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Tori Fong

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English IV

27 April 2020

Wildlife vs. Wildfires

Ever since I was a little kid, I have always had a love for animals. Whether it was your

typical household pets to mysterious sea creatures, each individual species had something unique

that amazed me. My favorite animals are dogs and I always asked for one each year for my

birthday. Of course my parents said no, but they allowed me to begin with dog-sitting their

coworkers’ dogs. After a couple of years dog-sitting the same few dogs, it made me want a dog

even more. My uncle’s dog was having puppies and I jokingly asked my parents if we could

keep one of them. Surprisingly, they agreed and I was filled with tons of joy and happiness.

Kiara, my first pet dog. A Miniature Australian Shepherd puppy with dark brown fur and

a white tipped tail, she’s the kind of dog I never dreamed of having. I had always wanted your

typical breed of dogs like a Golden Retriever, German Shepherd, or even a Corgi, but I took

what I got and I don’t regret it one bit. Kiara is a fluff-ball filled with tons of energy and a

stomach waiting to be filled with many treats. After a long day, I look forward to coming home

and seeing her. She welcomes me as if she hasn’t seen me in days! Her frantically wagging tail

and high jumps always put me in a better mood. Even though I’ve only had Kiara for almost four

years now, it’s felt like she’s been with me my entire life! I honestly don’t know where I’d be in

life without Kiara. As one of many pet owners, I can imagine the strong connections they have
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with one another, like Kiara and I. But many of these bonds can easily be broken as wildfires

start to become more frequent due to global warming.

Wildfires can cause a significant amount of damage to our environment including air and

water pollution, loss of biodiversity, agricultural loss, and so much more. One aspect that isn’t

portrayed out into the public as much about wildfires is that they can lead to the extinction of

many species. Species with a highly restricted range are the most highly susceptible to

extinction. A single disaster event can wipe out the entire population of such species. Thus,

catastrophic wildfire events have the potential to render a species extinct in the wild. That is the

reason why the IUCN Red List recognizes “fire and fire suppression” as one of the major threats

to more than 100 threatened species in Australia. Recently, bushfires have destroyed 90% of the

known habitat of the Western ground parrot, a bird whose population prior to the fires was

estimated to be 140. Since there is no way of predicting where and when wildfires will break out,

millions of animals are being killed each time when one hits. “Over the past 10 years, there were

an average of 67,000 wildfires annually” (Wildfire Statistics). Billions of animals die each year

from wildfires and there aren’t efforts being made to help save these animals before the fires hit.

All these animals’ lives being taken away from these catastrophic disasters got me thinking about

how we can save animals before wildfires hit, which led me to the question: how can we protect

animals from the short-term and long-term effects of wildfires?

A single wildfire can kill millions of animals at one time and can lead to the failure of an

entire ecosystem. Many animals, birds, reptiles, and insects burn to death. Others die due to

starvation or stress. Thus, a heavy loss of biodiversity is one of the worst consequences of a

wildfire. The fires engulf everything and anything in its path. Large mammals and birds are more
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likely to escape the flames by running or flying to safety. Certain animals like squirrels,

porcupines, and koalas try to get away by climbing trees, but this is not an ideal strategy during

fires. Slower moving animals have a lower chance of escaping these fires and if they do survive,

they are at a higher risk of predation. Fleeing animals may die due to smoke inhalation, burns,

exhaustion, disorientation, or attacks from waiting predators along the escape path (Animals in

Natural Disasters). Not only do these animals suffer through physical injuries, they can also

experience shock, which is the most dangerous short-term effect of fires. “Shock can inhibit an

animal’s ability to eat, seek shelter, and protect themselves from predators or other aggression”

(Animals in Natural Disasters). These fires are destroying the animals’ access to food and

shelter, making them more vulnerable. Smoke injuries often heal naturally within a few days, but

if the injuries are severe or prolonged, it can cause greater harm, including lung damage, vision

loss, or blindness. Burnt skin can also cause pain, limit mobility, and may never heal completely,

leading to infection. Wildfires can cause serious damage to animals and their environment and

since vegetation cover is vital to protect the soil against erosion by strong winds and floods, the

loss of such cover renders the area prone to natural disasters. In the absence of plants, the

fire-affected region becomes easily prone to catastrophic floods or storms, which can ultimately

lead to extinction of even more species.

