Going hand-in-hand with global warming is the most commonly known form of environmental change, air pollution. Greenhouse gases trap heat from the Sun to help regulate the temperature of the planet. The Earth is all about balance; low concentrations of greenhouse gases can bring about ice ages, whereas high concentrations heat the Earth.

Emissions from agriculture, transportation, landfill, and buildings are all disrupting that balance. Following the Industrial Revolution, the production of greenhouse gasses rose drastically. Since 1880, the Earth has warmed a little over 2 degrees Fahrenheit overall, according to NASA.

The Bay Area is no exception. Since the 1950’s the average temperature has risen 1.7 degrees Fahrenheit, and in 2018 San Francisco ranked 49th out of the 723 worst air polluted cities in the U.S., according to IQ air. These statistics are quite frightening on paper, but those fears became a reality to the Bay Checkerspot Butterfly.

As the name implies, these butterflies display a beautiful white and orange checkered pattern on their wings. They only reside around the Bay Area, specifically Edgewood Preserve, Kirby Canyon, Coyote Ridge, and San Bruno Mountain State Park. Of the sites listed, the butterflies of Edgewood Wildlife Preserve, located next to Highway 280, were hit the hardest by air pollution.

Initially, the preserve was home to a healthy population until 2003, when the butterflies disappeared. It was soon discovered that nitrogen from car emissions helped invasive grasses take over the hillside and overrun the native plants; the butterfly larva’s food, as well as the butterflies themselves, went extinct. Since 2007, scientists and volunteers have continued to reintroduce these butterflies to Edgewood. They mow down the invasive grasses and release caterpillars from the neighboring communities into the reserve. The Bay Checkerspots of Edgewood has been making their slow recovery.

The story of the Bay Checkerspot in Edgewood leaves both a sinister and hopeful note for air pollution in the Bay Area. California is fighting to resolve that problem, potentially saving species in a similar situation as the butterflies. By 2045 California has a goal of going carbon-free. Furthermore, on Sept. 23, Gov. Gavin Newsom issued an ambitious executive order:

“In the next 15 years, we will eliminate in the state of California the sales of internal combustion engines; we will move forward to green and decarbonize our vehicle fleet here in the state of California. As a consequence, substantially reducing greenhouse gas emissions as well as oxide nitrogen meaning NOx emissions here in the state of California. In so doing, it will improve air quality, as well as improve the economic climate here in the state of California,” Newsom said.

Natural disasters have detrimental effects on the environment. The California wildfires are no exception, having destroyed forests, structures, and more since they initially began in August. 

One impact of the wildfires that is often overlooked is the consequences they have on the soil.

Without the presence of a wildfire, forested land contains four different layers. At the very top there is litter, which consists of dry leaves and pine needles. Directly below is the organic-rich soil, from which plants draw nutrients in order to keep growing. 

Beneath the organic-rich soil lies a water repellant layer and a layer of wettable soil, which act together to protect the soil and hold water for the trees to use. 

During a wildfire, the flames actively burn the vegetation and litter layer, consuming the rich organic soil in the process. The bottom layer of wettable soil decreases significantly as well. 

After the wildfire has gone, the ash remaining from the fire mixes with the soil and stays on the surface of the land, replacing the vegetation, litter, and organic-rich soil.

The wettable soil is largely depleted, leaving behind half as much of the layer as there used to be before the wildfire. 

Due to the devastating effects a wildfire can have on forest land, it is important to clean up excess litter and use fire-resistant materials on your property. Doing so can eliminate some of the damage the wildfires can cause to the soil structure and help the land recover.

How is land protected from fires?