Navigation Links
Human role in Indonesian polluting forest fires -- Guido van der Werf in Nature Geoscience
Date:5/14/2009

The large forest fires that sweep through Indonesia in dry periods are not only the result of severe drought. A team of researchers, including Veni grant winner Guido van der Werf, has analyzed the density of smog during forest fires. They have now established that the intensity of the forest fires is directly linked to population density and land use. Nature Geoscience published the results of the research on Feb. 22.

The biggest problem of the fires in Indonesia is not the fire itself but the poisonous smoke released. Due to this smoke, the number of people killed by fires in Indonesia is probably many times higher than that in Australia this year. Furthermore, the smog also causes severe damage to the environment. Knowledge about the causes of these fires is essential for improved predictions of major fire years.

Where there's smoke..

The researchers used the thick smoke produced by the Indonesian fires to analyse the forest fires. Due to a lack of good satellite images, little is known about fires that took place before the 1990s. The researchers solved this problem by using other data recorded daily during the past fifty years, namely the visibility observations and meteorological data from airports.

One of the most interesting results from the study was that low rainfall in Sumatra has been resulting in fires since at least 1960, while in Kalimantan this has only been the case since 1980. Kalimantan was fairly resistant to dry periods up until 1980, but since then Kalimantan has become far more prone to fires prone during drought years. The population of Sumatra grew rapidly in the 1960s. However, a comparable increase in the population was not seen in Kalimantan until the 1980s.

The rising population on Kalimantan was accompanied by a change in land use from small-scale subsistence agriculture to large-scale industrial agriculture and agroforestry. In order to support this change, large areas of
'/>"/>

Contact: Guido van der Werf
guido.van.der.werf@falw.vu.nl
31-020-598-5687
Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research
Source:Eurekalert

0

GOOD

Page: 1 2

Related biology news :

1. Scientists map West coast areas most affected by humans
2. WARF signs license agreement with Pfizer for human embryonic stem cells
3. Fish may actually feel pain and react to it much like humans
4. Scientists shed light on inner workings of human embryonic stem cells
5. Tiny differences in our genes help shed light on the big picture of human history
6. Mites on hissing coackroach may benefit humans with allergies
7. UC Davis launches One Health care for wild mountain gorillas and human neighbors
8. Learning how the pieces responsible for interpreting the human genome work
9. Mouse model provides a new tool for investigators of human developmental disorder
10. New human study reinforces antioxidant benefits of tart cherries
11. Newly discovered epidermal growth factor receptor active in human pancreatic cancers

