Scientists have discovered that ponderosa pines effectively stop breathing when beset by wildfire smoke.
Scientists have discovered that ponderosa pines effectively stop breathing when beset by wildfire smoke.
The finding helps clarify the impact of wildfire smoke, which has been difficult to study, as scientists cannot predict when fires will break out and must take caution when working near blazes.
In the fall of 2020, scientists from Colorado State University got lucky. They were studying how trees in the Rocky Mountains emit the compounds that lend forests their piny aroma when heavy smoke from a nearby fire settled over the research site. With equipment ready, they were able to measure the smoke’s impact.
Read more at: Yale Environment 360
Fire burns around a group of ponderosa pines. (Photo Credit: Jason Pettigrew / ODF)
