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Where There’s Smoke, There’s Fire: Is Climate Connected to Very Large Wildland Fires?

In this article, scientists explore if and how climate and weather are connected to very large wildland fires to help predict and prepare for future events.

Where There’s Smoke, There’s Fire: Is Climate Connected to Very Large Wildland Fires?

Meet the Scientists

What Kinds of Scientists Did This Research?

Jet Propulsion Laboratory Scientist: This scientist works at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory. She uses new technologies to collect data and create new information. This scientist also examines information coming from current space missions and satellites, and she shares that information with other scientists, land resource managers, and the general public.

Climatologist: This scientist studies climate change, climate variation, and the effects of climate on Earth.

Statistician: This scientist uses statistics to design data collection plans, analyze data, graph data, and help solve real-world problems in business, engineering, the sciences, or other fields.

Quantitative Ecologist: This scientist uses statistics and mathematics to solve problems in ecology. Ecology is the study of the interactions of living things with each other and with the nonliving environment.

What Is the Jet Propulsion Laboratory?

The Jet Propulsion Laboratory works with the United States National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and is managed by the California Institute of Technology. Some scientists who work at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory construct and operate spacecrafts within Earth’s orbit and farther into space. They also test new technologies on aircraft.

You may have heard about missions organized by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Jet Propulsion Laboratory projects include the Curiosity and Opportunity rovers, the Cassini-Huygens orbit around Saturn, and the Juno expedition to Jupiter. Other projects include Voyager 1, a satellite that was launched in 1977 and is still in space (figure 1).

An illustration showing the Voyager 1 space probe. — **Figure 1**. Scientists believe that Voyager 1 has gone farther into space than any other human-made object. Voyager 1 is one of many spacecrafts that Jet Propulsion Laboratory scientists have helped design, construct, or operate.

NASA illustration.

Many other Jet Propulsion Laboratory projects take place on Earth and study the environment. Some Earth missions include studying soil moisture, carbon dioxide, and global precipitation.

Learn more about NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

Thinking About Science

Scientists write and share information with one another in scientific journals. Reading scientific journals adds to a scientist’s understanding of a topic. Scientists may read articles from many different journals before they begin their own research. This process is often called a “literature review.”

Performing a literature review ensures that a scientist is using accurate and up-to-date information. It also helps scientists identify the best methods for their research. Scientific research may not improve the science community’s understanding of a topic if scientists do not first conduct a literature review.

In this study, the scientists performed a literature review before beginning their research on wildland fires. During their literature review, the scientists discovered previous research on wildland fires. Using the information gathered during the literature review, the scientists created new research questions.

Thinking About the Environment

Scientists compare and contrast Earth’s ecosystems using many different criteria. For instance, some scientists compare the diversity of animals across ecosystems, while other scientists compare ecosystems by levels of air pollution.

Scientists may collect many pieces of information to compare wildland fire across ecosystems (figure 2). The information may include:

how often natural wildland fires are expected to occur;
the amount of area burned by an average wildland fire;
wildland fire severity, which is a measurement of how plants, soils, and animals are affected by a wildland fire; and
the expected wildland fire intensity, which is a measurement of the amount of heat released from a fire.

A map of Texas showing different fire characteristic areas. — **Figure 2**. Scientists place ecosystems into groups based on how wildland fire interacts with each ecosystem. The groups provide a general understanding of the ecosystem and the wildland fires that may occur.

On this map, “Group 1” indicates ecosystems with frequent, low severity wildland fires. Ecosystems in Group 4, however, have infrequent wildland fires that are often severe. Groups 3 and 5 are not pictured on this map because ecosystems in those groups do not occur in Texas. Only wildland fires started by natural causes, such as lightning, are included in this assessment.

What similarities or differences do you see between the eastern and western parts of Texas?

FIND Outdoors map by Carey Burda and Stephanie Pfeiffer.

These pieces of information are influenced by climate and plant communities in an ecosystem (figure 3). Using these pieces of information, scientists can place each ecosystem into a “group” or “regime,” which indicates how wildland fire interacts with the ecosystem.

Ground fires burn grass under longleaf pine trees. — **Figure** 3. Longleaf pine forests would be characterized as Group 1 (*see figure 2*). These forests have wildland fires often due to lightning strikes. The plants and animals within longleaf pine forest ecosystems are adapted to survive wildland fires.

USDA photo.

Introduction

Wildland fires are considered a natural part of many ecosystems on Earth. The scientists in this study knew that wildland fires were common in many parts of the Western United States. The scientists observed, however, that wildland fires in some areas were growing larger than they expected. The scientists called these fires “very large wildland fires.”

