Forest Fire Danger Modelling Environmental Sciences Essay

Forest Fire Danger Modelling Environmental Sciences Essay Forests constitute a large part of the earths renewable natural resources. Besides serving as an important source of food, fuel wood, fodder, timber etc, it also plays a pivotal role in maintaining a near ideal environmental condition for life sustenance (Biswadip Garia et al., 2007). Forest fires are natural or manmade disasters that occur throughout the world. Controlled forest fire is a useful, efficient and legitimate tool for environmental management such as forest clearance, field preparation, regrowth for livestock, and reduction of fire hazard. If the forest fire is un-controlled then it becomes a disaster. It adversely affects on humans, animals and plants. Annual fires may decrease the growth of the grasses, herbs and shrubs, which may result in increased soil erosion (Kandya et al., 1998).Forest fires cause wide ranging adverse ecological, economic and social impacts. In a nutshell, fires cause: indirect effect on agricultural production and loss of livelihood for the trib als (Biswadip Gharai et al., 2008). In 1982-1983, fires burned 3.6 M ha of scrub and forests in East Kalimantan, Indonesia, alone. These fires caused local extinction of some plants and animals and economic losses in forestry, non-timber forest products and agriculture of approximately $9 billion (Kinnaird and OBrien 1998). Chemical reactions of the gases released by fire leads to an increase in atmospheric ozone and the deposition of acidic compounds downwind from fires, which in turn can affect the physiology of plants and ecosystems in these areas. The ecological and socio-economic consequences of wild land fires in India include -Loss of timber, loss of bio-diversity, loss of wildlife habitat, global warming, soil erosion, loss of fuel wood and fodder, damage to water and other natural resources, loss of natural regeneration (IFFN Report: 2002). Forest fires also pose serious health hazards by producing smoke and noxious gases. The burning of vegetation gives off not only carbon dioxide but also a host of other, noxious gases (Green house gases) such as carbon monoxide, methane, hydrocarbons, nitric oxide and nitrous oxide, that lead to global warming and ozone layer depletion. Consequently, thousands of people suffered from serious respiratory problems due to these toxic gases. Burning forests and grasslands also add to already serious threat of global warming. Recent measurement suggest that biomass burning may be a significant global source of methyl bromide, which is an ozone depleting chemical. In 1997 up to 5 M ha got burned in Indonesia. The smoke of these fires affected the health of 70 million people and disrupted the economies of Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore causing a total economic loss estimated at $4.4 billion (Kinnaird and OBrien, 1998). Fires affect animals mainly through effects on their habitat. Fires often cause short-term increases in wildlife foods that contribute to increases in populations of some animals. These increases are moderated by the animals ability to thrive in the altered, often simplified, structure of the post fire environment. The extent of fire effects on animal communities generally depends on the extent of change in habitat structure and species composition caused by fire (Smith et al., 2000). Forest ecosystems are capable of storing large quantities of carbon in trees, other organic matter, and soil. Forests may also reduce the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere through increases in biomass and organic matter accumulation. Forest fires add the pool of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. Thus, Forest fires contribute to increasing atmospheric CO2 concentration and, therefore, intensifying the greenhouse effect. The perturbation of atmospheric chemistry induced by global biomass burning is comparable in magnitude to the effect of fossil fuel burning (Lindesay et al., 1996). In June and July 1998 catastrophic wildfires had an estimated impact of $600-800 million in north eastern Florida, valuing the economic effects associated with category-2-hurricanes (Butry et al. 2001). Government policies: According to the Constitution of India, the central and state governments in the country are enabled to legislate on forestry issues. The implementation part of the forest policy/programmes lies with the state government. Thus, fire prevention, detection, and suppression activities are the responsibility of the state governments forest departments. The policy, planning, and financing are the primary responsibility of the Central Government (Ministry of Environment and Forests Report: 2007). Forest fire and its management have long history in Indian forestry. Forest fire occurs quite frequently during summer season. The conventional methods of fire protection cover an elaborate network of fire lines, fire watchtowers, block lines and guidelines (Roy et al., 2005). The monitoring and management of forest fires is very important in tropical countries such as India, where forests are prone to fires annually causing adverse ecological, economic and social impacts (Kiran Chand et al. 2006). Indian fire scenario: Forest fire is a major cause of degradation of Indias forests. It is estimated that the proportion of forest areas prone to forest fires annually ranges from 33% in some states to over 90% in others. According to the recent State of Forests report, the forest cover in India is 67.5 M ha, constituting 20.5 % of its