Post Your Comments:
*Name:
*Comment:
*Email:
(Date:11/25/2009)...f.Scientists at the California Institute of Techno...ive emotion-like behavior in the fruit fly, Droso... be relevant to the relationship between the neuro...tivity disorder (ADHD), are described in the Decem...hila brain contains only about 20,000 neurons and...
(Date:11/25/2009)...risch, Head of the Cell Death Research Laboratory ..., has been awarded the prestigious Johnson & Johns...g the cause of brain cell damage in Parkinson,s di...ientists in support of innovation and excellence i...onferred earlier this month at an event at the Hya...
(Date:11/25/2009)...When you eat may be just as vital to your health a...itute for Biological Studies. Their experiments in... thousands of genes in the liverthe body,s metabol...e and not by the body,s circadian clock as convent...nes the activity of a large number of genes comple...
Breaking Biology News(10 mins):Caltech scientists find emotion-like behaviors, regulated by dopamine, in fruit flies 2Caltech scientists find emotion-like behaviors, regulated by dopamine, in fruit flies 3Caltech scientists find emotion-like behaviors, regulated by dopamine, in fruit flies 4Johnson & Johnson award goes to research of the cause of brain cell damage in Parkinson's 2Feeding the clock 2Feeding the clock 3B Line Medical 28R 29 and Surgical Science Sign Data Integration Agreement for LapSim 28R 29 Simulator 51109 1B Line Medical 28R 29 and Surgical Science Sign Data Integration Agreement for LapSim 28R 29 Simulator 51109 2B Line Medical 28R 29 and Surgical Science Sign Data Integration Agreement for LapSim 28R 29 Simulator 51109 3B Line Medical 28R 29 and Surgical Science Sign Data Integration Agreement for LapSim 28R 29 Simulator 51109 4B Line Medical 28R 29 and Surgical Science Sign Data Integration Agreement for LapSim 28R 29 Simulator 51109 5B Line Medical 28R 29 and Surgical Science Sign Data Integration Agreement for LapSim 28R 29 Simulator 51109 6Post transplant combo can replace toxic immune suppressing drugs in monkeys 51106 1Post transplant combo can replace toxic immune suppressing drugs in monkeys 51106 2Spontaneous assembly 9174 1Spontaneous assembly 9174 2Spontaneous assembly 9174 3Spontaneous assembly 9174 4
...versity of Pennsylvania, demonstrate that biodegra...fighting drugs are effective in killing human brea...ell nano-particles, known as polymersomes, allow t... leading cancer drug known by brand names such as ...d in mice. Their findings, presented online in th...
...a superba) are one of the best-studied organisms o...ve remained murky. , Understanding krill is import...nd marine mammals, yet they are vulnerable to fish...uary 2006 issue of BioScience, the monthly journal... Stephen Nicol of the Australian Antarctic Divisio...
...nstitute and collaborators have identified four di...dly blood cancer, that have different prognoses an...cifically targeted to those subtypes. , A new comp...ecognize human faces plucked the four distinguishi...terations in the myeloma genome, the researchers r...
Other Biology News:Nano-particles effective in killing cancer with one-two punch of chemotherapeutics 2Scientists discover new genetic subtypes of common blood cancer 2Scientists discover new genetic subtypes of common blood cancer 3
(Date:11/24/2009)...2009 Arena Pharmaceutica...he company is scheduled to present at the Piper Ja...er 1, 2009 at 11:30 a.m. Eastern Time (8:30 a.m. P...ork City. Jack Lief, Arena,s President and Chief E...iew of the company, including its clinical develop...
(Date:11/24/2009)...ember 24 Health Robotics today ann...ture with a group of selected,investors. This rece...er the,name Health Robotics Canada, Inc. and will ... Room of the Future concept, which includes the,re....SOFT(TM), and OMM(TM).,Health Robotics Canada Inc...
(Date:11/24/2009)...bstracts Service (CAS), the global expert on chemi...e is now the world,s leading producer of patent in...apan,s patent office, the World Intellectual Prope...ent and Trademark Office (USPTO) for more than a d... and exceeded Japan for the first time on a monthl...
(Date:11/23/2009)... a provocative new study, a University of Utah sci... the major cause of global warming cannot be sta...ciety builds the equivalent of one new nuclear pow...ere will be any substantial near-term departure fr...e emission rates," says the new paper by Tim Garre...
Breaking Biology Technology:Arena Pharmaceuticals to Present at the Piper Jaffray 21st Annual Health Care Conference 2Arena Pharmaceuticals to Present at the Piper Jaffray 21st Annual Health Care Conference 3Health Robotics Continues its Global Expansion With December 09 ASHP's Launch of Joint Venture in Canada 2Health Robotics Continues its Global Expansion With December 09 ASHP's Launch of Joint Venture in Canada 3China Leads All Nations in Publication of Chemical Patents According to CAS, the World's Most Authoritative Publisher of Chemical Information 2China Leads All Nations in Publication of Chemical Patents According to CAS, the World's Most Authoritative Publisher of Chemical Information 3Is global warming unstoppable? 2Is global warming unstoppable? 3Is global warming unstoppable? 4
...- Angiotech Pharmaceuticals,Inc. (NASDAQ: ANPI , ...edical device company, announced that yesterday, t...of Lords, confirmed in a precedent-setting,decisio...ed to its,paclitaxel stent inventions. As Lord Neu...esents a significant development in the United Kin...
...e/ -- WuXi PharmaTech (NYSE:,WX), a leading pharma...h,and development outsourcing company with operati...d that it was awarded one of the top 20 "China Mos...s named one of the top 10,"Most Innovative Leaders...se Innovation Forum held in Beijing last month., ...
...Spectral Diagnostics Inc.,(TSX: SDI) today announc...on agreement in Russia with BB Medical for Spectra...DA cleared assay for the measurement of,endotoxin.... market and,sell EAA(TM) throughout the Russian Fe...f medical technologies in Russia.,Their significan...
Other Biology Technology:Angiotech wins before the UK House of Lords 2Angiotech wins before the UK House of Lords 3Angiotech wins before the UK House of Lords 4WuXi PharmaTech (NYSE: WX) Named the Most Innovative Company in China and CEO Dr. Li the Most Innovative Leader of Chinese Enterprises 2Spectral announces exclusive distribution agreement in Russia for its EAA(TM) Sepsis Diagnostic Assay 2
...mated microplate luminescence reader that is desig...based on luminescence labels: Reporter gene assay... luminescence substrates (luminol, acridinium este...based assays (cytotoxity and proliferation, intrac...
Safety Glasses Dispensers from Terra Universal, Inc.
Dispensing Bins from Terra Universal, Inc.
...t it uses a deep-UV deuterium bulb, which provides...utter (controlled via a TTL signal or switch) The...l, stable output from 215-400 nm. In addition, dee...roviding a wavelength range of 190-400 nm. This po...
Biology Products: