ID #10

The College of Agriculture Sciences The Pennsylvania State University The Department of Agricultural and Extension Education Course Title: Intro. to Wildlife/Forestry Unit Title: Forest Management

Lesson Title (Essential Question): How can fires be used to manage a forest?

Instructional Time needed for Lesson (minutes/class periods): 47 minutes

Lesson Type: Informational

PA Academic Standard(s) and Anchors(s) Addressed Health Safety and Physical Education 10.2.9.E: Explain the interrelationship between the environment and personal health. Career, Education and Work goals. Speaking and Listening 1.6.10.A: Listen critically and respond to others in small and large group situations. Respond with grade level appropriate questions, ideas, information or opinions.

13.1.11.B: Analyze career options based on personal interests, abilities, aptitudes, achievements an

PA Agriculture Standards and Benchmarks Addressed

Forests and Vegetated Areas 5.3. Describe conservation practices for forests and vegetated areas Sustainability 14.3 Describe how local practices link to sustainability at the national/international level 14.6 Draw connections between natural resource issues at local, state, national and global levels and sustainability of the planet Objectives: Upon completion of class instruction, students will be able to: 1. Explain the positive and negative effects of forest fires with 80% accuracy 2. Explain the uses of prescribed fires with 100% accuracy

3. Describe the factors that affect prescribed fires with 100% accuracy
Key Agriscience Terms (Essential Vocabulary): Ground fires, Surface Fires, Crown Fires

Modalities Addressed:
Multiple Intelligences Addressed:

X Visual
X Verbal-Linguistic

X Auditory
X LogicalMathematical

X Kinesthetic
Naturalist X Visual-Spatial

X Bodily-Kinesthetic Musical

X Interpersonal

X Intrapersonal

Need/Situation: This class is designed for 20 students in their first or second year of agricultural sciences at the high school level. This lesson was created because many individuals in the United States view forest fires as pure devastation. Many individuals dont realize that there are situations where controlled burning is used frequently to manage forests and create new growth. This lesson is to allow the students to see that forest burning can have positive effects as well as negative. This is particularly important for those interested in forestr careers because they will need to know as many management techniques as possible

Resources (Community, etc)

Realia (Tools, Equipment and Supplies): Prescribed burning hand outs, pictures of fires and id legend, poste board, markers Pre-Class Set-Up: Write bell work on the board, and write prescribed burning on the board,

Bellwork: (5 minutes) Are fires in a forest beneficial or detrimental and why? Forest fires can be both detrimental and beneficial. (Forest fires and prescribed burn scenarios)

Interest Approach (Activating Strategies): (5 minutes) Bring in recent articles on forest fires. These articles should be from in the United States, and show that it is either a controlled burning or a wild forest fire. Explain the details and devastations of these news stories. Allow the students to ask questions without fully providing answers.

Transition/Segue Questions (at least 2-3): Can burning forests be beneficial to the overall health of the forest? Once the fire is burning how do we control the fire? Summary of Content and Teaching Strategies Now that we have discussed some of the potential threats of forest fires.

Reasons for Prescribed Burning (10 minutes) What do you think are some of the benefits of having controlled burning in order to manage a fire? (List student responses on the board and prompt students to obtain all of the answers) (a) Hazard Reduction What are some hazards that may exist in a forest? 1. Forest Liter and Undergrowth 2. Areas that have been prescribed burn every few year are immune to wildfire damage

(b) Hardwood Control Why would hardwood need to be controlled (remember hardwoods do not require full sunlight) 1. Unwanted growth prevents successful pine regeneration 2. Competes with large pines for nutrients and moisture.

(c) Site Preparation Why would you need to prepare the site? 1.) To establish pines, bare soil and full sunlight is needed. 2.) Fire is the most economical tool that can be used to help provide these conditions 3.) Provide a suitable seedbed. 4.) We can greatly reduce the cost of mechanical or chemical site preparation

(d) Wildlife Habitat 1.) To improve wildlife habitat by prescribed burning. 2.) Reduces predator cover 3.) Exposes hidden seeds 4) Increases herb and legumes as well as producing fresh low browse. (e) Disease Control 1.) Only method to control Brown Spot Needle Blight. 2.) The fire burns away the infected needles without killing the well protected bud. 3.) Decreases incidence of Fomes Annosus Root Rot.

