Study reveals link between global warming and forest fires

A new study has revealed a link between global warming and forest fires, suggesting that climate change poses even more of a risk than previously thought.

According to research by university scientists and the US Forest Service, the recent increase in wildfires can be attributed to a complex relationship between climate and fuels present in different ecosystems.

The study, which is published in the journal Ecological Applications, found that a combination of low precipitation levels and high temperatures dry out fuels and result in fires.

More specifically, climate influences large fires by controlling the drying of existing fuels in forests and the production of fuels in drier ecosystems.

Jeremy Littell, a research scientist at the University of Washington's Climate Impacts Group, said: "Climate affects fuels in different ecosystems differently, meaning that future wildfire size and severity depends on interactions between climate and fuel availability and production."

According to the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations, fires can have a "catasrophic" effect on the environment and encourage deforestation, so campaigns to fight global warming should be expanded.

Written by Helen Montag

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