geographical area, represented by 41.68 M ha (12.68 %) of dense forest and 25.87 M ha (7.87%) of open forest (FSI, 2003). Studies carried out by Forest Survey of India reveals that on an average 53 percent forest cover of the country is prone to heavy to light fire (State of Forest Report, 1997) and 6.17% of the forests are prone to severe fire damage.. Forest Survey of India estimated that about 1.45 million hectares of forest are affected by fire annually. In India there are very few cases of fire due to natural causes. The majority of the forest fires in the country are human caused. For getting information on forest fires in India in real time basis, Forest Survey of India is using satellite data procured on daily basis by the Forest Fire group of University of Maryland, USA. Forest Fire Group in association with NASA uploads information on active forest fires of the whole world on the Web Fire Mapper (http://maps.geog.umd.edu) on the daily basis. The updated information for the current date is available at around 10.30 AM for India on this website. U.S. based this group obtains information on global fires from the MODIS (Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectro-radiometer) sensors that are on the board of their Terra and Aqua Satellites. In India we have our own space programme in place for detecting forest fires in real time basis. Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) through its array of IRS satellites, Environment Satellite (ENVISAT) and through its Defense Meteorological Satellite Program-Operational Line scan System (DMSP-OLS)a programme that helps in detecting fires during night, is helping the field mangers in identifying forest fire recurrence zones, forest fire risk assessment, potential areas for fire line alignment, fire watch towers locations, fire recovery analysis, monitoring fire progression, assessing near real time damage and in mitigation planning etc issues. As part of Disaster Management Support Programme of Department of Space, Decision Support center (DSC) is established at NRSC for working towards effective management of disasters in India. Under DSC activities of NRSC, considering the importance of forest fire management in India, a comprehensive system Indian Forest Fire Response and Assessment System (INFFRAS) integrating multi sensor satellite data and ground data through spatially and temporally explicit GIS analysis frame work is planned (NRSA Report: 2006). The INFFRAS is designed to meet the requirements of the forest department at following three levels. Pre fire : Preparatory planning for fire control; During fire : Near real time active fire detection and monitoring; Post fire: Damage and recovery assessment and mitigation planning. Information of fire locations on daily basis with in 1-2 hours of the satellite ground pass can be viewed on their web site (www.nrsa.gov.in) Fire Danger Rating Index: Fire danger is the resultant of factors affecting the inception, spread and difficulty of control of fires and the damage they cause (Chandler et al. 1983). If any of these factors are absent, then there is no fire danger (Cheney and Gould1995). the various factors of fuels, weather, topography and risk are combined to assess the daily fire potential on an area. Fire Danger is usually expressed in numeric or adjective terms. Fire danger indices are an important tool for fire and land managers. Effective Forest-fire management is based on sound knowledge of the potential for ignition, behaviour, difficulty of control, and impact of fire in a given situation. Forest-fire danger-rating systems provide a framework for organizing and integrating scientific knowledge and operational experience, and they are a cornerstone of modern fire management (S.W. Taylor et al 2001.) Fire danger rating systems are used by fire and land management agencies to determine levels of preparedness, to issue public warnings, and to provide an appropriate scale for management, research, and law for fire related matters (Cheney and Gould 1995). All these systems integrate weather variables to assess fire danger, calculated as a numerical index. A variety of fire danger ratings are used around the world, including the McArthur Forest Fire Danger Index (FFDI, McArthur 1967), used in the eastern parts of Australia, the Forest Fire Behavior Tables (FFBT, Sneeuwjagt and Peet 1998), developed for use in Western Australia, the Fire Weather Index (FWI, van Wagner 1987) used in Canada, the National Fire Danger Rating System (Deeming et al. 1977) used in the USA and the Nestrov Fire Danger Index System used in the Russia. Why Himachal Pradesh: Forests are an important resource of Himachal Pradesh. The forests of the state are rich in biodiversity and play a vital role inpreserving the fragile Himalayan ecosystem while also being a primary livelihood source for the rural population and prime source of fresh water for both urban and rural population (Report of Himachal Pradesh Forest Department 2005). Forest wealth of Himachal Pradesh is estimated at over Rs. 1,00,000 crores. Most of precious coniferous forests are of such nature that these cannot be truly regenerated by human beings if these are cut once (Annual plan 2006-07).Forest fires are occurred every year. Recently, in the year 2012, Forest fires have destroyed more than 20,000 acres of forest land and caused a loss of more than Rs 2.6 crores of green property in three weeks. The fires, which first started in the Hamirpur circle, were later also reported in the forests of Shimla, Nahan and Mandi (Madhuri Gaur et al 2012).

