Burning Questions
By: Christina Leung, Marta Galecki, Nicholas Warndorff

INTRODUCTION

Forest fires are often regarded as having only detrimental effects on the ecosystems of the areas where they occur. Approximately two thirds of forest fires are caused accidentally and destroy acres of woods because they are uncontrolled and difficult to stop (http://www.infoplease.com/spot/forestfire1.html). These forest fires destroy healthy trees and shrubs that supported wildlife and the intense heat that they produce, vaporizes some of the essential nutrients from the soil into the atmosphere, preventing successful plant re-growth (http://flame.fl-dof.com/Env/nrf.html). With all of the negative effects of uncontrolled forest fires, is it possible to have prescribed forest fires under controlled conditions that promote better plant re-growth? We hypothesize that the ashes, which result from the burning of both indigenous and invasive species of plants from the southern Ohio region, will promote stronger plant growth (based on the height of the plant) when used to fertilize radishes. The purpose of this experiment is to simulate the effects of the change in soil composition that results from the re-growth of vegetation.
We created the concept of this experiment following the nature walk that we went on as a class at the beginning of the course. When we learned about honey suckle, the invasive plant in this region, and we learned about the negative effects that this weedy plant has on bio-diversity, we decided that a topic which related to a possible solution for this problem would be most relevant to our area. We believe that a controlled forest fire in this region could eliminate some of the competition between the weedy plants and other species, and would fertilize the soil in order to strengthen the renewed plant growth. Our experiment would help us accomplish the following: determine whether plants grow stronger in soil that is fertilized by the ashes of 4 different plants.
RELEVANCE
This research is particularly interesting because it suggests that forest fires might be beneficial for some wooded areas. This is a notion that most people are uncomfortable with because the destruction of any forested area is assumed to be harmful, even if the forest fire might yield positive results in the long run. Providing evidence that forest fires could supplement future plants with nutrients that would romote better plant growth. A similar experiment was performed on Canadian Thistle to test the effects of resistance with repeated burning. The researchers from Colorado burned, grazed, and manipulated carbon levels to study the effects as means of maintaining tallgrass prairie plant diversity. The researchers found the overall burning very beneficial with the encouragement of the prairie grasses (native to Ohio’s historical geography) and as a way of controlling the nitrogen levels in the soil content (Howe, 2000).
Also, since forests accumulate fuels, it is important for there to be smaller scale, occasional fires that will expend the fuel in small doses. As opposed to allowing for the fuels to build up and releasing them in a single, large-scale fire that would be much more devastating for the wildlife (http://flame.fl-dof.com/Env/nrf.html). It is our hope that through this project, we might be able to educate people about the positive effects of forest fires and their necessity to the balance of the fuels in the ecosystem. It is strongly suggested to analyze the different forest communities and their fire cycles, and realize we are falling way behind the natural cycle by thousands of acres. Analyst say, “We should be burning 5,000 acres or more a year just to keep up with current annual fuel accumulations, but we are lucky if we achieve 1,000 acres” (Wuerthner, 1995). Research has shown that nutrients such as phosphorus, potassium, and calcium are returned to the soil after nitrogen is released in the fire. Nitrogen in ash is subject to rapid mineralization and nitrification, so available NH4+ and NO3- usually increase after fire, even though total N may be lower. Nitrogen is important because when forest fires volatilize nitrogen in proportion to heat generated and organic matter is consumed. N2 dominates gaseous loss of nitrogen, constituting a form of "pyrodenitrification" that removes fixed nitrogen from forests and soils. Therefore, it is important to recognize that during postfire development N accumulates in leaves and wood; and as trees increase in size, soils accumulate N in surface litter and soil organic matter. This allows for healthier growth where the vegetation can thrive off the forest floor and soil where there are typically the largest pool of N in boreal forest ecosystem. Below is a chart of each nutrient’s growth effects on a forest post fire.
á
á (http://www.biology.ualberta.ca/courses.hp/bio366/nitrogen.htm).