Certain species play a huge role in our ecosystem and some are worth saving more than

others, says Maia Kolbeck, the education director at Lindsay Wildlife Experience. “While saving

all animals is ideal, there are three species that benefit greatly than others: sea otters, beavers,

and salmon,” says Kolbeck. These animals are classified as keystone species or organisms that

play an essential role in many ecological communities by maintaining the structure and integrity
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of the community​. Kelp forests play a huge role in our ecosystem, as they can absorb and hold

carbon dioxide, which might end up contributing to rising global temperatures (Helms). Sea

otters are predators of sea urchins, which graze on kelp forests. Without sea otters, urchins would

devour kelp forests, leaving no trace behind. If all of the kelp forests were to be eaten by sea

urchins, global temperatures would continue to rise, potentially leading to countless wildfires

worldwide. Beavers are also a key species that we need to conserve. They build dams and create

wetlands, which many other species depend on. “In fact, almost half of all endangered and

threatened species in North America rely on wetlands to survive, and eighty five percent of all

North American wild animal species depend on wetlands” (Beavers Belong!). Not only do

beavers create habitats for various species, they increase water purity and are able to control

water levels. Most importantly, Beavers also aid in containing forest fires; by converting streams

to larger bodies of water, these can serve as both a fire line and water supply to fire fighters. By

increasing their population and protecting them, less wildfires will occur, saving billions of

animals. Lastly, salmon play a key role in the environment, especially in food webs and

freshwater ecosystems. Salmon are packed with key nutrients and when predators disperse these

nutrients into surrounding forests, they act as a natural fertilizer for plants and trees, making

them resilient to climate change and wildfires. “By protecting these three specific species, the

environment will continue to thrive and the likelihood of wildfires will dramatically decrease,”

says Kolbeck.

In addition to keystone species, organisms can also play the role of ecosystem engineer.

These animals fundamentally modify, create, or define habitats by altering the habitat’s physical

properties. For example, prairie dog burrows provide safe underground homes for animals less
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proficient at digging as burrowing owls and salamanders. They also create tunnel systems that

drain rainwater into the water table to inhibit erosion and are known to change the makeup of

neighboring soil by boosting aeration and reversing soil compaction caused by cattle grazing.

Prairie dogs can also cut back the vegetation around their colonies, which stimulates new plant

growth that is of higher quality and more desirable to livestock. Consequently, the loss of such

an important ecosystem engineer can have far reaching and long-lasting costs for all kinds of life

in the region.

Every living animal and plant depends on another species for survival. “It could be bees

taking pollen from a flower, photosynthesis of plants, deer eating shrub leaves or lions eating the

deer” (Food Chains). If one species is removed, the whole food web will be unbalanced and not

stable. Wildfires can lead to the extinction of many species, meaning that the food web could get

out of control. When one species is affected, all the other species will get affected, as it’s a chain

reaction. Every link in the food web matters in maintaining balance in nature. For example, when

humans cause predator species, like big cats or wolves, to disappear through hunting or habitat

loss, bad things happe​n: the biological community, called an ecosystem, starts to fall apart. The

prey species that used to be eaten by predators start to multiply out of control and will destroy all

kinds of plant life as their numbers grow unchecked. As humans need plants for food, oxygen,

shelter, etc. which means all of us are in trouble. The point made here is that when we hurt the

environment, we hurt ourselves as well.​ It is important that we understand how the food web

works, so that we know all the important organisms that make up the web and how to keep the

ecology balanced.
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Wildfires are becoming regular events due to how much the human population has

increased the Earth’s climate. “As best as can be determined, the world is now warmer than it

has been at any point in the last two millenia, and, if current trends continue, by the end of the

century it will likely be hotter than at any point in the last two million years” (Kolbert 10).

