to inform you about blazing woods.

There are 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 documents. (Glossary | Bibliography)