Fire and Nature Answers

Student answers will vary. Historically, wildfires have been viewed as entirely detrimental to forest ecosystems. Also, wildfires can threaten homes and businesses.

Nutrients are introduced into soil through the decomposition of organic matter. Wildfires consume the plant matter faster than the decomposition process and can return nutrients to the soil as long as the soil does not become scorched.

Some plant species rely on wildfires for their reproduction process. Seeds of these trees do not open until they are exposed to wildfires. Prevention of all wildfires would stop these trees from continuing their reproduction process.

Wildfires benefit grasslands, northern forests, and deciduous forests. Grasslands are benefited by improved soil quality and control of tree cover. Invertebrate species diversity is maintained through wildfire as well. Northern forests, like grasslands, experience increased production and nutritional quality of food as a result of wildfires. Deciduous forests experience an increase in the nutritional quality of food as well, but the effects are more temporary. The amount of shrubs in deciduous forests is reduced as a result of wildfires, allowing more herbaceous plants such as mosses and lichens to grow.

Student answers will vary. Prescribed burns keep the underbrush at a level that prevents natural wildfires from burning longer and hotter than is natural for forests. If both natural wildfires and prescribed wildfires are prevented, some types of plants will not be able to complete their reproduction processes as they rely on wildfires to open their seeds. Loss of homes and property is more likely if prescribed burns are prevented.