As global temperatures rise, the incidence of wildfires is increasing in many regions. This is mainly because higher average temperatures and changing weather conditions are drying out land and vegetation, making them more flammable. The study in Nature Climate Change shows that wildfires can break out closer to the poles than before. In some areas, the fire seasons may also double in length. This is under a medium scenario where the emissions don’t sharply increase or get cut till the end of this century.
“Our research shows that wildfires pose an ever-increasing threat to biodiversity. We find that nearly 84 per cent of species vulnerable to wildfires will face a higher risk by the end of this century,” says Xiaoye Yang, MERGE-member and a researcher at the University of Gothenburg and the study’s lead author.
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The full text is available at the following link: Increasing wildfires a threat to new species | University of Gothenburg
Scientific study in Nature Climate Change: Wildfire Risk for Species under Climate Change