Forest fires produce 20 percent of total global warming

We have underestimated the effects of forest fires on global warming, reveal the results of a study published last Thursday by the University of Arizona. Thomas W. Swetnam, director of UA’s Laboratory of Tree-Ring Research and co-author of the article published in the magazine Science, said that human-induced forest fires make up around 20 percent of the greenhouse effect and added that this percentage could increase in the future. Swetnam said, “It’s very clear that fire is a primary catalyst of global climate change” and that the published article is a “call to arms to earth scientists to investigate and better evaluate the role of fire in the Earth system.” Until now scientists’ and biologists’ main concern has been deforestation. However, this recent conclusion is eye-opening because it’s one fifth of global warming. Forest fires affect the Earth’s system through ecosystems, biodiversities, carbon reserves and climate. David Bowman, Swetnam’s research colleague, said that one of his main concerns is that “We’re most concerned that fire has not been rigorously and adequately incorporated in the climate models. It’s remarkable that such an integral part of the landscape has been so sidelined.” These scientists also point out that the capacity for controlling fire could diminish in the future as climate change alters is patterns.