Transcript Forest Fires

The Effects of Class A Fire
Suppressant Foams on the
Growth of Rosa arkansana,
Symphoricarpos occidentalis,
Poa pratensis
Kevin Li
Need
Figure 1
http://www.forestry.ky.gov/NR/rdonlyres/289
FF5EC-B018-47EB-8D1FFD71EEE065DC/0/Summary1960Present.p
df
Figure 2
http://www.forestry.ky.gov/NR/rdonlyres/289
FF5EC-B018-47EB-8D1FFD71EEE065DC/0/Summary1960Present.p
df
Need

210,000 gallons of Class A concentrate, which
is enough to make 42 million gallons of foam,
were sold in 1992. (Johnson C.)
Knowledge Base
Types of Flames
http://onioncity.com/wfd/images/exting_chart
Figure 3
Knowledge Base
-Fire tetrahedron
Figure 4
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/t
humb/9/99/Fire_tetrahedron.svg/220pxFire_tetrahedron.svg.png
Knowledge Base
Rosa arkansana
Symphoricarpos occidentalis
Poa pratensis
Figure 5
http://www.statesymbolsusa.org/IMAG
ES/North_Dakota/Rosa_arkansanawildprairier.jpg
Figure 6
http://www.fs.fed.us/database/feis/plant
s/shrub/symocc/plant.jpg
Figure 7
http://www.missouriplants.com/Grasse
s/Poa_pratensis_plant.jpg
Literature Review
-Freeborn P., 2007
Figure 8
http://www.firelab.org/Publications/Freeborn_Wooster_etal_2008_Jo
urnGeoRes_Vol113_D01301.pdf
Literature Review
Larson D. et
al.
Figure 9
http://www.fs.fed.us/fire
/retardant/references/L
arson_and_Newton_19
96.pdf
Literature Review
Sroysaard N. et al., 2000
Figure 10
Figure 11
http://www.bouldercounty.org/openspace/resources/res_fundi
ng/res_fund_pdfs/Small%20Grant%20Research/2000/2000Sy
orsaard.pdf
Figure 12
Purpose

The purpose of this experiment is to see the
effect of fire suppressant foams and fire
retardants on the growth of plants
Hypothesis


Null- The fire suppressant foams and fire
retardants had no effect on the growth of the
plants
Alternate- The fire suppressant foams and fire
retardants had an effect on the growth of the
plants
Methodology
Plants
Groups=2
Sample Size= 15
(S. occidentalis, P. pratensis, and R. arkansana)
Control
Containers with plants
grown with just water
Variable
Containers with plants grown with
water and fire suppressant
Procedure
-Grow the three types of plants in each container that are 5in x 5in
-Five of each in each container
-One ounce of class A fire suppressant foams put onto the containers every other day
-Measure the length of the stem
-Measure the stem of each of the leaves
-Measure the length of the leaves
Measurement
Length of stem
Length of leaves
Amount of fire suppressant applied.
Analysis
ANOVA to see if there is a difference
between the control and the variables.
Scheffe post hoc test
Protocols for Measurement



5in x 5in container for the control and each
variable
One ounce of class A fire suppressant foams
put onto the containers every other day
Same amount of water for the plants
Protocols for Measurement


One container of Rosa arkansana,
Symphoricarpos occidentalis, Poa pratensis
grown with water (five of each plant)
One container of Rosa arkansana,
Symphoricarpos occidentalis, Poa pratensis
grown with water and Class A fire suppressant
foam (five of each plant)
Budget
Catalogue
Amazon.com
Item
R. arkansana
Quantity
1
Unit Price
Total Price
$3
$3
Do-Ability


Plants can be grown easily in the lab
The fire suppressant foams are non-toxic
Bibliography
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-DOE/Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. "Gene Altering Chemicals Found In Forest Fire Smoke." ScienceDaily 2 May
2009. 5 May 2009 <http://www.sciencedaily.com /releases/2009/04/090430091057.htm>.
-Fire Information - National Fire News. 3 May 2009. National Interagency Fire Center.
4 May 2009 http://www.nifc.gov/fire_info/nfn.htm
-Fire Tetrahedron. 2009. Academic Laboratories & Field Facilities. 10 May 2009
<http://intraweb.stockton.edu/eyos/page.cfm?siteID=89&pageID=37>.
-"FEMA: Wildfire." Wildfire. 28 May 2008. Federal Emergency Management Agency. 12 May 2009
<http://www.fema.gov/hazard/wildfire/index.shtm>.
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<http://library.thinkquest.org/C003603/english/forestfires/index.shtml>.
- Freeborn, Patrick H. "Relationships between energy release, fuel mass loss, and trace gas and aerosol emissions during
laboratory biomass fires." Journal of Geophysical Research 113 (2007).
-Harris, Tom. "How Fire Works." 14 May 2002. HowStuffWorks.com. <http://science.howstuffworks.com/fire.htm> 06
May 2009.
-Information about the Fire Triangle/Tetrahedron and Combustion. 13 Feb. 2009. Colchester Center. 9 May 2009
<http://www.colchesterfire.org/html/whatisfire.html>.
Johnson, W. W. and Saunders, H. O. 1977, Chemical forest fire retardants: acute toxicity to five freshwater fishes and a scud.
Tech. Paper #91, U.S. Forest Service.
- Larson, Diane L. "EFFECTS OF FIRE RETARDANT CHEMICALS AND FIRE SUPPRESSANT FOAM ON NORTH
DAKOTA PRAIRIE VEGETATION." National Biological Service.
-The Straight Dope. 22 Nov. 2002. What exactly is fire? 5 May 2009
<http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/2425/what-exactly-is-fire>.
-Vogt, Gregory. Forests on fire: the fight to save our trees. New York: F. Watts, 1990.
-Wageningen University and Research Centre. "Experimental Fire Provides Knowledge About Damage After Forest Fires."
ScienceDaily 11 March 2009. 5 May 2009 <http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/02/090226110816.htm>.