Latest Ecological succession Stories

Michael Harper for redOrbit.com – Your Universe Online 2012 has been a bad year for wildfires in the US. According to data collected by NASA, some 6.17 million acres (2.5 hectares) have been consumed by wildfire this year alone. While this is just short of the record set last year of 7.90 million acres, (3.2 hectares) it’s larger than the amount of burned land in 12 of the last 15 years that scientists have been keeping tabs on wildfires. If some NASA climate models hold true,...

WASHINGTON, Dec. 4, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Scientists using NASA satellite data and climate models have projected drier conditions likely will cause increased fire activity across the United States in coming decades. Other findings about U.S. wildfires, including their amount of carbon emissions and how the length and strength of fire seasons are expected to change under future climate conditions, were also presented Tuesday at the annual meeting of the American Geophysical...

April Flowers for redOrbit.com - Your Universe Online By the middle of August, nearly 7 million acres have burned in wildfires in the U.S. making this a record-breaking year for wildfire destruction. As of yesterday, the National Interagency Fire Center puts that number at 8,392,209 acres since January 1, 2012. This acreage comes from 712 large fires that have been contained so far this year. How does this kind of natural disaster affect the surrounding communities? Large wildfires,...

Brett Smith for redOrbit.com – Your Universe Online Human activities and disturbances can put a significant amount of stress on local environments and a new research review has shown that the functional diversity in arid, desert environments can be affected by the hand of man. According the report published in the Journal of Arid Environments, mammalian communities living in dry ecosystems are "drastically changing" as a result of human activities. "We report for the first time...

Forest succession helps rare plants and animals Forests hammered by windstorms, avalanches and wildfires may appear blighted, but a Washington State University researcher says such disturbances can be key to maximizing an area's biological diversity. In fact, says Mark Swanson, land managers can alter their practices to enhance such diversity, creating areas with a wide variety of species, including rare and endangered plants and animals. "The 1980 eruption of Mt. St. Helens, for...

Brett Smith for redOrbit.com - Your Universe Online According to researchers from Oregon State University and Michigan State University, active forest management will help reduce the chances of a devastating, habitat-destroying wildfire. While targeted logging, tree thinning, and other fuel reduction activities might be a short term detriment to forested habitats of the Western U.S., they are vital to maintaining the long-term sustainability of this ecosystem, said the team’s report,...

DENVER, July 24, 2012 /PRNewswire-iReach/ -- The wildfires that have ravaged much of the state of Colorado this summer have been devastating for many people. The American Red Cross has set up a fund that will support the relief efforts and Medved Autoplex would like to help aid these efforts. By giving a donation, you will be helping those who are aiding in the Colorado wildfire relief and those who have been affected by the fires. Medved will also match total donations up to...

It's shaping up to be a fiery summer across the United States. According to the National Interagency Fire Center, as of July 3, 45 large active wildfires are currently burning in 15 states. Combined, these fires have scorched nearly three-quarters of a million acres. Since January 1, wildfires have burned nearly 2.2 million acres across the country, including devastating blazes in Colorado and New Mexico. We asked JPL Climatologist Bill Patzert to discuss the recent wildfire outbreak and...

TAMPA, Fla., June 29, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- As evacuations from the very dangerous Waldo Canyon wildfire continue in Colorado, the Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS) urges home and business owners to make last-minute preparations to their home or business that could help the structure survive a wildfire attack. Wind-borne embers can travel more than a mile from an actual fire, according to the IBHS and the U.S.D.A. Forest Service. One no-cost, but...

Brett Smith for redOrbit.com - Your Universe Online A conspiracy between Nature’s forces has sent walls of fire ripping through Colorado sending residents, officials, and first responders scrambling into action. One of the more devastating fires, the Waldo Canyon fire, has forced more than 32,000 people in and around Colorado’s second-most-populous city of Colorado Springs from their homes. The blaze, which began Saturday, is just 15 percent contained, according to the daily...