Stanford study examines the lasting effects wildfires have on soil, posing new problems
The grey smoky skies can be seen for hundreds of miles. But now researchers are on the trail of wildfire threats that are invisible to the naked eye. The result of intense heat, from wildfires burning longer and hotter. “When we start getting really severe fires, we see a transformation where the really, really intense fires leave these lasting impacts on the soil,” says Professor Scott Fendorf, Ph.D., of Stanford’s Doerr School of Sustainability. Fendorf is leading a multi-year study. The team examined soils in forest areas that have been slow to recover from recent wildfires in the Sierra and elsewhere. Although early research has pointed to cycles of drought, Fendorf and his colleagues identified toxic concentrations of chemicals in the soil which could also be slowing regrowth. … Researchers say another key concern moving forward will be the safety of drinking water. And they’re hoping to learn more about the effects of runoff from contaminated soils.
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