Burning Biodiversity Source Great Smokey National Park Service
Burning Biodiversity Source: Great Smokey National Park Service An introductory look at the effects of the 2016 Chimney Tops wildfire on the Great Smoky Mountain ecosystem.
The human-caused fire began on November 23, 2016. Retrieved from https: //wildfiretoday. com/2016/12/11/firefighters-gaining-control-of-the-chimneytops-2 -fire-at-gatlinburg-tn/ By the time all was said and done, it had engulfed over 10, 000 acres in the park and 6, 000 acres beyond. COPYRIGHT © Google 2016. Retrieved from https: //wildfiretoday. com/2016/11/28/wildfires-in-great-smoky-mountains-national-park-cause-evacuation/
Visualize this: 10, 000 acres in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and 6, 000 additional acres outside of the park were burned. ONE ACRE AMERICAN FOOTBALL FIELD
Immediate Visible Impacts of the Fire © 2020 WCNC-TV. All Rights Reserved.
A Few Other Impacts of the Fire Fox population exposed to bears and other predators Decrease in some small mammal populations More fallen logs Increase in air pollutants Decrease in larvae and other small insect populations Fewer trees for owl nesting Less plant life for herbivores Decrease in water quality Less brushy areas available for habitat Less human traffic Forest floor has increased sun exposure
What Effect Did the Fire Have on Small Mammal Populations?
Fox population exposed to bears Less plant life for small mammals to consume Decrease in larvae and other small insect populations Increase in air pollutants Less brushy areas available Rocky areas not affected Small mammal population Fewer trees for owl nesting Less human traffic More fallen logs Decrease in water quality Forest floor has increased sun exposure Decrease in some small mammal populations
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