The fire also releases the seeds of some species that require the heat of the fire to initiate germination and thrives in the newly fertilized soil. Therefore, the plants colonizing these rich ashbeds are more vigorous than those growing outside them (Anderson, 1995). These regenerative effects are little known to the public and need attention to support the often misunderstood effects of forest fires.
History and culture have shown the benefits of forest fires in places where the indigenous people live off of their land. The Zulu often have regular cool fires that do not exceed a half a meter tall to promote hunting, so that the area is fertile for the animals (Woods 1995). In Madagascar, fires are used to remove the old, dry, unpalatable grass stalks and release nutrients, fertilizing new growth. They override the competitive effects of selective grazing, giving favored forage species a better chance. Ohio specifically has been the result of the rise of the Rocky Mountains eighty to one hundred million years ago begetting the existence of Midwestern prairies. A byproduct of the "rain shadow of the Rockies," they were formed by the gradual re-accumulation of water in the clouds that travel from the mountains eastward. As the clouds continue east, however, they gradually re-accumulate water, so that further east the soil becomes richer and wetter, culminating in the deciduous forests of Ohio and the east, where an average of thirty inches of rain falls per year. However, Ohio was not as wet and forested as it is today. Four to six thousand years ago, the climate became drier, extending the rain-shadow effect as far east as Pennsylvania and Ohio. During this period, Ohio prairies were dominated by plants such as big bluestem, Indian grass, wild bergamot, purple coneflower, and stiff goldenrod. To the settlers, the prairies were effectively barrens—places with soil too hard to crack and till. But as the prairies began to vanish due to industry in the 1830’s, the land became revolutionized with agriculture (http://www2.kenyon.edu/bfec/news4/vol5no4/burn.htm).
Forest fires eventually stopped becoming a part of regular activity due to agriculture and the need for them was forgotten. However, especially today, forest fires can accelerate the growth of resprouts in areas of sufficient moisture by exposing the soil to the sun. This green bite is critical to cattle health--the protein-rich grass resprouts carry the cattle through the late dry season (Kull 2000). The importance of forest fires needs to be more widely accepted in order to help balance our ecosystem and allow the public to broaden their perspectives on other natural occurrences in nature as well, rather than continuing to passively harm the earth.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
Reforestation as a result of forest fires is an important process to the balance of the ecosystem. Therefore, testing the result of ashes from invasive and native species on the growth of new vegetation is a vital part of assisting in regeneration. The experiment includes finding invasive and native species in the area of Southern Ohio and burning the plants (Honeysuckle, Norway Maple, American Beech, and Russian Olive) to create approximately 15 grams of ash that will be placed on top of soil already containing germinated radish seeds. The growth of the radish plants will be periodically measured, charted, and using these results, conclusions will be drawn on the effects of forest fires on new plant growth.
To decide which plants would be appropriate for the experiment, the assistance of an expert was enlisted to identify local pervasive plants. Honeysuckle, Norway Maple, American Beech, and Russian Olive were identified as common plants in the area, and therefore deemed good variables to test. Radishes were also chosen because of their easily recorded growth and heartiness in maturation. The samples of plant are to be burned on in a localized fire and with special pills to test the degree of the heat. This will safely and accurately record the temperature at which they flame to produce ash. The readings will also give a good estimation of the temperature at which forest fires either start due to natural causes like heat, lightning, intense sun, or even volcanic eruptions. The information will also provide a good idea of the limits of controlled fires that could potentially start a forest fire.
Because the effects of ash on plant growth are being tested, the ash will be added on top of the soil at the beginning of the investigation. The variables will consist of 75 small pots each containing radishes. 4 trays of 15 pots will be necessary for each variety of ash. The remaining 15 pots will be controls for the actual growth of radishes without the influence of ash. The plants will be watered as needed and checked for sprouting, and eventually growth, twice a week for the duration of 3 months. The results will be recorded, charted, and statistically compared to determine whether or not our hypothesis is correct.
This experiment is statistically sound because large sample size of each species tested will ensure accuracy of data. The population and consistency in the project will verify the outcome. The reason for this consistency is to produce accurate results that can give a better idea of the effects of forest fires. Choosing the number of samples was arbitrary as the objective is to find the effects of pervasive species on the regeneration of vegetation. To ensure that the results are not biases, many pots and radish samples have been allotted for the experiment to guarantee consistency and comparison. Though there are inevitably going to be errors, one error that seems to be the result of the lab is that there is little chance that we can actually use our small scale representation to accurately resemble a real forest fire. Therefore, our tests will only form a theory. The data collected by the class can also not be guaranteed, but since the class size is on a large scale, there is room for more discrepancy and ability to curve our results for better accuracy. The methods of collecting data and the importance of consistency will definitely be prevalent when introducing the project to the class due to the specific samples and precise measurements necessary to arrive at any conclusion. It is very vital in the experiment that procedures are executed to their best because of such a small estimated discrepancy between the radish growths.
Materials that are important to discovering the results of forest fires on regeneration include our 15 gram, each, ash samples of Norway Maple, American Beech, Honeysuckle, and Russian Olive plants; and the plant being tested, the 75 radishes, initially germinated. These plants will in essence, grow together in the soil, another important material. This soil also must be vermiculite, which will ensure the soil content devoid of previously mixed nutrients that may alter or bias the results. The amount will be the same in each pot, another important material to host the experiment, needing 75 pots. We plan on burning the plants in a metal container that is set down on concrete in order to ensure that the fire stays contained. Caplets that measure the temperature of a fire will be used when we burn the branches of the plants. A digital scale will measure the amount of amassed ash in grams to collect the required amount and other tools such as beakers, gloves, or goggles for protection and transportation of the ash.
The class will be involved in the study by assisting in the measuring process, which will be demonstrated so there is a consistency among calculations. The rulers will sit at the top of the soil long-ways, and the height of the growth, if any, will be measured in millimeters. The measurements will be taken at eye level and recorded on a chart that has specified slots on a grid for each individual radish plant. This collection of data will also be in trials so that more than one classmate is measuring the same plant, to ensure accuracy. The class will be asked to deliver it to the group member in charge of keeping the collective data and the results will be looked over for any major discrepancies. Data will be processed at the designated time to review the results statistically. We will calculate the mean growth of each type of fertilized plant that was measured the final time on November 15, and then we will use the ANOVA test to compare the means of these plants fertilized by the different types of ashes. We will also use the Chi-Square test in order to compare the expected (control- no ashes) value to each of the four different observed values (measured for the plants fertilized by the different types of ashes). This will help us to determine if the means of the heights for the plants that were fertilized with the different types of ashes are statistically different from the control, which was not fertilized with ashes.
DATA TABLE
The data sheet that assists this experiment will consist of the axes of time (days), and the samples heights with 75 spaces: 15 Norway Maple, 15 American Beech, 15 Honeysuckle, 15 Roman Olive, and 15 Control Radishes (millimeters). (See Attached Proposed Table Below).