(f) Improved Accessibility 1.) improves accessibility and visibility for marking and cruising, timber harvesting operations and other management and marketing activities. 2.) improve recreational and aesthetic values and provide better access for hunters or bird watchers.

As you can see Fire provides many different benefits to a forest. I am now going to give each group a scenario regarding a particular forest. You are going to work in pairs. When I say GO. I want you to read the scenario and discuss the reasons why prescribed burn may be used in this particular scenario and the sections of the forest that you chose to burn and why. GO!

Now that you have all had a chance to discuss why you believe you should use a particular burn scenario for a certain reason. I am going to have each of you read your scenario and your reasoning fo using prescribed burn on that forest. Prescribed Burning Factors (30 minutes) Now that you have looked over your scenario. It is important to know what factors affect prescribe burning. Without knowing these factors it is impossible to preform prescribed burning in a safe and effective manner.

First and most importantly let discuss the factors that effect prescribed burning. Can anyone think of any factors that would affect prescribed burning? Conditions that exist on and around the area that you want to burn Stand height Fuel Conditions Weather Season of the year Type of Fire Desired objective

Now that you have determined the factors that may be affected by burning. When I say GO I am goin to break you into 10 groups. In these groups you are going to quickly prepare a drawing and a short explanation on the topic upon which your receive. It is important to pay attention and take notes because on your final assessment you will be expected to create a burn plan. (See attached documen to see the descriptions that the students will receive) You will have 10 minutes to prepare your drawing and then we will begin presenting the information. As class is coming to a coming to a conclusion I would like to review what we accomplished today.

Review todays objective(s): We: 1. Explain the positive and negative effects of forest fires with 80% accuracy 2. Explain the uses of prescribed fires with 100% accuracy 3. Describe the factors that affect prescribed fires with 100% accuracy Opportunity to Learn (Students show YOU they learned that which you planned for them to learn, i.e. a student activity, writing a paragraph, a skit, a demonstration, a quiz, etc): (Summarizing Strategies) Einstein Moment The students create a mathematical equation regarding the prescribed burning factors. Connect cognitively: - Yesterday: Learned about the management of forests - Today : Controlled Burn Methods - Tomorrow: Additional Management Techniques of forests

Assessment for this Lesson: Student presentation on controlled burn factors

Assessment for Unit: Unit Project: Create a management agenda for a specific forest

Application

Extended Classroom Activity: The students assist in cleaning up a forest in the Huntingdon Area FFA Activity: Forestry CDE

SAE Activity: Forestry Research, Forestry Bureau Placement

Lesson Summary/Pre-Reflection Which component(s) in your lesson plan are your flex item(s), i.e., can be lengthened or shortened to accommodate time? Explain how the component(s) can be flexed. The component of my lesson that is the flex item is the final component where the students are doing an independent study on a specific prescribed burning factor. This item can be lengthened by having the students learn about this topic more in-depth through internet searches before presenting this information to the class. This item can be shortened by having the group shorten the presentation to allow all students to gain access to the information.

Describe any adaptations and accommodations for learners with special needs that can be made in this lesson plan (see Methods chapter 12). The adaptations and accommodations for learners with special needs for this particular lesson is the emphasis on group work throughout the group study. This will allow the learners with special needs to rely on other members of the class to assist them throughout the process. Finally for the notes portion of the lesson, providing these students with bulleted notes to allow them to more easily follow along and obtain the necessary information.

We learn in three modalities. Where in this lesson plan are your specific evidences of accommodating learners modalities? The visual aspect is fulfilled by having the students read different readings concerning factors affecting the prescribed burn. The students will also draw out visual representations of their particular topic. The auditory modality of learning is fulfilled by the students presenting the information on a certain factor of prescribed burning. The kinesthetic modality is fulfilled through the students working in groups and creating various representations of the information.

What is the highest level of cognition according to Blooms Taxonomy that students reach in this lesson plan? Describe this occurrence. The highest level of cognition that the students reach according to Blooms Taxonomy during this particular lesson is Evaluation. The students must evaluate how certain prescribed burning practices affect a specific stand of forest.

