OUR CLIMATE IS CHANGING: “We are already noticing that big fires are influencing flooding, they go together,” said University of British Columbia forestry professor Lori Daniels
Worsening Wildfires Fuel Alarming Trend for More Flooding
“Wildfires cripple our forests’ natural systems that absorb rain and melting snow, which leads to more flooding as B.C.’s fire seasons get progressively worse,” wrote Randy Shore in an article published in the May 5, 2018 issue of the Vancouver Sun newspaper.
Not only are the trees and absorbent organic material on the forest floor incinerated by intense forest fires, the burned material and ash cause water to bead on the surface, speeding its journey into swelling streams, said “University of B.C. forestry Prof. Lori Daniels.”
“Those organic materials can absorb a large amount of water,” she said. “Then it trickles down into the mineral soil and maybe reaches groundwater.”
To Learn More:
To read the complete story by Randy Shore, download How worsening wildfires fuel a discouraging trend for more flooding
We created B.C.’s wildfire problem – and we can fix it
“In the past 15 years, high-intensity wildfires have burned through forests altered by mountain pine beetle or decades of fire suppression, often threatening communities that are expanding into wildlands,” wrote Lori Daniels in an op-ed published in the Globe & Mail newspaper in July 2017.
“Wildfire seasons are beginning earlier and summer droughts are more pronounced, likely enhanced by global climate change. Given the extent of forests in B.C.’s mountainous terrain, most communities are at risk of burning during a wildfire. Understanding the cause and consequences of this problem is essential to find meaningful solutions.”
To Learn More:
To read the complete op-ed, download We created B.C.’s wildfire problem – and we can fix it
Watch Lori Daniels give a talk on forest fires as part of the “Beyond the Inferno” event at the UBC Forest Sciences Centre, during National Forest Week 2015.