Midterm Exam #2 Flashcards
What was the Great Fire of 1910 (or the Big Burn)?
3 million acres were burned and 87 people died in Washington, Idaho, and Montana. Started by several lightning storms and high winds and was not put out until it snowed for 10 days in August. Mostly fought by civillian force and the army because of the lack of trained firefighters.
How was the Big Burn significant in shaping future forest fire management in the U.S.?
It highlighted the need for better forest fire management practices and led to the strengthening of the U.S. Forest Service through trained fire fighters, adoption of aggressive fire suppression policies, creation of the Pulaski, and prevention efforts like Smokey Bear
How has forest structure changed over the last century?
Before fire exclusion (1870s-1880s) there were on average 15 to 50 trees per acre, but after heavy livestock grazing and fire exclusion, tree densities increased to between 400 to 1,500 trees per acre.
How has fire frequency and severity changed over the last 100 years?
Total wildfire acreage burned and acres per fire have increased, but the total number of fires has decreased.
In addition to more dense forests, what else is contributing to more fires?
Anthropogenic climate change causes rising temperatures to melt snow sooner, making forests drier for longer.
What evidence do we have that climate change is fueling forest fires?
There is a strong correlation between fuel aridity and size of forest burned, and models predicting forest fires fail to account for anthropogenic climate change.
What did the 2022 federal Infrastructure Plan provide with regards to prescribed burns?
It provided a budget to better manage forests and reduce catastrophic wildfires, including funding for prescribed fires and mechanical thinnings.
Describe the difference between high intensity, moderate intensity, and low intensity fires.
Low intensity fires spare the crowns of trees, moderate intensity fires may char more of the tree trunks, and high intensity fires burn the entire tree.
How was fire used by the Jemez early Pueblo people?
Fire was used for ovens, rituals, bonfires, and gathering plant fiber and medicine.
What happened to fire intensity and size after the early Pueblo people arrived?
Fire intensity and tree mortality decreased, the area burned increased, and fire zie had a smaller range, but same average
What was the impact of the Spaniards’ arrival on fire intensity and size?
There was a rebound of fuels and a return of widely spreading, frequent surface fires.
Is forest thinning alone sufficient to mitigate wildfire hazard?
Thinning alone can sometimes mitigate fire severity but may contribute to higher surface fuel loads.
What are the four main principles of soil health, as outlined by the USDA NRCS?
Minimize disturbance, maximize biodiversity, maximize living roots, and maximize soil cover.
Where is carbon stored in soils?
Topsoil.
Is soil a renewable natural resource?
No, soil takes millions of years to form, making it a non-renewable resource.
Describe what makes topsoil different from deeper soil layers.
Topsoil contains the highest concentration of organic matter, nutrients, and microorganisms. Most fertile/essential for plant growth. Usually darker and looser than deeper layers that have less nutrients and more minerals.
How have agricultural practices led to soil loss?
Excessive use of chemical fertilizers and monocultures have reduced soil organic matter.
What were two key factors that contributed to the Dust Bowl in the 1930s?
Drought conditions and land management practices causing soil erosion.
What are good agronomic practices for soil health?
Crop rotation, cover cropping, conservation tillage, contour farming, and strip cropping.
What is desertification?
Land degradation in arid areas due to climatic variations and human activities.
What are some causes of desertification?
Deforestation and over-grazing of livestock.
Has the program to recover the Mexican Gray Wolf in the U.S. been successful?
Yes, with increasing population numbers. Genetic issues and inbreeding still threaten them, efforts to introduce new genetic material are working. Conflict with humans is still a problem, but public awareness has increased.
What is the 2024 year-end total minimum MX wold count (within +/- 20)? How is the population number trending?
286 wolves, population trending up
What are the seven aspects of the North American model of wildlife conservation?
Public trust, elimination of markets for game, allocation by law, legitimate purpose for killing, international resource, science-based policy, and democracy of hunting.