Very large wildland fires are fires that burn more than 50,000 acres of land. Each year, very large wildland fires account for large portions of the total area burned in the Western United States. Very large wildland fires are expensive to suppress (figure 4). They are also potentially damaging to ecosystems and human health (figures 5 and 6).

Three people work in a room with a large map on the wall and computers and papers on the desk. — U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service photo.

Two firefighters stand in the grass in front of a large fire that is completely engulfing a tree. — USDA Forest Service photo.

A line of firefighters in yellow shirts and hard hats carry shovels and pulaskis as they walk down a dirt road. — Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management photo.

Figure 4. (Above) Land and fire resource managers, firefighters, scientists, and community leaders are all involved in managing wildland fires.

A large plume of smoke rises over a tree line. — **Figure 5**. Smoke from wildland fires can negatively affect human health.

USDA Forest Service photo by Susy Walton.

Smoke rises from a ground fire next to a NASA launch facility. — **Figure 6**. Very large wildland fires can threaten buildings, roads, homes, and ecosystems.

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service photo.

The scientists read past research, which showed that climate can influence wildland fires. However, past research did not focus on very large wildland fires. The scientists, therefore, were interested in using weather data to understand the connection between climate and very large wildland fires.

Number Crunch

Reflection Section

Methods

To answer their question about climate and very large wildland fires, the scientists selected eight study regions. These study regions had been created by the National Interagency Fire Center (figure 7).

A map showing the different fire regions in the western United States. — **Figure 7A**. The scientists chose eight study regions. The regions included: Southwest, Rocky Mountain, Northern Rockies, Northwest, Northern California, Southern California, Western Great Basin, and Eastern Great Basin. All eight of the study regions were located in the Western United States.

FIND Outdoors map by Carey Burda.

A map showing a smaller study region encompassing most of Arizona, all of Utah, and the western portion of Texas and Oklahoma. — **Figure 7B**. Study regions may encompass multiple States and ecosystems.

FIND Outdoors map by Carey Burda.

The sign for the National Interagency Fire Center that displays all the cooperating agencies' seals.

What Is the National Interagency Fire Center?

The National Interagency Fire Center (NIFC) is located in Boise, Idaho. NIFC focuses on organizing and managing resources needed to fight wildland fires in the United States. Staff at the NIFC facility help distribute materials and direct firefighters. Wildland firefighters receive training at the center. NIFC staff also conduct research to help predict wildland fires.

NIFC is composed of many cooperating Federal agencies. These Federal agencies, along with State agencies, are responsible for understanding and managing wildland fires across the United States.

NIFC also helps manage other dangerous situations that occur in the United States, such as floods.

Learn More

Next, the scientists found wildland fire data from the years 1984–2010. Data were available for each of the eight study areas. These data showed the amount of land burned in each wildland fire. The data enabled the scientists to classify each week of data as either a “very large wildland fire week,” “large fire week,” or “no fire week.”

The scientists then gathered weather data and biophysical observations to use as climate variables. Weather data and biophysical observations studied over long time periods, such as months, years, or decades, help scientists understand climate.

Weather data used in this study included monthly average air temperature and monthly average precipitation. Seven different biophysical observations were used in the study (table 1). Biophysical observations help scientists analyze parts of the environment, like soils and plants, to better understand climate conditions.

Table 1. The scientists chose seven biophysical observations. Biophysical observations are useful for understanding climate conditions related to drought or the potential for wildland fires to start and grow.
Name	What does it represent?
100-hour fuel moisture (FM100)	Moisture content of small dead plant material (1–3” diameter).
1000-hour fuel moisture (FM1000)	Moisture content of large dead plant material (3–8” diameter).
Energy Release Component (ERC)	Amount of heat that a fire could create based on the amount of living plants and dead plants.
Burning Index (BI)	Effort needed to control a fire.
Fine Fuel Moisture Content (FFMC)	Moisture content of fine dead plant material.
Duff Moisture Code (DMC)	Moisture content of material on forest floor.
Palmer Drought Severity Index (PDSI)	Dryness of soils in a location based on recent weather.

The scientists combined the wildland fire data and the climate variables (weather data and biophysical observations) in a computer for analysis. The analysis enabled the scientists to look for patterns between the climate variables, very large wildland fires, and large wildland fires. The scientists were also able to compare patterns occurring across the eight study regions.

Number Crunch

Reflection Section

A newspaper's weather page showing the forecast for the week.

What Is the Difference Between Climate and Weather?

Oftentimes, scientists say, “Climate is what we expect. Weather is what we get.” Each winter, we get our pants, gloves, and jackets ready for the colder days. We use experiences from past years to judge how we should dress for the winter. Occasionally, on some days in the winter, it might be surprisingly warm. It can be so warm, in fact, that we need to remove the jackets, hats, and gloves that we thought we needed.

