Wildfire smoke affects animals in unique ways. Scientists are trying to understand it
Ecologists are launching a new field of study called 'smoke ecology' to understand how wildfire smoke impacts wildlife behavior and health. Researchers are particularly concerned about how smoke plumes, which travel far beyond the fire's footprint, affect bird populations.
Why it matters
As climate change increases the frequency and intensity of wildfires, understanding the long-range ecological impacts of smoke is vital for conservation efforts.
Shots - Health News Study Finds Wildfire Smoke More Harmful To Humans Than Pollution From Cars Olivia Sanderfoot stands on a flower-freckled hillside in Amherst in Western Massachusetts. She listens for a moment — and a volley of birdsong flutters forth.
An Eastern Wood-Pewee. A goldfinch. A downy woodpecker.
"It's just magical," she says with an air of reverence. There are birds foraging among the flowers. Fluffy fledglings are darting about, learning the ways of the world.
Climate Wildfire smoke this year woke up places unaccustomed to its effects. Now what? "Every day that I get to start birding is a good day," she says. "If you want to get the widest range of species and hear the most songs, you want to be out here in the morning."
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