Published in ERW 16 May 2016
The western US could see a reduction in wildfire severity under ongoing climate change, provided humans allow vegetation to take its natural course, scientists say.
Sean Parks at the US Forest Service’s Rocky Mountain Research Station and colleagues used a computer model to show that the severity of western US wildfires will probably decline in a warming climate. But they believe that trend is contingent on the vegetation itself changing with the climate – a balance that could be dangerous to interfere with.
“Resisting climate-induced changes to vegetation and disturbance regimes will likely be counter-productive in the long run, particularly in the forested regions of the western US,” said Parks. “Allowing climate-induced changes to occur, or even facilitating change, with the use of managed fire and restoration treatments, is a more sustainable approach.” […]
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