In places like California, the Rocky Mountains, and the Southern United States, wildfires are an unavoidable reality.
Wildfires can cause damage to property and human life, but they have many beneficial effects on native vegetation (植被), animals, and ecosystems that have evolved with fires. The forests, including pine barrens, lodgepole pine forests and many more, require fires to reproduce because the trees in the forest are adapted to only produce seeds following a major fire event. Therefore, without them many of these forest types would decline.
A fire renews the watershed (集水区) in ways including, but not limited to, recycling of nutrients, increasing food sources for fish in streams, supplement to streamside vegetation, spread of fire-adapted plants, etc. not to mention renewal of the soil chemistry which is vital to the forest and the watershed. The basis is that of someone who has studied wildfires and streams since the 1988 Yellowstone wildfires. The science backs up how natural wildfires can be favorable through research publication after publication.
It’s like “resetting the clock” on the ecosystem, allowing the forest to function smoothly all over again for another 200 years. By the way, a stand burning fire such as the Yellowstone fires of 1988 also results in the landscape of younger forest mends which act to reduce the spread of future wildfires and can stop a major wildfire in its tracks.
The bottom line is that we may need today’s natural wildfires to prevent more serious catastrophic fire events in the future. That lesson was learned in Yellowstone in 1988 which was a year of disastrous largescale fires after more than 50 years of fire suppression (压制).
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相似题推荐
1. 写信目的;
2. 海啸的形成和危害;
3. 就防御和逃生提建议;
4. 希望和祝福。
注意：词数120左右。
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It is the rainy season all over India. In the news we have seen heavy rain hit many parts of the country，which are already flooded(被淹没)．We have got used to floods.Children really enjoy the rain and the floods.They love playing with water.Sometimes they jump in the water and are always happy to do it.
However，this year it turned from bad to worse.All schools were closed，and it was announced a holiday by the government the previous day.We stayed indoors and watched life through our windows.Water entered the flats on the ground floor. All the neighbors helped people living there move their belongings and stayed with them.My friends were also staying with me.I was happy，because my parents usually don't allow me to stay in a friend's place.But our neighbors were really sad.They had to bear the loss(损失)that the rain brought.
The traffic was cut off by the terrible weather as well.In the morning，the railway system and bus services almost came to a stop.People had to wait for quite a long time at the railway stations and bus stops.My mother，who went by train，arrived three hours late.And finally when she reached her office，it was also announced a holiday.Later，to make the things worse，many trains were cancelled，because the railways were full of water.My mother had to wait in the station for about three hours.Afterwards she decided to go to a friend's house a block away from her office that day，as there was hardly any transportation available to our home.She called to tell us about it.She told me that she walked all the way to her friend's house because she could not get on a bus，and that she was wet thoroughly when she finally got there.On the phone she sounded very tired.
Paragraph 1：
That night was so different without my mother at home.
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Paragraph 2：
The next day the rain did not stop.
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注意：1.短文词数应为120个左右;
2.内容应该包括以下六个方面：
(1)What the first disaster was.
(2)When and where it happened.
(3)What the second disaster was.
(4)What damage it caused.
(5)How people behaved.
(6)Who described the event.
3.不得简单地抄写原文，要用自己的语言进行写作。
THE STORY OF AN EYEWITNESS (Adapted)
Jack London
San Francisco, May 5, 1906. The earthquake that hit San Francisco on April 18 shook down hundreds of thousands of dollars’ worth of walls and chimneys (烟囱). But the fire that followed burned up hundreds of millions of dollars’ worth of buildings and homes. Never before in history has a city been so completely destroyed. San Francisco is gone. The factories, the great stores and newspaper buildings, the hotels, and the great houses of the rich are all gone.
On Wednesday morning at a quarter past five came the earthquake. A moment later, the disaster was a fact. South of Market Street, in the working-class neighborhoods and in the factories, fires started. Within an hour of the first quake, the smoke could be seen 100 miles away. The sun was red in the dark sky. There was no stopping the fires. The firefighters to whom the task was given did their best but there was no way to organize or communicate. The railway tracks were now useless and there was no water in water pipes. All of the ways man had made to keep the city safe were gone in the 30 seconds the earth moved.
By Wednesday afternoon, half the heart of the city was gone. At that time, I watched the disaster from a ship on the bay (海湾). Out at sea it was calm. No wind came up. Yet from every directioneast, west, north, and south-strong winds blew upon the unlucky city and those whose homes had once stood in its green hills.
Wednesday night saw the destruction of the very heart of the city. Man himself had to make ruins of some of the city’s best buildings so that they would not be a danger to those in the streets. Tens of thousands who had lost their homes left the city to look for shelter from the fires. Some were dressed only in blankets and carried the things that they had been able to rescue from the fires. But there were no fights and no pushing or shoving. Somehow this worst of disasters brought out the best in the survivors. Never in all of San Francisco’s history were her people so kind as on this night of terror.
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The Call of Croatia
There is truly something for everyone in the nation of Croatia in southeastern Europe. The Islands
Those who love the ocean and a slow pace will fall in love with Croatia. It boasts over 1,000 islands in the Adriatic Sea along its coast. Though the choices are endless, many desire to visit the island of Pag. It’s famous for its parties but also features a resort and a carnival. A bridge from the European continent makes it very easy to get to. Hvar is also a popular island with its fragrant fields of flowers and good weather. Some hotels offer discounts if it rains and free rooms if it snows!
The parks
Croatia is also home to eight national parks, including the breathtaking Plitvice Lakes. It’s noted for its 16 colorful lakes and a series of waterfalls. Paklenica National Park offers something completely different — a landscape that doubles fort the Old West. Its wild lands are perfect for both mountain hikes and nature walks.
The cities
The natural beauty of Croatia should not keep visitors from its urban centers, though. Dubrovnik has been called “the pearl of the Adriatic” with its Old Town, a World Heritage Site. Its city walls are from another time, yet its cable cars are a modern way to experience the area. The capital, Zagreb, has the most museums per square meter in the world. Visit St. Mark’s Church, the Museum of Arts and Crafts or one of its many cafes.
The festivals
Croatia is also surprisingly well-known for its music festivals. Return to the party island of Pag for Electro Dance Madness. In its second year, the event has attracted thousands onto its dance platform over the sea. Croatia’s biggest open-air festival is Zagreb’s INmusic, which has received top international praise. Tickets are very reasonable, and its Lake Jarun location offers outdoor activities as well.
Midnight parties, urban explorers and nature lovers will all be at home in Croatia.
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