Urban wildfires disrupt streams and their tiny inhabitants − losing these insects is a warning of bigger water problems
- Written by Lauren Magliozzi, Researcher in Environmental Engineering, University of Colorado Boulder
Ash from fires often washes into streams, where it can wreak havoc on ecosystems.Lauren Magliozzi, CC BY-NDA tiny, vibrant world thrives along the rocky bottom of most streams. As sunlight filters through the water, mayfly nymphs, no larger than your fingernail, cling to algae-coated cobbles. Their brushlike mouthparts scrape the greenish coating,...


