NREM 390 – Fire Ecology & Management – Fall 2010
T,Th 11:00 – 12:20, Science II Room 333
Instructor:Dr. Heidi Asbjornsen
Tel: 4-7703; email:
Office: 305 Science II
Co-instructors/guest lecturers:
Susana Alvarado Barrientos; email:
Ryan Harr; email:
Dr. Virginia Hernandez Santana; email:
Bryan Ott; email:
Office hours:By appointment (We welcome the opportunity to talk with you outside of class; please contact any of us by email, phone, or in person to set up an appointment at a mutually convenient time.)
Webpage:
Textbook: Introduction to Wildland Fire (1996, 2nd edition) by S.J. Pyne, P.L. Andrews, R.D. Laven. Second Edition. John Wiley & Sons, Inc., New York.
A copy of the textbook is available at the Reserve Desk in the library and photocopies are in the NREM reading room.
Supplementary readings: Readings for some classes will be placed on the course webpage (see course schedule for details)
Goal of the course: The goal of this course is to introduce you to the fundamentals of fire ecology and management. Although the focus will be on forest ecosystems, we will also address some aspects of fire in grassland and savanna woodland ecosystems.
Course Outcomes: By the end of this course you should be able to:
- Explain how fire behavior is influenced by climatic and physical factors
- Describe the effects of fire on plants, animals, and the physical components of ecosystems
- Describe the fire ecology of the major fire-influenced ecosystems of North America
- Discuss effective fire control techniques for different wildfire and prescribed fire situations.
- Formulate effective fire management strategies for a variety of different ecosystems
Readings will be assigned for most class periods, and you will be expected to come to class prepared to discuss topics related to those readings, as well participate actively in class discussions. A list of outcomes will be provided for each class period (usually on the previous class day) to help you identify the material we think is important to remember as you read each chapter. We also will have very short quizzes over the major points of the class material that will be given most Fridays at the beginning of class. There will be two additional assignments during the semester: a term paper and a team project. Details about these assignments are provided in separate hand-outs.
An optional field trip may be arranged to a site nearby to participate in a prescribed burn (most likely for savanna or prairie restoration), pending favorable weather conditions. This field trip is highly recommended, since it would provide you with an excellent opportunity to experience first hand several aspects of fire ecology and fire management in the field.
Grading: The grade for the course will be determined according to the following criteria:
Exam I 20 %
Exam II 20 %
Exam III20%
Team presentations10 %
Term paper and associated assignments20 %
Quizzes/short assignments (2 lowest dropped)5 %
Class participation5 %
Grading will be as follows: A: 93-100%, A-: 90-92.9%, B+: 87-89.9%, B: 83-86.9%, etc.
Assignments should be handed in at the beginning of the class (or sent to me electronically before class) on the day they are due. Late work willnot be accepted. [Note: I am aware that sometimes extenuating circumstances may occur that prevent completion of an assignment. In such a case, please discuss the situation with me in advance such that appropriate arrangements can be made.]
Cooperative learning philosophy:
Throughout the course you will frequently be asked to work with other students in the class – both in a group setting (3-4 students) and in smaller pairs. We believe that learning takes place when students actively participate in the process of interpreting, explaining, and applying new knowledge and skills—and not by merely listening to an instructor and being “passively spoon-fed” information. Working with other students in the class is an opportunity to gain a deeper understanding and appreciation of the topic. You will be expected to participate actively in your own learning, as well as contribute to the learning of other students in the class. Our primary role as instructors is to facilitate this process by providing the necessary structure, tools and information where cooperative learning can take place and new knowledge can be built, as well as to encourage and enable each student to reach their greatest achievement possible within his or her abilities and potential. We use a variety of assessment techniques throughout the course in order to help both you as students and us as instructors to determine how well you are learning—and how well we are teaching. We also use these assessments as a basis for improving the course during the course of the semester, and we always value your feedback on how we can better enhance your learning in the course. Finally, we do not believe that grading on a curve—which creates competition among students—is an appropriate means of evaluation. Each student will be graded on their own merits and degree of advancement within the course.
