QuestionsDo wildfires in the Great Basin cool desert follow any kind of pattern? Could they be more easily predicted and controlled?
How do wildfires affect plant growth?
Could the more temperate climate and cooler temperatures of a cool desert ecosystem such as the Great Basin be used to control the hotter temperatures in other ecosystems found in the Southwest?
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Possible ResearchBy mapping-out and tracking wildfires throughout the seasons, an environmental scientist could analyze the data, looking for any patterns in the wildfire's location, size, and frequency. This information could help better predict and control the spread of wildfires in cool desert ecosystems.
Research is currently being done in other ecosystems by FRESC scientists who study the how disturbances such as wildfires affect species, water quality, and landscape. This kind of research could be applied to cool desserts by taking soil samples before and after wildfires. Looking at nutrients in the soil and how they change after a wildfire could show what kind of affects these fires have on vegetation and eventual plant growth.
It seems to me that the Great Basin's cool climate could be helpful in providing a more natural, ecofriendly cooling system for hot areas surrounding the cool desert. The FRESC Research team conducts restoration and monitoring research in an effort to find earth-friendly ways to reduce waste and resource consumption. It would be interesting to conduct research exploring the possibility of using geothermal energy from the rocks, sediment, and water of the Great Basin to create natural cooling system for the scorching conditions found in many southwestern environments, such as the Grand Canyon.
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The information and research ideas were inspired by the USGS (U.S. Geological Survey) research website.
http://fresc.usgs.gov/research/Themes.aspx?cat=4
http://fresc.usgs.gov/research/Themes.aspx?cat=4