Amazon forests caught in fiery feedback.(research indicates small forest fires make Amazon rainforests susceptible to more destructive blazes)(Brief Article)

From: Science News | Date: October 3, 1998| Author: Milius, Susan | Copyright information

One little fire inching through a tropical forest may not kill much. Yet it triggers a vicious cycle--fires preparing the way for bigger fires--that could ultimately turn Amazon jungles into savannas, according to new research.

During a typical 16-day dry spell, only some 5 percent of an intact rain forest dries out enough to catch fire, says Mark A. Cochrane of the Woods Hole (Mass.) Research Center. But even a small fire can sufficiently tatter the shade canopy --and...

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