| Author |
Message |
    
Cavebear
gatherer
Username: Cavebear
Post Number: 133
Registered: 9-2003
| | Posted on Friday, October 10, 2003 - 9:41 pm: |     |
I wish there was a way to find and reference TV Documentaries, like we can websites. I know I've seen film footage of animals fleeing (in seeming panic) from open-field fires. I suppose it might be from the smoke (which can be quite sufficiently lethal), but I would expect animals that aren't afraid of the fire itself tend to get trapped and not pass on their "not-afraid-of-fire" genes.
And I *think* I know that hunting cultures used fire to direct their prey to ambush sites or cliffs, even just waving torches around. That seems to suggest that the fire itself is a direct fear.
Do we have any park rangers or wildlife management professionals who might have personal experience on this matter?
Last night I played a blank tape at full blast. The mime next door went nuts. |
Nicolas11
bear cub
Username: Nicolas11
Post Number: 1
Registered: 11-2006
| | Posted on Tuesday, November 21, 2006 - 11:44 am: | |
s |
Cavebear
cave painter
Username: Cavebear
Post Number: 3081
Registered: 9-2003
| | Posted on Thursday, November 23, 2006 - 12:52 am: | |
I can understand that animals might run toward the flames in the confusion of the smoke, but surely there would come a point when they felt the heat of the fires and ran away from it.
And it seems to me that even a snail that could not possibly outrun an approaching fire would at least "try" to flee it.
Thank you, Carl Sagan... |
Scott
flint knapper
Username: Scott
Post Number: 1644
Registered: 5-2003
| | Posted on Friday, November 24, 2006 - 10:17 pm: | |
I would think so too. I think they become too confused and when leaping, might not feel the heat before they leap and poof, they are in the fire. The fireline is often very narrow as well, and maybe they are used to jumping through it and behind the fire.
Would a snail even comprehend what a fire is? Wouldn't the fire overtake it before it had a chance to attempt to flee.
Scott
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Ces gens, Jondalar, ils sourient. Ils me sourient. - Ayla |
Cavebear
cave painter
Username: Cavebear
Post Number: 3097
Registered: 9-2003
| | Posted on Saturday, November 25, 2006 - 10:42 pm: | |
It might not do the snail any good to try to outcrawl the fire, but I'll bet it does try.
Humans might have some control over fire, but it overcomes even them sometimes. I'd bet that anything flees excessive heat even when the attempt is futile.
Thank you, Carl Sagan... |
Da_bear
flint knapper
Username: Da_bear
Post Number: 867
Registered: 5-2003
| | Posted on Tuesday, November 28, 2006 - 1:22 pm: | |
In fire ecologies, many animals have strategies that do not include running.
Many crawling insects live in the crowns of bear grass, which has outer leaves that burn, but inner buds that are well insulated against such.
Gopher tortoise burrows become crowded with natural enemies when fire approaches. Sometimes peacefully, sometimes not.
Bees,in reaction to smoke, if in their hive, gorge with honey in all their stomachs and fill their "baskets" with food. All in preparation for the queen to be evacuated. That is why smoke calms common honeybees, they are in "protect/evacuate the queen" mode, not "defend the hive".
This, may indeed cause them to fly towards the fire.
Snails can burrow into moist detritus and the heat of a fast fire can miss them entirely. Run down, not away. They also crawl into clumps of wiregrass, which burn outside, but not in the central bud on the ground.
Fire is a multiple per year event on the "wiregrass" area, otherwise known as my home area. If it doesn't burn naturally, it is normal to prescribe a burn, to prevent wildfire and improve the habitat for wildlife. More fires usually means better hunting.
If you choose not to decide, you still have made a choice. |
Scott
flint knapper
Username: Scott
Post Number: 1676
Registered: 5-2003
| | Posted on Tuesday, November 28, 2006 - 9:20 pm: | |
Ha linear thinking - of which I am apparently guilty of here. Thanks for that bear. I never occurred to me.
Fire suppression is a bad word here in Canada, but it wasn't until a few years ago. We are late into the game. Where I live, it used to be all upland meadow with fires every 15-35 years but we haven't had a good fire for over a hundred. Hence, we have a sterile lodgepole pine forest (almost monoculture) and little wildlife, regardless what the tourist commercials say. We are also being attacked by mountain pine beetles which feed on: pine.
Fire can be good.
Scott
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Ces gens, Jondalar, ils sourient. Ils me sourient. - Ayla |
Da_bear
flint knapper
Username: Da_bear
Post Number: 869
Registered: 5-2003
| | Posted on Wednesday, November 29, 2006 - 6:42 pm: | |
http://www.talltimbers.org/research/fireeco.htm
This is the local fire research station. Its about 8km from my home.
One of the plantations it speaks of is my backyard property mine.
If you choose not to decide, you still have made a choice. |
Scott
flint knapper
Username: Scott
Post Number: 1680
Registered: 5-2003
| | Posted on Thursday, November 30, 2006 - 2:36 am: | |
Be careful they don't burn down your house. Our fire suppression people here almost burned down the whole town (average house price $770,000.00) in 2003 with a controlled burn!
Thanks for the link! Kewl!
Scott
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Ces gens, Jondalar, ils sourient. Ils me sourient. - Ayla |
|
Living like Ayla 
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