There is always a fire I made a California landscape. But today, it burns hotter, more frequently, and farther far away. This is promoted by the illness rate of the intrusion species, which is a non -native plant that has a negative effect on human development, climate change, and local ecosystems. Agricultural, landscaping, or accidental grasses and trees brought to California have changed the dynamics of the state fire in the state.
“Many non -native species can proliferate the fire faster than native plants,” said David Ackna, the head of the state forestry and fire protection bureau, Cal Fire. This change is a driver that tends to overlook the destructive mountain fire around California and the world.
Southern California is dominated by Surpando, known as Chapalal. This landscape is characterized by historically short shrubs, and the conventional grass is a perennial student, maintaining moisture and staying green all year round. When the fire broke out, the fire was rare because the lightning strike was rare. When the fire broke out, they burned hot, but did not spread far away because the open gaps between plants functioned as a natural fire.
The introduction of non -native glass in the 1700s has fundamentally changed this balance. These grass, which were brought by European settlers, evolved with intense livestock grazing and daily burning, and were very solicited against obstruction. They defeated native species, filled the gaps of planting, and created a continuous carpet of combustible substances along the frequent starting points for fire, especially along the changing areas like roads. 。
Unlike perennial grasses, these non -native grasses are first grader plants. In other words, they die every year and regenerate from the seeds. Their short life cycle leaves the dense layer of dry, dry vegetation by the end of spring. “They have a very high surface area in the volume, are very flat and thin, so they maintain a lot of dead standing materials almost all year round,” said a researcher and professor in the UC Santa Barbarese plant community. One carla Dantnio says. By May, the dead glass covers the ground. “It’s very flammable, so it will be sparks from people who drag chains on highways, or sparks from lightning,” said UC Davis vegetation and fire ecological researchers. Hugh Saford says.
Grass meets all available space, that is, a phenomenon called fuel continuity. When the fire is ignited, the dry vegetation is not interrupted by the core, and the flame is carried to the shrub. “People are underestimating the destructivity of grass, because the grass can be hacked down quickly with HOE, but it is quite difficult to reduce shrubs,” says D’Antonio. “But if sparks and remaining fire are flying in a bundle of grass, everything around you will rise like gasoline. It’s very fast and very continuous. It will fire the tissue paper. It’s like throwing.
Eucalyptus trees, introduced in California in the mid -19th century from Australia, add another layer of fire risk. These trees, known for their aroma scent, have incredibly flammable oil -based leaves. The bark of their paper slowly collides in the wind and transports the remaining fire 50 miles away. Ackna says the problem is that people plant them right next to their house. “I put a very hot, very active and very active plants like eucalyptus trees next to the house composed of petroleum materials. It’s a very strong fire.”