If the above situation has happened to you, you have thought about both weather and climate. Climate is the range of possible weather conditions in a location. On the other hand, weather is the current condition of the atmosphere in a location, including air temperature, precipitation, or wind.

(Photo left) Weather information is reported daily in newspapers, on television, on the radio, and on the internet. Weather, such as air temperature and precipitation, can vary. The weather we get may be different from the weather we expect. FIND Outdoors photo by Brian Cooke.

By looking at weather over time, such as months, years, or decades, we can better understand the climate for a location. For example, many years of weather data indicate that the State of Florida should expect a climate with warm, sunny summers. Using this knowledge of Florida’s climate, we would bring shorts, t-shirts, hats, and sunscreen on summer vacation. However, weather can suddenly change. A storm could bring unexpected weather with clouds and cool winds for a few days. With an understanding of Florida’s climate, we realize that the warm and sunny summer weather will return following the unusual weather.

Scientists can look at the distribution of weather data to find patterns that indicate the climate. In this research, the scientists wanted to know more about how climate was linked to very large wildland fires. To do this, they analyzed weather data and biophysical observations before, during, and after very large wildland fires.

Learn More at the National Snow and Ice Data Center Learn More at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Learn More at NASA

Findings

Results show patterns that suggest climate before, during, and after very large wildland fires is different than climate for large wildland fires. Some biophysical observations showed clear patterns involving very large and large wildland fires, while weather data show no clear patterns. Specifically, climate variables related to drought conditions, like DMC or PDSI, can indicate times in which very large wildland fires may occur (figures 8 and 9).

A chart showing the changes in DMC at the different study areas over time — **Figure 8**. DMC is a measure of the moisture content of materials on the forest floor (*see table 1*). DMC indicates seasonal drought conditions. DMC was different for very large wildland fires and large wildland fires across the eight study regions.

FIND Outdoors illustration by Stephanie Pfeiffer.

A graph showing the changes in the PDSI over time in the different study areas. — **Figure 9**. PDSI is a measure of the dryness of the soil (*see table 1*). PDSI in some study regions changed from moist soils (above 0) before a very large wildland fire to dry soils (below 0) when a very large wildland fire started.

FIND Outdoors illustration by Stephanie Pfeiffer.

The scientists also discovered that plant communities within a study region influence patterns seen in the data for very large wildland fires.

For example, some study regions contain ecosystems with few plants, like Western Great Basin and Southwest. In these study regions, biophysical observations often followed similar patterns. These study regions require high moisture in the year before a fire to lead to very large wildland fires. High moisture creates conditions for plant material to grow and later burn.

On the other hand, study regions like Pacific Northwest or Rocky Mountain have many plants and a lot of precipitation. The scientists observed that these areas require hot and dry conditions leading up to, and during, a fire to lead to a very large wildland fire.

Reflection Section

The scientists found some patterns in the data for many biophysical observations. The patterns were seen before, during, and after very large wildland fires. These patterns often occurred in multiple study regions. Look at figure 8, and examine the results. What is the pattern you see occurring for very large wildland fires (marked with the solid line in the graph) in each study region?

occurred see Using

Which study regions are experiencing this pattern?

How is that pattern different from large wildland fires (marked with the dotted lines in the graph)?

Review figures 8 and 9. These figures illustrate the results of biophysical observations that are climate variables. Using the information you learned about these biophysical observations (see table 1), why do you think these variables are connected to very large wildland fires?

Click submit to view the answers.

Form entries are not stored

What Is the Pacific Wildland Fire Sciences Laboratory?

The Pacific Wildland Fire Sciences Laboratory is located in Seattle, Washington, and it is one of two National fire laboratories managed by the USDA Forest Service. Research at the laboratory involves many different disciplines that all focus on understanding fires that occur in wildlands.

Topics that scientists study at the laboratory include wildfires and human caused fires, fire effects on the landscape, and how we can better manage fires in the future. Many of the studies done by scientists at the laboratory lead to tools used by national forests, national parks, and others to control and manage fire in wildlands.

Scientists regularly train land managers on the latest findings, like using prescribed fire to reduce risks from large wildfires, how one can predict and warn nearby populations about potential smoke from fires, and how managers and the public can work together to better protect our communities.

Discussion

In this study, the scientists observed that some climate variables followed patterns. These patterns were seen before, during, and after very large wildland fires, and, in many cases, were seen in multiple study regions.

Patterns are different between very large wildland fires and large wildland fires. These patterns indicated to the scientists that very large wildland fires were linked to specific climate conditions. The link between climate and very large wildland fires is also influenced by the types of plant communities in a location.

