Before the Burn

The treatment phase of this grand experiment begins tomorrow when someone will light a match and start a fire that will burn through the 4 hectare plot of forest that we have been studying. We spent today scrambling around to make sure we have all of the control measurements that we need to compare to the post-fire period. The days are long and hard, but rewarding. Though we are in the Amazon, working in the forest is not bad. It has only rained a bit, so the humidity is not particularly high and the shade from the trees keeps the temperatures at 85-90 F. However, working in the cleared part of the forest can be scorching. We are only about 10 degrees south of the equator, so the sun is stronger than I have ever felt. I worked long August days in Tennessee a few years back, and this makes TN feel like Vermont. Temperatures in the open area can easily reach, or exceed, 100 F. So, it's key to use gobs of strong sunscreen and drink copious amounts of water. By the end of the day, you can find a ring of salt around your collar from the sweat that pours out. But I can't complain, it has been great fun and the work is really rewarding. Tomorrow should be very interesting as we will get to see the fire at work.