Ecology and tourism in france hit by forest fires
Ecology and tourism in france hit by forest fires
31 July 2017
published by http://www.tourism-review.com
France – A number of forest fires are ravaging hundreds of hectares of French regions including some protected sites which is having a negative impact on the environment, ecology, and tourism of these areas.
France’s southeastern regions are suffocating from repeated forest fires. A new fire broke out in the department of Var, leading to the evacuation of 12 000 people during the night of 26th July. Other departments are still at risk as well, such as Bouches-du-Rhône and Haute-Corse, both of which have been given a yellow vigilance rating by Météo France.
In addition to the risks faced by rescue workers and the inhabitants of these areas, as well as the total devastation of hundreds of hectares of land, these disasters also have other, more or less direct consequences for ecology and tourism.
Flora and Fauna Critically Affected
Ecological concerns are mainly centered on the Trois caps region which comprises Taillat, Lardier and Camarat near Ramatuelle, in the department of Var. Among other things, the area is home to 100 to 150 Hermann tortoises, an endangered species. Those responsible for the site are powerless to do anything but take stock of the number of dead animals.
We fear that, locally at least, the survival of the Hermann tortoise will be compromised, François Fouchier the regional representative of the Conservatoire du littoral – explained. We expect to find burnt tortoise shells.
The flora has also been ravaged by the fire. We had the most beautiful Mediterranean climate forests, with three distinct species of pine umbrella, maritime, and Aleppo and three different species of oak holm, white, and cork which is quite unique, Camille Casteran explained. The area manager for the Port-Cros national park remarked that the region had been spared from forest fires since 1978. The municipality of La Croix-Valmer has been part of the Port-Cros national park for the last year this is also true of Ramatuelle.
Impact on Tourism Difficult to Assess
The fires have, on occasion, struck popular tourist destinations, such as Bormes-les-Mimosas, where 3 000 campers had to be evacuated during the night. Moreover, the municipality has called on tourists not to return to their campsites, but rather to remain on the beach.
It’s a real nightmare having a fire break out at midnight in strong wind conditions, knowing well that the water bombers will only be able to commence operations in the morning, Arizzi, the municipality’s mayor, lamented.
While it is difficult to assess the direct economic repercussions of these fires, the municipalities concerned run the risk of experiencing long periods of lost earnings. A fire is a traumatic experience for tourists, Roland Bruno Ramatuelle’s mayor said.
An international team of climate researchers from the US, South Korea and the UK has developed a new wildfire and drought prediction model for southwestern North America. Extending far beyond the current seasonal forecast, this study published in the journal Scientific Reports could benefit the economies with a variety of applications in agriculture, water management and forestry.
Over the past 15 years, California and neighboring regions have experienced heighteneddrought conditions and an increase inwildfire numbers with considerable impacts on human livelihoods, agriculture, and terrestrial ecosystems. This new research shows that in addition to a discernible contribution from natural forcings and human-induced global warming, the large-scale difference between Atlantic and Pacific ocean temperatures plays a fundamental role in causing droughts, and enhancing wildfire risks.
“Our results document that a combination of processes is at work. Through an ensemble modeling approach, we were able to show that without anthropogenic effects, the droughts in the southwestern United States would have been less severe,” says co-author Axel Timmermann, Director of the newly founded IBS Center for Climate Physics, within the Institute for Basics Science (IBS), and Distinguished Professor at Pusan National University in South Korea. “By prescribing the effects of man-made climate change and observed global ocean temperatures, our model can reproduce the observed shifts in weather patterns and wildfire occurrences.”
Read more at: https://phys.org/news/2017-07-atlanticpacific-ocean-temperature-difference-fuels.html#jCpAn international team of climate researchers from the US, South Korea and the UK has developed a new wildfire and drought prediction model for southwestern North America. Extending far beyond the current seasonal forecast, this study published in the journal Scientific Reports could benefit the economies with a variety of applications in agriculture, water management and forestry.
Over the past 15 years, California and neighboring regions have experienced heighteneddrought conditions and an increase inwildfire numbers with considerable impacts on human livelihoods, agriculture, and terrestrial ecosystems. This new research shows that in addition to a discernible contribution from natural forcings and human-induced global warming, the large-scale difference between Atlantic and Pacific ocean temperatures plays a fundamental role in causing droughts, and enhancing wildfire risks.
“Our results document that a combination of processes is at work. Through an ensemble modeling approach, we were able to show that without anthropogenic effects, the droughts in the southwestern United States would have been less severe,” says co-author Axel Timmermann, Director of the newly founded IBS Center for Climate Physics, within the Institute for Basics Science (IBS), and Distinguished Professor at Pusan National University in South Korea. “By prescribing the effects of man-made climate change and observed global ocean temperatures, our model can reproduce the observed shifts in weather patterns and wildfire occurrences.”
Read more at: https://phys.org/news/2017-07-atlanticpacific-ocean-temperature-difference-fuels.html#jCp
