Scienceenvironment
Wildfire smoke affects animals in unique ways: Smoke ecology
As wildfires grow increasingly severe, scientists are turning their attention to an often-overlooked hazard: the vast clouds of smoke that drift hundreds or thousands of miles away from the actual flames. Researchers like Olivia Sanderfoot of Cornell University are pioneering a new field known as smoke ecology to understand how this toxic haze impacts wildlife. While direct fire destroys habitats rapidly, smoke blankets much wider geographic regions. This poses severe respiratory and behavioral challenges to animals, particularly birds whose navigation and daily foraging are heavily disrupted by polluted air.