🔥 Wildfires do more than burn trees—they change entire landscapes! Here's how: 🧪Streams become polluted. USGS tests water for contamination, informing water treatment plants so they can adjust filtration. 💧Burned soil becomes water-repellent. USGS maps burn scars to predict where postfire flooding & debris flows will happen. 🪨Slopes become unstable. USGS maps landslide-prone areas and works with the National Weather Service to issue early warning alerts for communities. 🪴Invasive plants can grow. USGS studies how different environments recover & provides guidance on reforestation efforts. Now that you know how wildfire changes landscapes, visit the link in today’s story to learn more about what the USGS is doing about it. 🔬 #WildfireAwarenessMonth #WildlandFireScience #wildfire #FiredUpForScience #flooding #invasives #landslides #pollution