We’ve all heard a lot in recent times about following the science when it comes to how to deal with the pandemic.
A new study is out by scientists about something that is also in the news this summer and will be into the fall. That’s wildfires.
The headline about the study says, “Southern California forests are shrinking from wildfire and drought.”
The study, done at U-C Irvine, says forests in the southern part of the state have shrunk by almost 15 percent over the past 40 years. The study says wildfire and drought have ravaged trees while shrub and grasslands have expanded.
And the lead author of the study says, “Southern California’s now warmer climate might already be at the edge of where trees can be.”
The study suggests that while thinning forests to prevent mega wildfires may be a good idea in some areas of the state, in Southern California, it could actually make the risk of major wildfires greater as the increased brush becomes drier and temperatures get hotter without tree cover.
You might say that when it comes to what science says about the fight to prevent big wildfires, it may come down to not being able to see the forest for the trees.
(Photo Getty Images)
Photo: Getty Images