Forest Fire Causes and Effects - 1526 Words

Forest Fire: Causes and Effects Ron Hilton National American University One morning you wake up and look out the window. Off to the west, you see an orange glow over the hills. You ask yourself â€Å"Is that a forest fire? What caused it? What is it going to do to the ecosystem?† The answer to the first question comes down to two main causes, man and nature. According to the U.S. Fire Administration (2000), â€Å"Human activity is seven times more likely to be the cause of a wildland fire than that of lightning strikes.† We can narrow down the human-caused fires into two further categories, accidental, such as campfires, outdoor debris†¦show more content†¦There are fuels that can self-heat to temperatures sufficient for ignition. These fuels include hay, grain dust, wood chips, and manure. Spontaneous heating to ignition temperature occurs when heat from exothermic chemical or biological processes does not dissipate, usually because of restricted airflow. This often happens in large piles of the self-heating fuel, or in hot conditions that increase the temperature of the material. Heating is accelerated on warm, humid days. Unburned amounts of the spontaneously-heated mixture may remain after the fire, if flame did not reach the bottom of the pile or if there was not sufficient oxygen flow through the pile for complete burning, smoldering until conditions are right for full combustion. Fires can affect the ecosystem in both harmful and beneficial ways. They can affect our air, soil, the plants and animals that live in the wild, and our cultural resources. Globally, fires are a significant contributor of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. Fires account for approximately one-fifth of the total global emissions of carbon dioxide (Sandberg, Ottmar, amp; Peterson, 2002). The effects of a fire on the plants are obvious. The fires lay waste to vast areas of timber and grassland, which contributes to soil erosion and water quality. Where lethal temperature penetrates deeply enough to kill many regenerative structures,Show MoreRelatedThe Effects of Wildfires1348 Words   |  6 PagesFire at any level can be devastating, yet the effects that wildfires have on every worldwide country really has left its mark on the land. As written by world renowned wild fire spokesperson Smokey the Bear, â€Å"Every year, wildfires sweeps through parts of the United States setting wilderness and homes ablaze. On average these raging infernos destroy about four to five million acres of land a year. But in 2012, wildfire burned more than 9.3 million acres, an area about the size of Massachusetts andRead MoreClimate Change : Causes And Effects934 Words   |  4 PagesErin Reese Biology 122: 10:30-12:45 Climate Change What really causes climate change? Is it human cause or is a natural process that is happening? 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