Language Exerts Hidden Power Essay

Language utilizes the hidden power to express, convince and influence human beings. Language can be used in different forms and styles, however, we are never fully aware of the importance of the hidden power that language can express. Language can be revealed in many different ways, which can cause different perspectives from people. In Text A, â€Å"Tversky and Kahneman (1981) demonstrated systematic reversals of preference when the same problem is presented in different ways†. It shows the effectiveness of euphemism and vagueness. The people did not appreciate the straight forward statement, it may be because of the harshness and the reality that shocks the reader. The difference in the preference of the programs shows how human beings are more likely to prefer the positive facts than the negatives; Program A had seventy-two percent preferences. This can show how language has the power to convey something disastrous, however, in a euphemism way, in which the reader will more likely to accept. However, the complicated statements, those with fractions instead of exact numbers, seem to favour the reader. This may be because the reader needs more time to process the factual information in their brains, which may have the same effect as ‘Lost in Translation’; the more your brain processes, the more details and facts are faded away. In addition, the fractions used can make the situation of the Asian disease problem seem less serious, because fractions appear to be less in number than the exact real numbers. In this particular text, power is revealed by the factual information. The difference in presenting the statement does not differ the meaning of the Asian disease problem. However, the power of manipulating and influencing the reader depend on the way the author chooses to present the factual information. The language chosen will be the power that controls the reader’s minds. Different presentations will lead to different interpretations from the readers. Therefore, writers usually use certain style of language to ensure that they can influence and convince the readers. This can represent how human beings are slightly unaware of the importance of language. We tend to ignore and skip through words easily, in which we only want to read what we believe and what we want to see. Similarly, Text B expresses that in our world we normally ignore the flaws and the little ‘holes’ in our communication in language, which also shows the lack of awareness of the importance in language. Slowly, we will tend to lose the ability to control the power that is hidden in language. The ‘Lost in Translation’ ties in with text B as well. When people start to learn a new language they normally translate the words back into their foreign language in order for them to understand the meaning of those words. However, during those translations, many details and little ‘holes’ in the language will disappear and fade away. Native language enables human beings to communicate freely and comfortably, however, it influences out thoughts when it comes to learning a new language. Those little ‘holes’ will be filled in by the influential thoughts from our native language. Therefore, though we are learning a new language, we will still be moved and differentiated by the influence of our native language. The hidden power of the influence of a certain language is strong, it ties with the culture and the tradition of the certain country. From these, we can see how ignorant human beings can be when it comes to realizing how much language influences our lives and how we interpret things. Nevertheless, the power in language can cause negative effects as well as those positives. There are so many languages spoken in our world, therefore, many people can speak more than one language. This means that those people have more than one choice of language to express themselves. This can be positive, however, negative, because there isn’t always the same ‘sayings’ in different languages. As human beings, we manage to experience many different emotions and incidents, where many of those are indescribable in language. Therefore, we can say language is powerful, however, not as powerful as our own minds. â€Å"Language should be a direct mirror of mind† though many thoughts cannot be put into words. In text C, it suggests that language plays an essential role in thinking and the interactions between people, in which the power hidden is the linguistics, philosophy and the psychology side of language. We communicate through language by expressing out what we think in our minds using words, phrases and sentences. Therefore, Noam Chenosky expresses that language is a direct mirror to our minds, which is true to some extent, however, many emotions and thoughts cannot be fully expressed by language. Language can be so powerful that it’s complicated, and those technical studies of language can contribute to an understanding of human intelligence. Human beings have not paid much attention on the hidden power of language, therefore, we only have a rare glimmerings of understanding. Though the understanding of language is limited, most people think and do things depending on what they know and what they believe, which ties in with text A strongly. When people prefer different presentations of the same statement, we can assume that they all have a different perspective, which means they have their own beliefs and knowledge over the statement. Overall, all three texts agree with Rita, Mae Brown’s statement of â€Å"Language exerts hidden power, like a moon on the tides† to a reasonable extent. They all show the human science of language and how language is powerful in our minds. The power inside language is great, however, we have never noticed it. It influences the way we think and the way we judge certain things. Though, due to our lack of awareness of the importance of language, we do not see how it influences out perspectives and perception. However, the possible negative effect of the power in language is that due to the many different languages people may be able to speak, they may find it difficult to express their thoughts and emotions because there are so many choices.

