Drought May Worsen Wildfires and Threaten Forests and Rangelands, New Report Reveals

Droughts may be getting worse in the United States, and may impact our forests and rangelands. The U.S. Forest Service has revealed that some regions of our country may become drier in the next few years, and could threaten ecosystems.

"Our forests and rangelands are national treasures, and because they are threatened, we are threatened," said Tom Vilsack, the Agriculture Secretary, in a news release. "This report confirms what we are seeing, that every region of the country is impacted by the direct and indirect effects of drought conditions and volatile weather patterns. Sixty million Americans rely on drinking water that originates on our 193 million acres of national forest and grasslands. They support 200,000 jobs and contribute over $13 billion to local economies every year."

The report establishes a comprehensive baseline of available data that land managers can then use to test how well their efforts to improve drought resilience and adaptation practices are working nationwide.

In this new report, the researchers found that we should probably expect more droughts in the future as some regions become drier. Most regions will also have more extreme variations in precipitation. And even if current drought patterns remain unchanged, warmer temperatures are set to amplify drought effects.

Drought and warmer temperatures may also increase the risks of large-scale insect outbreaks and larger wildfires, especially in the western U.S.

"Since 2000, fire seasons have grown longer and the frequency, size and severity of wildland fires have increased," said Vilsack. "Among the many benefits of having this solid baseline data is the improved ability to identify where restoration work can help forests adapt and prosper while minimizing the threat and impact of future wildfires."

The findings show that drought may cause some major problems in the future. However, it also gives researchers a tool to work with.

The full report is available online here.

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