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Introduction

Mytopicishowwildfiresaffecttheenvironmentandtheanimals.
ThisinterestedmebecauseIloveanimalsandtheEnvironmentand
fireinterestsmeandIalwayshavewonderedhowitaffectsthe
environment.ThisleadmewanttoknowmoresoIdidmy
experimentonthisanditestedifpineneedlesareburneddothey
becomelessacidic.SoIdidmyexperimentandifoundoutthat
whentheyareburnedtheyaremadelessacidic.
S.T.E.MstandsforScience,Technology,Engineering,andMathand
ourprojectislikeGoogle20%timewherethepeoplewhoworkat
Googlegetonedayoftheweektoworkonwhatevertheywantand
anexampleofthisisthatGMailwascreatedduringGoogle20%
time.Andsowespent20%oftheschoolsyearonthisproject.

Question/Topic1

Ilearnedthroughmyhandsoninvestigationthatwhenpine
needlesareburnedtheybecomemorealkaliandthenpineneedles
gofrombeingacidictobeingalkaliwhenburned.Sothishasa
positiveeffectonallplantsneartheareathatcantgrowinacidic
conditionssoplantsthatarefoodsourcesforanimalsgrowand
animalpopulationsgrow.

Question/Topic2

Ilearnedthroughmyexpertexperiencealotabouthowanimals
andtheenvironmentareaffectedbywildfires.Anexampleaboutthe
effectonanimalsisthatwhentheriversgetfullofashitsuffocates
fishsotheashisbadforfishbuttheashbenefitslandherbivores.A
wayitbenefitsthelandherbivoresistheashmakesthesoilmore
nutritioussothegrassgrowshealthierandtaller.Ifthereareany
animalsincavesoroldminestheymaysuffocateifashgetsintheir
caveormine.Ifanimalsburrowundergroundtheywillbeableto
surviveafirebecauseashwillnotgetintothesmallburrows.Fires
candisruptthelifeofanimalslivingintheareaofthefireandforce
themtomoveintohumanpopulatedareasorpredatorcontrolled
areasorareaswheretheycannotflourish.Someanimalshidein
waterwhichisasmartwaytolastoutthefire.


Question/Topic3

Ilearnedinmyexpertexperiencealsohowwildfiresaffectthe
environmentaswellastheanimals.Ilearnedthatwhenawildfire
happensthatalotofplantsbenefitfromthisbecausetheashislike
afertilizerfortheplants.Alsowhentherearebigtreesthatcover
thegroundsothesundoesnotreachtheground,afteraforestfire
happensthosetreesareburneddownandtheplantsontheground
getsunlightandtheashmakesnewtreesandplantsthatgrowbig,
healthyandstrong.Ifthefireburnshotenoughforalongenough
timenoplantswillbeabletogrowbecausethereisahardclaylike
crustonthegroundeverywheresoplantscannotgrow.Alsothe
watercannotpenetratethehardcrustbutrunsoffofitwhichcauses
floodinganderosion.

Conclusion

InmySTEMSymposiumexperienceIhavelearnedalot.One
exampleisthatInowknowwhenpineneedlesareburnedthey
becomelessacidic.Also,thatbeingafirefightercanbeanenjoyable
jobbecausemyexpert(LukeBrandy)wasafirefighterandsaidthat
hegottoseeinterestingplacesthathewouldnothaveseenifhe
wasnotafirefighterandgottohaveamazingexperiencesthathe
wouldnothavehadifhewasnotouttherefightingwildfires.I
learnedthatwildfirescanhavegoodandbadeffects.

Bibliography
http://oregonexplorer.info/wildfire/WildfireRisk/WildfireEffectsAnimals

http://environment.nationalgeographic.com/environment/naturaldisasters/wildfires/

http://www.gardenmyths.com/pineneedlesacidifyyoursoil/

L
uke
B
randy
:WorksfortheNationalForestServiceandhasbeenafirefighteron
forestfiressincehewasateenager.