Because of this, wildlife always has to adapt to these different changes. Especially because of

California’s climate, wildfires are natural and wildlife has had to deal with it for millennia, says

Josh Armosino, an education specialist at Lindsay Wildlife Experience. Usually, this hasn’t been

a big issue because there has always been a place for wildlife to go, but now, we’ve taken away

so much of their habitat that wildlife barely has any land left for security. There have been many

reports of wildlife (ex. mountain lions, bobcats, and coyotes) roaming urban streets during

wildfires, endangering both the animals and people, because there is no longer habitat for them

to escape to. Having more open space has a number of benefits, which help both people and

wildlife. “Of course it provides more habitat for animals to use, but it also is great for our

economy. Open space attracts tourism, which brings money into the area and also supports local

outdoor recreation programs. Open spaces around flood plains are also important for preventing

damage to development,” says Armosino. By having more open spaces in our communities,

wildlife will have a place to escape during a wildfire outbreak and will save them from possible

extinction. “​Protected open spaces provide the essential habitat needed for the continued

existence of native plants and wildlife” (Why Is Open Space Important?). Another thing we can

support to help give wildlife more space may sound a little strange to the average person, but it's

affordable housing. Believe it or not, affordable housing is good for the environment. Bringing

development closer together not only opens up more space for habitat, but is also effective in
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saving energy and reducing usage of fossil fuels. Currently we have a big problem of urban

sprawl, which is our constant expansion of development farther and farther away from cities and

into more rural places. Even though living in the hills may be nice, it's not the best for the

environment and wildlife. We are taking up a lot of land, and supporting things like affordable

housing is a step towards bringing people closer together again (literally not figuratively), and

leaving more available land for wildlife to use to escape from fires. With the availability of

creating and having more open spaces, wildlife will be protected during wildfires.

As of now, what we can do to prepare for fires and to prevent future destruction of habitat

is doing more prescribed burning. Prescribed burns are intentionally set fires (by professionals)

to minimize the amount of fuel available during later high-fire risk conditions. Usually the best

time to do prescribed burns is in the spring when there is still a bit of moisture in the vegetation

and thus easier to control compared to the total dryness of California plant life in the late

summer. Fire is seen as a bad thing, but it can be used for many beneficial things. We as a

society need to do more research on prescribed burning so that we may use it more in the near

future to relieve the millions of acres of land that are burned every year in super fires.

Not only can we protect wildlife from wildfires, but we can protect animals in our own

community. As the human population continues to grow, our activities have a huge impact on

our native animal neighbors, says Megan Andrews, an outreach program specialist at Lindsay

Wildlife Experience. “Using some helpful tips and easy changes in behavior, anyone can create

positive experiences with and for native wildlife,” adds Andrews. Some ways we can protect

wildlife in our community are to grow a wildlife-friendly garden, keeping your cat indoors, and

not using rat or mouse poisoning or sticky traps. By growing a wildlife-friendly garden, birds
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and butterflies will be attracted and will also provide food and shelter for these native animals.

There are many reasons to keep cats indoors, but one of the main reasons is because cats hunt

and kill birds, rabbits, and other small wildlife (Syufy). “We receive hundreds of animals injured

or killed by cats in our hospital every year, which is very expensive for our organization and

leaves fewer medical resources for our other patients,” according to Andrews. Outdoor cats are

also exposed to more diseases, need more medical care, and have shorter life spans than indoor

cats. Lastly, rodents killed with poison can be eaten by other animals and could possibly die from

secondary poisoning. Sticky traps ensnare many other animals, like reptiles and small birds.

