What the Science Says cont'd from page 19
However, as with floods, there’s an important caveat with wildfires and the evolution of salmonids. Much like dams have harnessed rivers throughout California and changed the frequency and magnitude of ecologically important flood events with dire consequences for salmonids, climate change combined with increased fuel loads and fire suppression have likely accomplished the same for wildfires with similar consequences. Historically, both floods and wildfires negatively affected salmonids in the short-term, but abundant and diverse populations enabled these fishes to recolonize disturbed habitats quickly and allow them to persist in the long-term. Changes in the frequency and intensity of wildfire combined with a general loss of population diversity across the landscape may, inevitably, create a phenomenon where salmonids lack the tools to recover and ultimately adapt to the new wildfire regime we are currently witnessing in California. Our best bet to confront this new threat is to enhance population diversity and adaptive capacity in order to improve species resilience and provide salmonids with the tools necessary to adapt to a rapidly changing landscape.
Dr. Robert Lusardi is the California Trout-UC Davis Wild and Coldwater Fish Scientist.
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