Wildfires Around the Globe and Their Impact on an Already Fragile Ecosystem

A wildfire is an uncontrollable fire that could occur naturally as well as due to irresponsible human activities. It could burn across a whole area and may also occur due to climatic changes.

A wildfire is an uncontrollable fire that could occur naturally as well as due to irresponsible human activities. It could burn across a whole area and may also occur due to climatic changes. Dried leaves and trees could start a forest fire, they can smolder for days. Most of the time wildfires occur due to human activities such as: camp fires that are left out, discarded cigars and intentional acts. Countries across the world this summer are experiencing the most terrible wildfires in years. Though many countries are used to these types of wildfires, climate change is a major reason behind these occuring wildfires. Under dry condition fires are likely to start and spreads more intensely, eventually creating hazardous wildfires.                                                                         I will take a look at the South American situation. South America’s bio-diversity is enriched with lush evergreen forests, valdivian temperate rainforests and tropical andes. South America is vast and incredibly diverse and wonderful. Comprising at least 5000 endemic plant species each. It contains mind boggling wonders overflowing with life. It also consist of the most important wildlands and wildlife hotspots. South America has come across unusually high wildfire activity since the start of the year. Dry conditions across South America have resulted in record wildfires. It is crucial to recognize the violent and severe nature of fires as well as their tendency to wipeout habits and relationships of plants and animals causing loss to the ecosystem. South America has been experiencing dry conditions with a massive portion of this in central south america, as well as the northern continental countries. Paraguay is hard hit  resulting in record wildfires in the region. Amazon rainforest which is located in south america is a vast forest filled with flora and fauna. It is one of the largest dense forests in the world, the most significant part of Brazil. The forest itself occupies 5.5 million square km. Indicators have suggested that the Amazon could see more fires than usual this year. Over the last half century, much of the Amazon rainforest has been lost due to deforestation. It is said that the Amazon rainforest is an important oxygen supply component  - The United States Vice President claims it supplies 20% of the earth's total. Wildfires are know to affect a large fraction of the world's terrestrial ecosystem. These wildfires release large quantities of gases into the atmosphere and it causes damage to the ecosystem thereby destroying the habitat, while also damaging vegetative communities such as rainforests.  Solutions  Due to the advancement of technology these damages can be prevented easily as technology is quite advanced now. We can use drones to detect forest activities before they grow out of control. Digital systems, remote technology and digital community helps to make wildfire fighting a more productive exercise. We can try doing landscaping by incorporating fire resistant plants like lavender and black cotton bush. We can also become commited by giving donations towards the fight against wildfires. Involving plant species that are native or fire retardant. Avoiding deforestation, enlightening people about wildfires and its impact on the ecosystem. It is important to discourage indiscriminate disposal of cigarettes after smoking as it can cause wildfires, it is also important to avoid the use of fireworks as their explosive nature could cause wildfires. We need to consider these facts and avoid occurrence of wildfires so that the ecosystems can be protected.