Ornithologists from the Natural History Museum and UCLA are researching the effects of January's wildfires on local bird populations. Using feather filters to capture smoke particles, they aim to understand the chronic effects of smoke exposure on birds. The study highlights a gap in knowledge about how such incidents affect birds among human populations, as much previous research has focused on natural areas. This research is particularly vital as many ecosystems were already under stress from climate change, emphasizing the urgency of understanding these ecological impacts better.
As thick clouds of smoke rolled across Los Angeles in early January, Allison Shultz opened a freezer and took out a stash of pristine white pigeon feathers.
It's part of a broader scientific effort to understand how a disaster of unprecedented scope will alter the region's varied ecosystems, many of which were already stressed by a changing climate.
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