Earth and Sky:Fire Regime 火

Fire Regime 火

Fire was a creation of life -- born from oxygen and organic matter -- ignited by lightning. Thus fire has been a fundamental feature of the Earth for at least 400 million years. A scientist talks about fire -- today on Earth and Sky.

JB: This is Earth and Sky, speaking with fire expert Steve Pyne, in the Biology and Society program at Arizona State University in Tempe.

Steve Pyne: Fire looks the way it does on Earth today because of what people have done and not done, the ways we've started fires, the ways we've stopped them, or tried to stop them, the ways we've moved fuel around. That is to say, we create fuel and can put in fire where it would not naturally occur or under different rhythms or patterns, what you would call regimes.

JB: The "fire regime" is a concept Dr. Pyne uses to describe the range of fire.

Steve Pyne: It describes the pattern of fire that appears on the land. So that it may refer to the typical frequency of the fire, the seasonal¹ timing² of the fires, the intensity³ of the fires, the geographic⁴ size of the fires. In other words, fire appears in particular ways. And if you look at the ways that it appears, then you can begin describing a fire regime in the same way you can think of a precipitation regime.... And individual fires appear within a regime much like individual storms do within a climate.

JB: More -- tomorrow. Our thanks today to the Bureau of Land Management and to the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation -- supporting the conservation of native fish, wildlife, plants and their habitats. I'm Joel Block for Earth and Sky.

1 seasonal   

adj.季节的，季节性的

参考例句：

• The town relies on the seasonal tourist industry for jobs.这个城镇依靠季节性旅游业提供就业机会。
• The hors d'oeuvre is seasonal vegetables.餐前小吃是应时蔬菜。

2 timing   

n.时间安排，时间选择

参考例句：

• The timing of the meeting is not convenient.会议的时间安排不合适。
• The timing of our statement is very opportune.我们发表声明选择的时机很恰当。

3 intensity   

n.强烈，剧烈；强度；烈度

参考例句：

• I didn't realize the intensity of people's feelings on this issue.我没有意识到这一问题能引起群情激奋。
• The strike is growing in intensity.罢工日益加剧。

4 geographic   

adj.地理学的，地理的

参考例句：

• The city's success owes much to its geographic position. 这座城市的成功很大程度上归功于它的地理位置。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Environmental problems pay no heed to these geographic lines. 环境问题并不理会这些地理界限。 来自英汉非文学 - 环境法 - 环境法