Postdoctoral Research Scientist Dr. Tom Brussel led a virtual course for 12 middle school students with 365 SMART Academy of the University of Alaska-Fairbanks in August 2021 titled “Alaska on Fire”. The course’s content was geared to share knowledge of boreal forest succession and how these ecosystems interact and are impacted by climate change and wildfire. Participants were guided through these topics through interactive lessons and discussions, which were then reinforced in activities outside of the meeting time.
On our first day together, plant identification was described based on different observable characteristics that may promote or inhibit wildfire in boreal forests. Participants drew sketches of trees and plants near their houses and used a combination of online resources to figure out the species identities.
The basics ingredients of wildfire at different scales were discussed on the second day. Students observed an experiment to identify parts of the fire triangle that went missing. A stimulating discussion occurred regarding different scientists such as fire ecologists, dendrochronologists and archeologists, and how they conduct wildfire research. The difference between “weather” and “climate” were also examined, as well as the characteristics of different wildfire regimes.
Wednesday’s meeting was fun! Students first learned about boreal forest succession, which was followed by a discussion about how climate change and forest management for fire suppression over the past century have led to changes in natural successional pathways. Outside of our meeting, students identified different successional stages in their backyards, at school and nearby parks and sketched their findings.
A student in the Alaska on Fire course showing an image of a forest succession, leading to a group discussion on whether the forest was in the “shrub” or “young forest” successional stage.
Our fourth meeting focused on a variety of topics centered on differences between modern and historical forests. Participants learned that fire is a natural part of landscapes, and because of fire suppression, many forests today are too densely populated; when wildfires occur, they generally burn at higher temperatures that lead to crown fires, restarting succession. These concepts were strengthened with a matchstick forest experiment, wherein students (with their parent’s supervision) burned trees (matches) set on a landscape (Playdoh on a cookie sheet) to simulate the effects of topography and tree density on wildfire behavior.
Examples of historical (left) and modern (right) matchstick boreal forests. Participants were sent materials to create these forests with their parent’s supervision with the goal of hypothesizing and observing how topography and forest density influence wildfire behavior. Photo credit: University of Arizona
On the final day together, participants discussed the essentials of a “defensible space”. This space is a buffer between houses and other flammable objects like trees, dead branches, leaf litter, propane tanks and wood piles that if maintained properly, can assist in slowing or stopping the spread of wildfire. The activity at the conclusion of our discussion was to sketch a birds-eye-view of their house and property, followed by another sketch of their properties with items removed to create a truly defensible space.
Participants learned how to maintain the two zones that comprise defensible spaces through group discussions and examining some examples of “good” and “poor” landscape management practices in and around boreal forests. Photo credit: readyforwildfire.com.
