FOREST FIRE

WHAT IS A FOREST FIRE?

Forest fire or wildfire is an uncontrolled fire in an area of combustible vegetation occurring in rural areas. The most prevalent forest hazard is forest fire. Fires in forests are as old as the woods themselves. They pose a threat to fauna and flora that seriously disturbs the biodiversity and ecology and environment of a region, not only to the wealth of the forests but also to the whole regime. The forests are littered with dry senescent leaves and twinges during the summer, when there is no rain for months, which could burst into flames ignited by the slightest spark.

One of the most several serious uncontrolled forest fires occurred in Australia very recently in June 2019 which is known as the 2019–20 Australian bush-fire season. As of 14 January 2020, this season's fires have burned an estimated 18.6 million hectares (46 million acres; 186,000 square kilometres; 72,000 square miles), destroyed more than 5,900 buildings (including 2,779 homes) and killed at least 34. An estimated one billion animals have been killed and may contribute to extinction of some endangered species. 

This article here explains forest fire and soil erosion event during the Late Devonian mass extinction.

CAUSES OF FOREST FIRE

Forest fires are both caused by natural causes and caused by mankind.

Natural causes: Many forest fires originate from natural causes like lightning that set trees on fire. Rain does extinguish such fires, however, without causing much damage. High atmospheric temperatures and dryness (low humidity) provide favorable starting circumstances for a fire.

Man-made causes: Fire occurs when a source of fire such as naked flame, cigarette, electrical spark or any ignition source comes into contact with flammable material.

Here is an article which explains causes and effects of forest fires in tropical rain forests in more detail.

HARMFUL EFFECTS OF WILDFIRES

Wildfires can have immediate and long term effects on river, lake and stream quality. Storm water runoff is the most notable impact wildfires have. After the vegetation loss, the soil on the ground becomes hydrophobic and prevents water from being absorbed. This inability to absorb water promotes the transportation of debris and sediment into larger bodies of water, further polluting valuable and essential resources.

In addition to this, wildfires also have an adverse effect on air quality which is both immediate and long term. As a forest burns, they release large amounts of smoke into the atmosphere. These particles of smoke are typically small and consist of gases and water vapor. Fire air pollution can travel long distances and can often pose a threat to human health.

Moreover, the flames from these fires destroy many animals’ food sources and homes and threaten their survival. They are susceptible to disease, fungus, and insects because of their decreased resistance following burn injuries for plants and trees that may survive the flames.

THE ECOLOGICAL BENEFITS OF WILDFIRES

While wildfires leave an enormous amount of destruction in their path, they also leave some beneficial qualities behind. To spread seeds and survive many plants require regular burns. Fires can also kill diseases and insects that can affect plants ' livelihoods, remove excessive debris from the forest floor, and allow more access to exposed sunlight nutrients. Low intensity fires clear out the underbrush and prevent future fire damage from spreading.

New grasslands are created after a wildfire and allow the change to benefit the grazing animals. This increase in the natural order of species allows for an ecological change that promotes growth and the continuous life cycle. Vegetation such as the fire-weed, requires fire disturbance to bloom and allow the re-growth of plants that have died due to the fire. As vegetation and plants die away, new life begins to heal and spring forth.

PREVENTION OF WILDFIRES

Most wildfires are preventable, unlike many natural disasters. The environmental and economic costs of wildfires have a long-lasting impact. We can lower the threats associated with these devastating tragedies by using caution, taking preventive measures and monitoring fires responsibly.

INFORMATION SOURCES

•   https://www.worldwildlife.org/stories/forest-fires-the-good-and-the-bad

ARE WE GETTING ENOUGH VITAMIN D?

WHAT IS VITAMIN D?

Vitamin D is formed from cholesterol in skin through photolysis of 7 dehydrocholesterol by UV light (sun light). Vitamin D is vital for healthy bones because vitamin D helps to absorb, phosphate and calcium needed for healthy bones, teeth and muscles, from our diet.

Since Maldives is located in the equator and is known as the “sunny side of life” people might think that we Maldivians will have enough vitamin D needed in our body. However, according to the doctors vitamin D deficiency is one of the most common issues in Maldives right now. Especially, in this lockdown, since everyone is stuck at home in quarantine, we are not getting sunlight for our body to produce vitamin D.

HOW TO TEST VITAMIN D LEVEL?

To check the vitamin D level in our body, after consulting a physician, a blood investigation can be carried out by taking a blood sample from our body.

IMPORTANCE OF VITAMIN D

Vitamin D facilitates the absorption of calcium in the gut in our body, and it also maintains sufficient concentrations of serum calcium and phosphate to avoid hypocalcemic tetany and to enable proper bone mineralization. In addition, vitamin D is also needed for bone growth and bone remodeling by osteoblasts and osteoclasts. In combination with calcium, vitamin D also helps to protect older adults from osteoporosis. The body has many other applications of vitamin D, including cell growth regulation and neuromuscular and immune functions. These also help in reducing inflammation. In addition, vitamin D modulates genes which encode proteins that regulate cell proliferation, differentiation and apoptosis.

There are also some studies which show that vitamin D provides immunity against SARS-CoV2 infection. For information on this you can click here to read one of the journal articles done on it. 

HOW MUCH VITAMIN D IS NEEDED?

Infants up to age 1 require 8.5 to 10 micrograms of vitamin D a day (0.0085-0.01milligram). Kids aged one year and above and adults need 10 micrograms (0.01 milligram) of vitamin D per day. This includes women who are pregnant and breastfeeding, and those at risk for vitamin D deficiency.

