My Science School

A lot has been said about the benefits of wildfires-from removing alien species and helping native species thrive to killing harmful insects and weak animals. But given the intensity and frequency with which they have been occurring of late, many wildfires are devastating. A case in point is the 2019-2020 wildfire season in Australia that is said to have harmed about three billion animals. Meanwhile, a recent study has discovered that around the same time, fires in another continent have had a harmful impact on an apex predator.

Pantanal is the world's largest tropical wetland, located in South America. Covering more than 1,80,000 sq.km., it spans Brazil, Bolivia, and Paraguay. The region has one of the highest concentrations of wildlife in this continent; it houses the world's second-largest jaguar population - 1,668. But just like the Amazon, it is plagued by several threats. Among them is the increase in agricultural activity, resulting in negative human-jaguar interactions and the eventual killing of the predator.

And in 2020, these predators faced another severe form of threat - fires. That year Pantanal was particularly dry, and the situation was made worse by a "combination of rising temperatures and a drop in water draining to the Pantanal due to deforestation of the Amazon and the Cerrado uplands". The fires "burnt 31% of Pantanal ecoregion", and in the process. "45% of jaguars in region were displaced, injured or killed". They "burned thousands of square kilometres of critical jaguar habitat and may threaten the big cats long-term survival", according to the research, based on 12 years of jaguar distribution data and 16 years of maps of the burned area.

These carnivores do not migrate, which means, when their habitats shrink, they are crowded in one location, leading to disputes over sharing both territory and prey. And if they do travel afar in search of food, their energy could be sapped, affecting their reproductive capacity. In the long run, if the jaguars disappear from the region, it could throw the ecosystem into disarray since they are at the top of the food chain.

The 2020 fires "burnt 31% of Pantanal ecoregion", and in the process, "45% of jaguars in region were displaced, injured or killed". They "burned thousands of square kilometres of critical jaguar habitat and may threaten the big cats' long-term survival", according to a research, based on 12 years of jaguar distribution data and 16 years of maps of the burned area.

Picture Credit : Google 

A newly discovered undersea crater off the coast of West Africa is leading scientists to wonder whether the dinosaurs were wiped out by more than one asteroid 66 million years ago.

What appears to be a second large asteroid impact crater has been discovered under the sea off the coast of West Africa, leading scientists to speculate that it may have been the smaller cousin of the one that struck the gulf of Mexico millions of years ago, wiping out the dinosaurs.

At 9km wide, the newly discovered crater- dubbed the Nadir Crater - is not as larger as the vast Chicxulub Crater in Mexico, which is estimated to be around 180km wide and 20km deep.

However, its size, age and placement on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean is leading geoscientists to wonder if the Earth was hit by more than one space rock that fateful day 66 million years ago, or if the Nadir Crater was caused by a chunk that broke off the Chicxulub asteroid.

Picture Credit : Google 

Using the right kind of fire means "ensuring the right amount, pattern, and timing of fire in landscapes that need it and less fire in those that do not'.

Traditionally, humans have had an excellent understanding of this, and created controlled, small-scale fires on lands.

The giant sequoias of California, the U.S., are among the largest and oldest trees on our planet. Sadly, just last year, "as many as 3,600 giant sequoias, which is approximately 5 percent of large trees in the population" perished in wildfires. Almost throughout the year, some part of the globe appears to be experiencing loss due to wildfires of late. Such a loss is not isolated anymore; it is particularly worrying that both the frequency and the intensity of such fires are increasing. But the complete prevention of fires is not an answer to this growing problem because, as we know, wildfires are essential for ecosystems to thrive. So, what can be done? Come, let's find out.

It has been reported that across the world, over 4,400 species of trees face threats from wildfires, most of them as a result of human activity. Even as climate change intensifies, researchers are looking into creating the "right" kind of fire. What is that? It means we understand how to manage fire in the correct way, "ensuring the right amount, pattern, and timing of fire in landscapes that need it and less fire in those that do not'. Traditionally, humans have had an excellent understanding of this, and created controlled, small-scale fires on lands to help in the regeneration of vegetation. One of the important ways of managing fire would be by dipping into such native wisdom.

Along with this, scientific data could be gathered and experiments carried out to understand how to tackle future wildfires. Also, in places where it is possible, employ "green firebreaks" -fire-resistant moss and low-flammability crops that bring down the intensity of the fires. Such measures go a long way in keeping ecosystems thriving while protecting native wildlife - both plants and animals. While these are sensible steps, what is more essential is to focus on changes to our lifestyle in a way that does not harm our environment.

Picture Credit : Google