07/17/2026
The Hidden Ecology of Smoke:
How wildfire smoke changes fish, wildlife, and habitats
By Russ Mason
When smoke from Canadian wildfires drifted across much of Michigan in recent days and North America in recent years, the public noticed orange skies, poor air quality, and canceled outdoor events. Less visible was another story unfolding beneath those hazy skies. Fish continued feeding in darkened lakes, migrating birds altered their movements, pollinating insects became less active, and forests hundreds of miles from any flames received measurably less sunlight.
Wildfire smoke is more than suspended ash. It is a complex mixture of fine particulate matter, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, nitrogen oxides, volatile organic compounds, ozone precursors, and microscopic particles that influence both living organisms and the physical environment.
The consequences ripple through ecosystems in surprising ways.
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