Santa River Woolly Star Essay

Forest fires kill many animals and usually destroy a large amount of land. Prescribed burns seem like they would be the best idea, but are they? Their claim to fame is to clear out land in order to decrease the burning space for when an actual forest fire occurs. Yet this may seem like a brilliant idea, but one must look at the negative aspects of controlled burnings. People might have a change of heart when they realize the damages and effects of such an interesting act. Keep in mind that not only is your health involved but even such things as the inconvenience of dealing with a smoky town. It is important to understand that prescribed burns cause severe health problems especially to

There are many reasons that a controlled fire is very necessary to our environment. It is not only beneficial to nature but also to people as well. For example, many farmers will have controlled fires to improve the land for their livestock. When the land is burned off, new growth will begin to take its place which in turn becomes better "food" for the animals. The new growth is richer and has more nutrients than the old, dried

It will also produce for Nitrogen into the soil, to help more plants and vegetation grow in the future. With the Nitrogen and other additional nutrients in the soil it is helping farmers with their crops getting the nutrients it needs. Fires can also clear forests of insect infestations and potential diseases Warren (2011). Among the other benefits of prescribed burning are: Insect pest control, Removal of exotic, or non-species that compete with native species for nutrients and other needs, Fires occurring in nature can restore ecological balance and facilitate regeneration Warren

It is so horrible to see all of that timber go to waste. Our society depends on timber a lot and we need so much of it to produce so many useful goods. What would happen if we did not have any timber to make homes or proved some type of shelter? We would be lost and have no where to go. Prescribed burns can prevent that great loss of timber and save a lot of trees. Although one purpose of controlled burns is to curve paths for huge forest fires, they are also used to freshen up the area. If an area of trees is left untreated from prescribed burns, the sands are expected to decline in growth (Mitchell 1). Also, to ensure a healthy forest,

For centuries, society has been battling these natural disasters with considerable effort, only to come up with charred land and numerous homeless citizens. The one most significant gain, however, that comes with these fires is the vigorous regrowth that occurs years after the devastation. With a freshly cleared area, decaying sediment acting as fertilizer, and a significantly lower chance for fires, new life is easily reintroduced from the waste. The question then becomes whether it is ethical for human intervention with what is completely natural and healthy for the surrounding environment. The idea of allowing uncontrolled burns comes with great potential for animal and plant habitats, however it leaves many citizens in the wake of danger. Finding the balance between these two ideas, excessive interference and absolute surrender of control, is an important endeavor to way

Fires can either be natural or anthropogenic, which can depend on any situation. A study conducted in 2004 on a wild fire at Voyageurs National Park in Minnesota, suggests that the fire can

The rising number of high severity wildfires in California has significant ecological, economic, and health impacts. Many western American forests are adapted to frequent low severity fires. However, the majority of these forests, and particularly the mixed conifer forests of California, are not adapted to high intensity fires and do not possess fire resistance adaptations such as serotinous cones to protect seeds. Consequently, high severity fires have significant negative impacts on California forests, and the absence of low severity fires has considerably altered many fundamental ecosystem processes (Miller et al. 2008). Prior to 1900, low severity fires would burn every 6-15 years. Low severity fires are generally non-lethal, have minimal change to the overstory, and kill mainly small trees. In the past, these fires were started naturally by lightning, or by Native Americans who used low severity fires to manage the forests.

Humans maintain the park and influence mandatory controlled fires as well as control the wildfires. Wildfires are required to burn in order to keep the ecosystem in check. In Banff National Park, these fires burn in old growth areas. Once the fire is burned out it leaves nutrients in the soil to aid in regrowth for future plants. After the fire Grizzly Bears rummage through the now loose and nutrient rich soil for certain roots that are apart of their diets. These roots are only accessible to the Grizzly Bear after a fire has cleared out the forest. Once regeneration starts, the nutrients in the soil allow other food sources to begin growth and bears start to forage for them. The cycle continues once the forest has regrown.

According to Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary, Wildfire means “a sweeping and destructive conflagration esp. in a wilderness or a rural area.” Also according to the same dictionary, wilderness means “a tract or region uncultivated and uninhabited by human beings.” Forest Fires happen when there is a drought because branches and twigs die and dry out creating plenty of fuel for a fire. According to the NIFC (National Interagency Fire Center) there are about 105,534 wildfires that occur each year.

Wildfires emit huge amounts of carbon dioxide, increasing the rate of global warming. That warming then increases the number and severity of wildfires.

While not all the effects of prescribed burns are known some are very evident. The first of these common effects is that vegetation and fallen dead material are burned creating an open forest floor. This eliminates any fuel that could contribute to a high intensity fire in the future. When the fire burns the organic material in the forest, nutrient rich ash is left behind. When the first rain comes, the nutrients in the ash dissolve into the soil for the new plants to use. This process is called nutrient recycling. These nutrients left in the soil are a good source of food for the young plants that will begin to grow back. Another outcome of prescribed fire is that new growth begins immediately after the fires have been extinguished. Within

Population adaptation can occur as a result of local environmental pressures. Please explain what typically occurs to allele frequencies for these adaptive genes during this

Fire is explained in a tetrahedron of necessary requirements a fire needs before it is able to spring to life. First, is sufficient fuel. Different types of fuel coincide with different types of terrain. In dry, sparse areas, dead grass and shrubs provide the best fuel. In lush, green forests, pine needles, leaves, twigs, and other such things typically underfoot makes for the best fuel . Second, is an oxidizing agent. This could be the oxygen

Humans have been changing the Western forests' fire system since the settlement by the Europeans and now we are experiencing the consequences of those changes. During the summer of 2002, 6.9 million acres of forests was burnt up in the West (Wildland Fires, 1). This figure is two times the ten year annual average, and it does not look like next summer will be any better (Wildfire Season, 1).

Forests have covered the earth for millions of years, providing habitat and food for animals and humans. These forests have stabilized different ecosystems and have continued the natural cycle that keeps plants and animals in check. The discovery of fire changed all of this. It was the beginning of deforestation, a process that has continued and increased over the last 200,000 years. Humans are the responsible party for the deforestation that has occurred. Humans discovered that animals could be driven with fire. This led to accelerated forest loss due to uncontrolled burning for hunting use (Miller & Tangley 1991: 28). Agriculture was the next problem