“Snap traps are more humane for rodent control and are not likely to harm other animals,” adds

Andrews. By taking these little steps, we can protect and save more wildlife, even in our own

communities.

Since wildfires can hit at any time, we need to be prepared in the aftermath as a

community. In terms of wildlife, local wild animal hospitals almost always see an increase in

patients of some kind after a big nearby fire. Many facilities have volunteer opportunities due to

the necessity of extra hands during those times. If anyone is interested in assisting wildlife after

fire, that is a great place to start. It is important to support wildlife and ecosystems after big

human driven disasters like wildfire because we need to sustain biodiversity for the sake of our

environment, but also because our economy relies on biodiversity in a number of ways. As a

community we can make more pushes with the power we have as citizens of California to alter

our development to accommodate for the environment.

Wildfires are a big issue all around the world and will become even more prominent as

the Earth’s temperature continues to rise. As a result, countless animals will be killed during
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these outbreaks. It is important that we conserve as many species as possible during the fires, as

an extinction of a species could dramatically impact the food web. By providing open space,

supporting affordable housing, and having more prescribed burnings, more wildlife can be saved

and protected from these harmful events. Wildlife is important to the human race and we need to

take all efforts to protect them in as many ways as possible. Hopefully in the future, further

research will have been conducted to find more efficient ways to protect wildlife before fires

have hit and that global temperatures will decrease if us humans will take action in this next step.
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Works Cited

Books:

Kolbert, Elizabeth. ​Field Notes from a Catastrophe: Climate Change - Is Time Running Out?

Bloomsbury Paperbacks, 2012.

Electronic Sources:

“Animals in Natural Disasters.” ​Animal Ethics​,

www.animal-ethics.org/animals-natural-disasters/. Accessed 11 Mar. 2020.

“Beavers Belong!” ​Animal Protection of New Mexico​,

apnm.org/what-we-do/promoting-coexistence-with-wildlife/beavers-belong/. Accessed

15 Mar. 2020.

“Food Chains and Food Webs.” ​WWF,​

https://wwf.panda.org/knowledge_hub/teacher_resources/webfieldtrips/food_chains/.

Accessed 15 Mar. 2020.

Helms, Greg. “Kelp’s Mighty Role in Our Ocean.” ​Ocean Conservancy,​ Blog Ocean Currents,

23 May 2019, oceanconservancy.org/blog/2019/05/23/kelps-mighty-role-ocean/.

Accessed 15 Mar. 2020.

Syufy, Franny. “Top Reasons to Keep Cats Indoors.” ​The Spruce Pets,​ 7 Oct. 2019,

www.thesprucepets.com/keep-cats-indoors-555124. Accessed 18 Mar. 2020.

“Why Is Open Space Important?” ​Newton Conservation Commission​,

www.newtownconservation.org/why-is-open-space-important.html. Accessed 18 Mar.

2020.
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“Wildfire Statistics.” ​Congressional Research Service​, 3 Oct. 2019,

fas.org/sgp/crs/misc/IF10244.pdf. Accessed 10 Mar. 2020.

Primary Sources:

Andrews, Megan. Email Interview. 19 Mar. 2020.

Armosino, Josh. Email Interview. 19 Mar. 2020.

Kolbeck, Maia. Personal Interview. 12 Mar. 2020.

Works Consulted

Barnard, Elena. “Earth Day: How Natural Disasters Affect Animals.” ​Animal Friends Pet

Insurance,​ 16 Mar. 2016, https://www.animalfriends.co.uk/blog/earth-day/. Accessed 11

Mar. 2020.

Rahr, Guido. “Why Protect Salmon.” ​Wild Salmon Center​, 13 Jan. 2016,

www.wildsalmoncenter.org/why-protect-salmon/. Accessed 15 Mar. 2020.

“Sea Otter.” ​Defenders of Wildlife,​ defenders.org/wildlife/sea-otter. Accessed 15 Mar. 2020.