A Review of Persuasive Essay Topics 5th Graders

A Review of Persuasive Essay Topics 5th Graders Persuasive Essay Topics 5th Graders at a Glance If nobody knows the way to write or read cursive handwriting, the shape of communication is going to be lost, some believe. You do not need to be formal when writing your thoughts. There's a rotation at school, and it's your choice and your class to develop a lunch menu for the week. The most frequently encountered paper writing service that the vast majority of our clients require is essay writing. Try to remember, whatever you select will have a significant effect on the total consequence of your article. Citations and extracts from several sources have to be formatted properly. A broad subject always seems simpler to write about as it is possible to discover a lot of materials about it. The cost of an essay depends upon the total amount of effort the writer has to exert. If you discover that the writer did not provide precisely what you expected, request a revision, and we'll make the corrections. Our qualified academic experts will aid you in finding an ideal persuasive essay topic according to all of your requirements and compose a custom-tailored model answer. When you inform us about all of the paper information, we'll begin trying to find an ideal writer for your paper. Adoption ought to be encouraged. Choosing Persuasive Speech Topics A persuasive speech cannot be effective in the event the speaker chooses the incorrect topic. Abortion needs to be considered illegal. Immigration ought to be limited. Your work is to choose whether or not there ought to be a particular age when kids are given access to a smartphone. For instance, if you're writing about the subject about elite athletes, you could argue that Michael Jordan is an elite athlete on account of the skills he has. To make sure that you will locate a complete answer to every question, we've got a support team that is always online. Finding the subject of your interest can help you work harder on your project and show your style in the simplest way possible. Though people believe education is a correct and will make society, overall, a better place for everybody, others feel there's no legitimate method to provide a free college education as colleges would still must be funded (likely through tax dollars). Personal colleges are far better than state colleges. All students need to have a year studying abroad. Therefore, many students and employees decide to acquire affordable essay rather than writing it themselves. The voting age should be lowered. The legal drinking age should be raised. Parents should speak to kids about drugs at a youthful age. Some feel parents ought to be allowed to provide permission for their minor children to have tattoos, since they ar e making the decision for their own children. Getting the Best Persuasive Essay Topics 5th Graders Freedom of choice is excellent. Then you already understand what your topic ought to be. Still, you need to make your topic more specific. Define the key points that you would like to get across and set them in a persuasive topic. Target Audience Now you have your list of ideas, it is the right time to pick which subject would fit your audience. Time is additionally a very important point of consideration in any form of speech. Once you're able to narrow your audience, reflect in their views you are now able to select your topic. When you sit down to compose a speech, but you don't understand what topic to select, that may be an issue. If you're writing a persuasive speech, and let's say you have lots of freedom to settle on a topic. Get the Scoop on Persuasive Essay Topics 5th Graders Before You're Too Late Parents of bullies should need to pay a fine. Teens ought to be able to pick their bedtime. They should be required to take parenting classes. The One Thing to Do for Persuasive Essay Topics 5th Graders There isn't any question about attempting to convince anyone here. When you're permitted to write about whatever you want, never rely on a person's thoughts about the subject you like as a pivotal criterion for your choice. It's important to understand that essay topics are just basic ideas that leave you pondering a notion that might be a huge deal to somebody else. The very first thing you n eed to realize searching for an ideal topic is that your opinion is the thing that matters the most. Silent letters in words ought to be removed. Prostitution ought to be legalized. Doing this, you'll certainly find your ideal essay title easily and faster. Animals ought to be equal to humans.

