You would think commercial logging and taking trees out of the forest would decrease the possibility of forest fires, right? Well, when commercial loggers take trees out of the forest, they actually take the least flammable portion of the tree, the trunk. They leave behind tree limbs, leaves and needles, which are the most flammable part of the tree. Commercial logging reduces the the size of the tree canopy, which will change the climate in the forest. Without a tree canopy, the forest floor is exposed to more sunlight and wind, which causes the surface temperature to rise and the air to become dryer. This causes the natural surface fuels to be hotter and dryer, resulting in a bigger, hotter forest fire.
Citations: http://www.chattoogariver.org/Articles/2000SF/Fire.htm
How many forest fires does commercial logging start?
ReplyDeleteIf the commercial loggers know that they're leaving behind the most flammable parts of the trees, why don't they spend the extra time and money to remove those as well? If they're out there willing to cut all of these trees down, why not exert a little extra energy to save the remaining forest?
ReplyDeleteI think why commercial loggers don't stay and try to clean up the most flammable parts of the tree is because they haven't been made to. If we put in rules that make it so they have to spend some time to pick up the flammable materials it would bring down the rate of forest fires
ReplyDeleteUsually forest fires are harmful and increase the abundance of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, but, sometimes, forest fires "can contribute to overall forest health" (The Environmental Literacy Council - Forest Fires). These fires clear dead wood from the forest floor and replenishes the soil, allowing key growing conditions to occur for secondary succession.
ReplyDeleteSo when they take the trunks they just leave all the limbs and leaves there on the ground? If those are the factors causing the fires, then can't we a productive way to use them, while also decreasing the change of forest fires.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteRobbie, you are correct that the a forest fire does have there pros, but I believe they are out weighed by the cons. A forest fire is going to destroy valuable timber resources, and it will weaken trees, leaving them vulnerable to disease and insects. They also kill animals and destroy there natural habitat. But most of all, it costs million, even billions of dollars to fight and prevent forest fires.
ReplyDeleteYou are absolutely right. It is surprising that cutting trees would increase a risk for fire. But, as Rob H. said, it is true that natural fires are beneficial for forests. They allow new trees to get the sunlight otherwise blocked by taller, older trees. Also, some trees, such as the sequoia trees in California, require fires for their seeds to germinate.
ReplyDeleteThese fires are killing many animals and causing large amounts of damage. This isn't helping the environment. It causing more air pollution and that effects all of the world. Also, these fires are damaging peoples homes over in California.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Rance, forest fires may be good in replenishing the soil but all in all they destroy the forest which is not a good thing. Would it be realistic for loggers to pick up all the shrub and leftovers or would it be to tedious of a task and waste to much time to do so?
ReplyDeleteAre there any specific places where logging has caused wildfires? How did the plants then regenerate? What does the area look like now?
ReplyDeleteForest fire may help the soil, but is it worth killing all those animals? This may be contributing to animal extinction even. It's bad enough that they are getting their trees taken from them, do they really need to have their whole habitat destroyed?
ReplyDeleteThere has to be something done about this.This problem effects the environment in three ways and they are all bad! Loggers and environmentalists need to get together and find a way to continue their business with less impact.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Asa, something needs to be done and the only way something will get done is if the logging companies get together with environmentalists to figure out a solution where less damage is done but their business still works.
ReplyDeleteWhat should we do with the small brush burning it wont help that just pollutes the air even more ?
ReplyDeleteI think that the commercial loggers don't really think it is important to clean up the most flammable part of the tree, the log, because they don't want to do the extra work. More and more wild fires have happened in the past 10 years then anytime and that is all because people of gotten lazy. When wild fires happen and they are not controlled they can destroy home to humans and animals. They can even hurt or even kill animals and humans. Do people even enforce them to dig up the trunks of the trees?
ReplyDelete