Wildfire is frequently talked about in any ecology-related courses. I remember in BIOL 306, wildfire we were given an example in Florida National Wildlife Refuge, where panthers mainly prey on deer for food. Dense forest without wildfire prevents panthers from seeing their preys (deer), so the population of panthers will decrease. Wildfires help open up land for panthers to see their prey, so the population of panthers will increase after wildfires as their chance of successful predation increases. Wildfire enforces the population dynamics, influences community structure, and controls ecosystem stability. Thus, we should not interfere with the natural pattern of wildfire, and what we can do is to not panic when hearing news about wildfire. I envision that there will be better monitoring of fire to help with management. However, as the frequency of wildfire increases, I hope people can realize that climate change is happening around us.
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