GEOG 1350 Lecture Notes - Lecture 12: Engine Knocking, Pyrolysis, Surface Runoff
7 Dec 2016
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Document Summary
Wildfires date to the time when trees first evolved, 350 million years ago. Usually start as a result of lightening & volcanic eruptions. After a fire, vegetation completes a cycle from early colonizing plants to mature ecosystem. Many species have evolved to withstand fire or promote the life of the species after a fire event. Ex: oak & redwood trees have barn that is resistant to fire, some pine cones only open & release seeds after a fire. The geological record shows an increase in the amount of charcoal in sediment approximately 10,000 years ago. This suggests high amounts of wildfire activity at this time. Why: warmer &/or dryer climate, increased use of fire by humans for cleaning, land, etc. If any of the 3 are lost, the fire will dissipate. Plants accumulate carbon dioxide & store carbon in their tissues. During this phase, vegetation reaches a temp at which it can ignite.