Some basic ground rules for the class:
- Be on time and be prepared
- Respect each other and diverse opinions
- Actively participate
- Actively listen
- No put-downs
- Encourage and support each other
Statement on learning disabilities:
If you have a disability and require accommodations, please contact the instructor early in the semester so that your learning needs may be appropriately met. You will need to provide documentation of your disability to the Disability Resources (DR) office, located on the main floor of the Student Services Building, Room 1076, 515-294-7220.
NREM 390 – Fire Ecology & Management – Fall 2010
T, Th 11:00 – 12:20, Science II, Room 333
Date / Topic / AssignmentAug. 24, Tues. /
Introduction
Fire Basics / Aug 26, Thur. / The combustion process& Fire behavior / Chapter 1 (p. 3-34)
Chapter 2 (p. 46-89);
Aug 31, Tues. / Fire behavior & Wildland fuels / Chapter 2 (p. 46-89); Chapter 3 (p. 90-127)
Sept. 2, Thurs. / Fire weather - Temperature & RH, Atmospheric stability / Chapter 4 (p. 128-162)
Sept. 7, Tues. / Fire weather – Winds, Air Masses, & Fronts, clouds & T-storms / Chapter 4 (p. 128-162)
Sept. 9, Thurs. / Literary research/Paper writing / Topics for term paper due
Sept. 14, Tues. / Group Presentations: Weather
Sept. 16, Thurs. / Fire’s effects on vegetation & wildlife / Pyne et al. pp. 171-190
Guest lecturer: Virginia
Sept. 21, Tues. / Fire’s effects on soils & water / Pyne et al. pp. 190-197
Guest lecturer: Virginia
Sept. 23, Thurs. / Fire regimes and the world’s biomes / Annotated literature list for term paper due
Pyne et al. pp. 198-212; 629-640
Guest lecturer: Virginia
Sept. 28, Tues. / Fire weather and Fire effects – review/catch up
Fire Ecology / Sept. 30, Thurs. / Exam I
Oct. 5., Tues. / High/mixed intensity fire regimes: Rocky mountain conifer forests
Group presentation / Pyne et al. pp. 196-197
Turner et al. 2003 (Surprises and lessons from the 1998 Yellowstone fires)
Oct. 7, Thurs. / High intensity fire regimes: Chaparral
Group presentation / Reading: TBA
(FORMERLY: OUTLINE)
Guest lecturer: Susana
Oct., 12, Tues / Moderate intensity fire regimes: prairie/grasslands
Group presentation / Reading: TBA
Pyne et al. pp. 204-205
Guest lecturer: Susana
Thesis statement for term paper due
Oct. 14, Thurs. / Low intensity fire regimes: eastern deciduous forest & savannas
Group presentation / Reading: TBA
Guest lecturer: Susana
Oct. 19, Tues. / Mixed fire-regimes: Boreal forest
Group presentation / Reading: TBA
Guest lecturer: Susana
Outline of term paper due
Oct. 21, Thurs. / Mixed fire-regimes: Tropical ecosystems
Group presentation / Reading: TBA
Guest lecturer: Susana
Oct. 26, Tues. / Review/Catch up
Fire Management / Oct. 28, Thurs. / Exam II
Nov. 2, Tues. / Introduction to Fire Suppression / Pyne et al. 456-472
Nov. 4, Thurs. / Fire suppression: resources & organization / Guest Lecturer: Bryan Ott
Nov. 9, Tues. / Fire suppression: NFDRS & Introduction to Prescribed Fire / Guest Lecturer: Ryan Harr
Draft of term paper due
Nov. 11, Thurs. / Prescribed Fire – Case studies / Pyne et al. 539-562
Guest Lecturer: Ryan Harr
Nov. 16, Tues. / Modeling fire behavior / Guest Lecturer: Bryan Ott
Nov. 18, Thurs. / Group presentations: fire management
Nov. 23, Tues. / NO CLASS / Thanksgiving break
Nov. 25, Thurs. / NO CLASS / Thanksgiving break
Nov. 30, Tues. / Wildland-Urban Interface / Cohen, J.D. Reducing the wildland fire threat to homes: where and how much?
Dec. 2, Thurs. / Fire policy: the National Fire Plan / Pyne et al. pp. 619-629
Term paper due
Dec. 7, Tues. / Review/Catch up
Dec. 9, Thurs. / Exam III