Economic Perspective Of Climate Change - 1543 Words

Luzhen Wu Professor Belfied Eco 228W 5/8/16 Economic perspective of Climate change Climate is an average weather condition during a region in a given period, it will not change by one day or one night, but instead caused through over time. From the perspective of meteorology, The climate change refers to a specific location, time of regional or global climate change or conversion, based on the all of the conditions associated with the average weather characteristics, such as temperature, wind and precipitation etc. According to the IPCC’s Synthesis Report, â€Å"Anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions have increased since the pre-industrial era, driven largely by economic and population growth, and are now higher than ever. This has led to atmospheric concentrations of carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide that are unprecedented in at least the last 800,000 years. Their effects, together with those of other anthropogenic drivers, have been detected throughout the climate system and ar e extremely likely to have been the dominant cause of the observed warming since the mid-20th century† (Page4) Human are the main reason to cause the climate change. While during the climate changing in naturally, human activities have altered the chemical composition of the atmosphere, causing the today’s climate change. And this change is not only hindering the progress and development of society but also affect human society and the survival ofShow MoreRelatedParis Protocol960 Words   |  4 PagesThe Decision to Leave the Paris Agreement Will Hurt the US and the World D’Angelo, Elias. Global Climate Change: International Perspectives and Responses. Nova Science Publishers, Inc. 2009. Elias D’Angelo’s book Global Climate Change: International Perspectives and Responses examines the global response to climate change. It provides a history of climate change, discusses perspectives of various nations and policies that have been implemented in order to reduce greenhouse gases, and the resultsRead MoreThe Economics Of Climate Change1400 Words   |  6 PagesThe Economics of Climate Change The world economy is a very complex system; in the system harmful externalities disrupt capital flows and determine economic productivity. Most notable of these externalities is inadvertent global warming. Spending towards research and regulation of climate change at both the national and international level are very important in determining current and future business trends. Economists and scientists worldwide continuously debate the pros and cons of emissions reductionRead MoreCritique Nigel Dowers Perspective Of Ethical Development And Globalization1722 Words   |  7 PagesClimate change is related to globalization and development similarly to how economics is related to globalization and development, but with one additional step. Dower (p1. 2005) explains the relationship as follows: â€Å"globalization is an economic process involving increased international investments and trade in goods and services. Development is a process of economic growth. Globalization is the engine of economic growth. So globalization is the engine of development.† For this paper, I will useRead MoreDifferences Between Classical Economics And Neoclassical Economics973 Words   |  4 PagesThere are many differences between mainstream economics/neoclassical economics and political economics. Currently, mainstream and neoclassical economics are the dominant approach in economics. They use math to prove theories and to forecast events. If someone progresses as an economics major, they will enroll in statistic classes and econometrics, which is more quantitative. Since mainstream and neoclassical economics are more measurable, there is a higher chance for error. In order to ensure theRead MorePopulation Dynamics and Its Effects on Climate Change Policy1306 Words   |  5 Pagesand its effects of climate change policy Population growth and its effects on climate change have been hotly debated in recent years by scientists and politicians alike. The Fourth Assessment Report of the IPCC has sparked great interest and concern over climate change and how it affects countries differently. The concept of environmental justice has focused on climate change’s unbalanced effects on developing countries, whose populations are more vulnerable to climate change. With rapidly growingRead MoreClimate Changes And Climate Change Essay1656 Words   |  7 Pages Climate change is defined by the Intergovernmental panel on climate change ( IPCC) as a variation in the mean state of climate persisting for an extended period of time typically decades or longer while the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCC) defines climate change as a change in the climate which is attributed directly or indirectly to human activities that alters the composition of the global atmosphere and which is in addition to natural climate variability observedRead MoreThe Climate Of Rebellion During Modern Ottoman Empire1194 Words   |  5 PagesThe Climate of Rebellion in the Early Modern Ottoman Empire by Sam White is a study of the Ottoman environmental history during the early modern time. Even though environmental history field has been existed for a while, there is very little research on the Ottoman Empire’s environmental history. Despite the limited resources, White finds a different way to approach the issue and writes the first study about the environmental history of the early modern Ottoman Empire. In the beginning, White onlyRead MoreThe Economics Of Climate Change1384 Words   |  6 PagesTristan Ridley English 102 Professor Pontillo 28 January 2016 The Economics of Climate Change The world economy is a very complex system; in the system harmful externalities disrupt capital flows and determine economic productivity. Most notable of these externalities is inadvertent global warming. Spending towards research and regulation of climate change at both the national and international level are very important in determining current and future business trends. Economists and scientists worldwideRead MoreThe Climate Disaster Is Inevitable Or Not?896 Words   |  4 PagesThe climate disaster is the social construction that world population have been embedded this idea through one generation to another generation in society. Actually, it seems like the long-lasting issue for not only regional level but also global level. Several studies might have demonstrated the causes and significant impacts of climate crisis. It is still popular argument in society, whether the climate disaster is currently inevitable or not. If it already occurred, what are the main factors?Read M oreGlobal Warming And The Kyoto Protocol1470 Words   |  6 PagesProtocol. The second part will look at climate change and the protocol from the respective lenses of realism and liberalism. I will argue that while none of the theories precisely covers the entirety of the issue, each provides helpful analysis falls short of clarifying the entire climate change picture. Can states cooperate effectively through the structure of the Kyoto protocol to solve an international problem of global warming?† I. Global Climate Change and the Kyoto Protocol The study of