There are some food sources you might use to get enough vitamin D if you can't get it from the sunlight. Such vitamin D food sources include fatty fish such as salmon, tuna and mackerel, beef liver, and cheeses. You can also get vitamin D from mushrooms and egg yolks and if your vitamin D is deficient you can take vitamin D supplements. Doctors usually recommend a sachet of vitamin D powder for 4 weeks each week to be taken with a glass of milk.

VITAMIN DEFICIENCY

When you are not getting enough vitamin D to stay healthy it means that you are vitamin D deficient and it can lead to a loss of bone density, which can contribute to osteoporosis and fractures meaning broken bones.

There are many other diseases which can be caused due to severe vitamin D. In children vitamin D deficiency can cause rickets, which is a rare disease that causes the bones to become soft and bend. In adults, severe vitamin D deficiency can lead to Osteomalacia and this disease causes weak bones, bone pain and muscle weakness.

Researchers are studying vitamin D for its possible connections to several medical conditions including diabetes, high blood pressure, cancer and autoimmune conditions such as multiple sclerosis. More studies need to be done on these before they can understand the relationship between vitamin D and these conditions. Here you can read about a research done to check the relationship between vitamin D with insulin resistance and diabetes mellitus. 

CAN TOO MUCH VITAMIN D BE HARMFUL?

Just like how lack of vitamin D can be harmful to your body, too much vitamin D can also be harmful to your body. Excess vitamin D can cause kidney damages and too much vitamin D can also raise the level of calcium in your blood which raises the level of blood calcium causing confusion, disorientation and problems with heart rhythm. Usually vitamin D level increases too much in your body by taking vitamin D supplements.

So it’s very important to make sure that you get enough vitamin D needed for your body because lately researchers have also been saying that vitamin D could help to protect your body against corona virus by boosting your immune system. Here you can read about it in more details. 

Information sources

·         https://medlineplus.gov/vitaminddeficiency.html#:~:text=Vitamin%20D%20deficiency%20can%20lead,to%20become%20soft%20and%20bend.

·         https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/vitamins-and-minerals/vitamin-d/#:~:text=Vitamin%20D%20helps%20regulate%20the,condition%20called%20osteomalacia%20in%20adults.

·         https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Vitamin%20D-HealthProfessional/

MANGROVES OF MALDIVES

What’s happening to our precious mangroves?

Mangroves of Maldives, which are usually found in depression of islets, are among one of the most beautiful, natural attractions of the country and mangrove species also expand along island lagoons. Mangrove areas are a highly active ecosystem that contributes to the food chains of the atoll islands. They are also important to atoll ecosystems as they filter out silt; nutrients and sand that would otherwise go out to house reefs around the islands, suffocate corals and promote algal production. Local geologists and environmentalists say that these depressions or mangroves are of great importance in maintaining an eco-balance. Some of the famous species found in Maldivian Mangroves are mainly Rhizophora and Bruguiera. Click here to check pictures and videos of some of the most beautiful mangroves of Maldives.

The unique fragile atoll ecosystem is not sufficiently protected in the Maldives to the best of its maximum, which environmentalists have long recommended would enjoy special protection. However, not much action was taken to protect these beautiful environments and these beautiful mangroves of Maldives have turned eerie and lifeless now. Before preventive measures were taken the beautiful green scenery of the mangroves full of life is now starting to turn brown and dead due to sudden and strange phenomenon of drying up of trees. The mangroves in many Northern islands of Maldives like Ha. Kelaa, Ha. Neykurendhoo and N. Kendhikulhudhoo are facing this problem.

You can access to a journal article, done on the mangrove Ha. Baarah, to increase the understanding of ecological rich ecosystems like mangrove, in here. 

The loss of mangroves is rapid and new

In the mangroves, first, the leaves of the tree turn yellow and then the tree start drying leading to their death. This problem of dying of trees in the northern island of Maldives started vey recently and this problem is especially prominent in the Ha. Neykurendhoo mangrove. This mangrove in Neykurendhoo is the largest mangrove in Maldives, which used to be very thick with all the small-leafed orange mangroves. But now they are not as thick as used to be according to Ali Adam, the president of Ha. Neykurendhoo council. Ali Adam mentioned that they started noticing this drying up and dying of the trees very recently and up until now more than 10,000 trees have died, which is about 2/3 of the mangrove.

Assistant director of Maldives Environmental Protection Agency, Aishath Farahath Ali said that none of their records show this problem occurring in any mangroves in Maldives. Since this is all very new they are still trying to find what could be the cause of this.

What could be the cause of it?

There are many causes which could be responsible for this huge destruction of our breathtaking mangroves. Firstly, it could be caused due to a plant pathogen because these plant pathogens could cause many different diseases in a plant causing it to dry up and die. Or it could even be caused due to climate change. Climate changes could affect plants tremendously and could even cause its death in some cases. There is also the possibility that it could be due to sea salt. In most islands, the mangroves are pretty close to sea, where the sea salt from the ocean could have an effect on the plants of the mangroves. Here is a journal article explaining many factors which lead to mangrove destruction. 

To find the cause of this destruction of our beautiful mangroves, samples have been taken from these mangroves and sent for testing. So until we get the results we are not going to know for sure which is ruining our mangroves. Our mangroves should be saved. Preventive measure should be taken fast, before we lose the rest of what is left of the mangroves.

Information sources

·         https://en.sun.mv/61169

·         https://ecocare.mv/dying-mangroves/

·         https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0254629914001689

·         https://mihaaru.com/report/77032