by Matteo Cavallito<\/p>\n
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Soil analysis could help prevent wildfires<\/a> better than traditional weather forecasting, says a group of U.S. researchers led by Tyson Ochsner<\/strong>, a professor of Plant and Soil Sciences at Oklahoma State University. Typically, experts assess the risk of flames spreading from variables such as rainfall and drought. But studying specific factors, starting with soil water concentration, the researchers explain, could lead to more effective predictions.<\/p>\n “Over the past decade or so, researchers have learned that soil<\/strong> moisture information can contribute to better wildfire danger ratings in many locations by replacing outdated drought indices and by informing predictions of fuel moisture and fuel loads,” Ochsner said<\/a>, quoted by the Soil Science Society of America<\/strong>. Low moisture, in fact, prevents plants from growing by causing them to dry out, thus providing fuel for flames.<\/p>\n