Fire and the Ecosystem

Paper Summary:

This is devoted to providing a study of the relationship of fire to the maintenance of a balanced ecosystem and human efforts that are either (unwittingly) deleterious or beneficial. It explains the advantages that fire provides to the ecosystem and discusses whether the involvement of humans in the ecosystem destroys the natural balance.

From the Paper:

"Approximately, one month ago the news media was rife with details of problems caused by escalating fires that swept through forested areas in Southern California. (Kennedy, 2003) The newsreels teemed with instances of people whose houses had burned down or were in danger of being burned down. Naturally, one feels for these people deprived of their home and hearth by devastating effects of the fire. On the other hand, one must recognize the facts that not only are forest fires natural, they are a way for the earth to maintain ecological balance. Fires replenish the earth by doing away with the unwanted underbrush that threatens to suffocate the longer living plants by depriving the earth of aeration and nourishing water. It will be shown in this work that the plants have adapted to fires. Indeed, some plants have evolved to fuel the fires. Other plants have evolved to suppress fires. Still other plants have evolved to flourish in fires?their seeds only germinate after a fire. Plants are the primary providers in the food chain. Therefore, the flora of a region is the primary cause of the primary line of defense wherever natural fires are concerned. The fauna of a region is generally affected secondarily. The only animals that have an influence on fires are humans. Humans inadvertently, maliciously or carelessly cause fires."

More papers on Fire and the Ecosystem:

• Research Paper # 147486 : "Prescribed Fire and Prairie and Forest Herpetofauna"
• Term Paper # 101463 : "Deforestation in Canada and the World"
• Cause and Effect Essay # 109447 : "Shortleaf Pine and Fire"

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