More than 200,000 acres[200,000 ha]burned so far Texas is experiencing a severe wildfire. Indeed, wildfires can have devastating effects on people, agriculture, and the environment. But they do bring some positive ecological effects.
Mesquite heat from State Highway 277 burned nearly 11,000 acres. The fire had been burning for 12 days and was extinguished two weeks ago. In the past, shrubs, green plants, and grasses have sprung up in charcoal black and gray landscapes.
“Wildfires are bad,” said Jeff Bonner of Texas Parks and Wildlife Biologist. “I mean, they are bad for us. They set fire to fences, set fire to people’s houses, and sometimes people die.”
Bonner now works as a consultant for his own region and wildlife. He noted that the worst wildfires in Texas over the past decade have been the same. They will burn.
Ecologically, wildfires hit the area in two important ways. First, they burn down farmland, destroying crops, pastures and structures.
By April this year, wildfires will cost around $ 23 million. According to Dr. Monti Dozier, with Texas A&M AgriLife Extension’s Disaster Assessment and Recovery program, “those grassroots farmers know they may have lost their fodder and will lose their grazing lands due to wildfires.”
The losses since May are still being calculated.
Second, fires can lead to flash floods and landslides. Carl Flock is a Woodland ecologist with the Texas A&M Forest Service. Plants stop raining, “slow down, so you don’t have to worry about it hitting the ground so low, and then when the rain falls on the ground, the plants and the organic matter, it helps to hold that rainwater properly and get it into the soil.
Without it, the water would run to a nearby low point. It brings up the topsoil, which makes it more difficult for plants to regenerate themselves.
But despite the uncontrollable effects of wildfires, Floke said the fire itself was not a bad thing for the vast plains of Texas. . “
And Jeff Bonner said the plants in the Texas plains need fire, “They really like plants, because what he does is an opportunity for all those plants to grow fresh. Grasses, they love good fire.
Aside from those positive effects, no one really wants to be affected by wildfires that damage crops or property. Citing the Meskite Heat fire, Flake said harmful fires were expected to continue this winter, adding, “There are still people who caused this fire in the first place.”
Both Flickr and Bonner agree that the best way to fight a fire is, in fact, a fire. According to the two scientists, controlled, controlled fires will remove dry vegetation, and wildfires will burn.
To protect homes and structures this summer, Floke suggests clearing vegetation, mowing the lawn, and raising tree canopies. Flock urges citizens to do their part carefully, as about 85% of wildfires are caused by humans.
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