Fuel Conditions
(Student Handout) Fuel Conditions -- Fuel conditions refer to the amount and the
arrangement of the fuel, along with the desired intensity of the fire, will determine the type of fire to use and what weather conditions will be favorable. A continuous litter of pine needles or grass is usually needed for prescribed burning. On most well-stocked pine sites, fuels reach critical levels in about five years and need to be reduced. In addition to the ground fuels there are low growing shrubs draped with fallen pine straw that cause a level of aerial fuels. The combination of ground and aerial fuel can produce great quantities of heat. To reduce these fuels by prescribed burning requires knowledge of exact weather conditions to prevent flames from carrying excess heat into the tree crowns. The initial burn is made when the humidity is around 50% and the lower litter fuel moisture is at a relatively high level 20+ percent. With a strong wind and a low air temperature (50F. or less) a backfire can be used successfully under a stand of medium height trees.

Weather Factors
(Student Handout)

Temperature -- 20F. to 60F. is the ideal range for winter burning. Low
temperature help prevent damage to needle or stem tissue. Burning for hardwood control or site preparation is often best accomplished with summer burning with air temperatures 80F. or above.

Wind -- Steady 2 mph to 10 mph northerly is best. Steady wind direction and speed
are vital to good burning. The wind is necessary to supply oxygen to the fire. Wind also helps to dissipate heat from the fire.

Weather Factors
(Student Handout) Relative Humidity (R.H.) -- 30% to 50%. The relative humidity range for most
prescribe burns should be from 30% to 50%. R.H. is the actual amount of moisture in the air in relation to the total amount it can hold. A 20 degree rise in temperature can reduce the R.H. by about half. This much change in R.H. can change a fire from one that will hardly burn to one very difficult to control.

Rainfall -- 1/2 inch to 1 inch, one week before burning. The effect of rainfall on
burning depends on the amount of rain, the duration, the length of time, and drying conditions since the last rain. For most prescribed burns, the upper litter layer should be dry to touch (5 -12 percent fuel moisture). The thin organic layer on the top of the mineral soil should be moist, and the soil beneath should be damp. These conditions normally permit an effective burn with good fuel consumption and minimum smoke.

Season of the Year and Time of Day

(Student Handout)

Season of the Year -- The winter season burn offers the advantage of
less damage to the stand, generally more predictable weather, and steady winds. The summer burns offer a hotter fire to burn more of the rough for seedbed and site preparation.

Time of Day -- Day time fires offer better weather and working conditions.
Help is more available. Problems with night burning are lighter winds and the relative humidity goes up. Prescribed burning should start about 10:00 a.m. and firing stopped so the area will burn out by night. Many times in the winter strong cold front move through with steady winds and low humidity that present excellent conditions to prescribe burn.

Types of Fires
(Student Handout)

Types of Fires -- The use of fire vary with the different conditions of
weather, fuel, and topography. Fires moving in the same direction as the wind are called "Headfires." Fires moving in the opposite direction of the wind are "Backfires." Fires moving at a right angle to the wind are called "Flank Fires." Headfires generate the most intense heat and travel at the fastest rate. Backfires move the slowest and are the least intense method of burning. The Flank Fire is intermediate both in intensity and speed of movement.

Backfire -- This technique of burning should be used in areas that have not
been burned in several years. One should have a steady 4 to 10 MPH wind from a suitable direction, with the fire is set on the windward side and close to the edge of a clean firebreak or road. Generally backfires will only burn at most 100 feet per hour, so areas over 600 - 1000 feet wide should be divided by additional firebreaks. Once the fire has burned away from the first break the next break can be ignited. Backfires are well suited for sapling size stands and plantations 15 feet or more in height.

Types of Fire
(Student Handout)

Strip Head Fire -- Generally you do not use this technique on timbered
areas unless a backfire has been used to reduce the fuel. You still should use a backfire to form a secure base line to burn into. Striphead fires should not be much wider than 75 to 150 feet. By keeping the lines of fire close together so they soon burn into another burned area, they will not build to a high intensity of heat. Winds should be around 2 to 5 MPH for this type burning. Its chief advantage is being able to burn large areas much faster.

Flank Fires -- A flank fire is more often used to supplement other burning
techniques. A line of fire is set into the wind and burns outward at right angles to the wind. A flank fire can be used with a backfire to catch up a section of the line that is burning too slowly. It is quite often used to secure the flanks of a backfire or striphead fire. Fires behave somewhat differently in hilly country. Most fires moving uphill are headfires, and those moving downhill

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