Samples Measurement 1 2 3 4 5
Norway Maple













Russian Olive














American Beech














Honeysuckle














Control













.

TIMELINE
Oct. 12 Burn the plants in order to obtain the ashes.
Oct. 14 Plant the seeds in the plots and fertilize with the ashes.
Oct. 15-Nov.15: Collect Data (includes twice weekly measuring height of plants. The Class is also involved in the collection of data in this part of our experiment.) Also, caring for the plants (i.e. watering).
Nov. 18-Nov. 22: Analyze data (includes performing statistical tests and noting the effects)
Nov. 20-Nov. 25 Write results (create drafts and final paper)

Works Cited

Agee, James K. “Effects of Forest Fires.” Ecological Restoration. (2000). Vol. 8, Issue 3, p. 324

Anderson, Robert. “Still Life.” Natural History. (1995): Vol. 104, Issue 12, p.74.

Howe, H.F. et. al. “Grasslands.” Ecological Restoration. (2000). Vol. 18, Issue 3, pp. 193-196.

Johnson, David. “Fire Zone” http://www.infoplease.com/spot/forestfire1.html

Kull, Christian A. “Madagascar’s Burning Issue.” Environment. (220): Vol. 44, Issue 3, p. 8-12

Woods, Michael. “Under Fire.” Geographical Magazine. (1995): Vol. 67, Issue 12, p.30-34.

Wuerthner, George. “Fire Power.” National Parks. (1995): Vol. 69, Issue 5/6, p. 32-38/

“Natural Role of Fire” http://flame.fl-dof.com/Env/nrf.html

“A cleansing fire helps restore prairie lands.” http://www2.kenyon.edu/bfec/news4/vol5no4/burn.htm

“Boreal Ecology: The Boreal Ecosystem Nitrogen Cycle.” http://www.biology.ualberta.ca/courses.hp/bio366/nitrogen.htm

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