This study improved scientists’ understanding of very large wildland fires. Scientists may also use this information to understand how changes in climate might affect wildland fire in the Western United States. The scientists concluded that people need this information to prepare for and respond to wildland fires.

Reflection Section

This article is a part of our “Time Warp” series. Every article in this series explores a research topic that has been under scientific investigation for a long time. Read more about wildland fire research completed in 1934 in the spotlight for this article.

Read Spotlight

Adapted from Stavros, E.N.; Abatzoglou, J.; Larkin, N.K.; McKenzie, D.; Steel, E.A. 2014. Climate and very large wildland fires in the contiguous Western USA. International Journal of Wildland Fire. 23: 899-914.

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Where There's Smoke, There's Fire (Time Warp Monograph Series) - Vol. 1 No. 14

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Glossary

View All Glossary

accumulation
(ə kyü m(y)ə lā shən): The act of collecting or gathering.
adapt
(ǝ dapt): To change so as to fit a new or specific use or situation.
analyze
(a nǝ līz): To study or find out the nature and relationship of the parts of something.
biophysical
(bī ō fi zi kǝl): Living and nonliving parts of the environment, such as soil or moisture, that influence organisms or natural events.
climate
(klī mǝt): The average weather conditions of a particular place or region over a period of years.
criteria
(krī tir ē ə): (singular: criterion) A standard on which a judgment or decision may be based.
drought
(drau̇t): A long period of dry weather.
encompass
(in kǝm pəs): To include or surround.
hypothetical
(hī pə the ti kəl): (1) Imagined as an example for further thought; (2) assumed.
influence
(in flü ǝn(t)s): To affect something.
longitudinal
(län jə tüd nəl): Involving the repeated observation of a set of subjects over time with respect to one or more study variables.
model
(mä dǝl): (noun): (1) Type or kind; (2) a system of postulates, data, and inferences presented as a mathematical description of an entity or state of affairs.

(verb): To make a simplified copy or representation of something to help aid understanding.
predict
(pre dikt): Foretell (or tell in advance) on the basis of observation, experience, or scientific reason.
prescribed fire
(pri skrībd fī ǝr): The controlled use of fire under specific weather conditions to restore health to an ecosystem that depends on fire; also known as a prescribed burn or controlled burn.
propulsion
(prǝ pǝl shǝn): The process of driving or propelling forward.
statistics
(stə tis tiks): The branch of mathematics that deals with the collection, organization, analysis, and interpretation of numerical data.
suppress
(sǝ pres): To slow or stop the growth or development of.
variable
(ver ē ə bəl): (1) A factor, trait, or condition that can be changed or controlled; (2) a quantity that may assume any one of a set of values.
wildland fire
(wī(-ə)l(d) land fī(-e)r): A fire that occurs in an area of land that is uncultivated or undeveloped by humans.

Standards addressed in this Article:

What Is a Natural Inquirer Monograph?

3 Natural Inquirer monograph covers.

A Natural Inquirer monograph is a short publication that focuses on a single research study. Monographs are written for a middle school audience, but they can also be adapted for both high school students and advanced upper elementary students.

Monographs include:

One article based on a published, peer-reviewed research paper; the article keeps the research paper format (see more below) but is written in language students can understand.
A FACTivity, which is an activity to complete after reading the article. The FACTivity helps reinforce major science concepts from the article. These activities are designed to be easy to implement, with few material requirements and options for adapting them for your audience or available resources. Some monograph may have two FACTivities.
A short “Welcome to the monograph” article about key background information and science concepts.
A glossary of new terms from the article or the introductory materials.
A list of related Natural Inquirer publications as well as outside references.
Standards correlations, including Next Generation Science Standards, addressed in both the article and the FACTivity.

Monographs may also include additional essays (called spotlights), other activities (like crossword puzzles or vocabulary challenges), and more.

A screenshot of the article resource tile for "A Flame Changer" showing the three different format option buttons.

Reading Modes

Monographs are available in three different formats:

Hard copies can be ordered from the website and shipped, all free of charge.
PDF versions of the printed monograph can be downloaded free on the website. The PDF version directly replicates the content and layout of the printed version.
The “Read Distraction Free” option allows the monograph article to open in its own window, without the rest of the website being visible. “Read Distraction Free” is available on the article version of the monograph, which can be opened under the “Articles” tab. This version allows readers to scroll to particular sections of the article using the sidebar menu on the left side of the screen. This version also has interactive Reflection Sections and Number Crunches. Students can enter their answers, submit them, and then receive the correct answers to double-check their work. Submitted answers are not saved on the website and will disappear once the window is closed.

What's in a Natural Inquirer Article?

Here, we'll go into more detail about the parts of a Natural Inquirer article and give you some ideas about how they can be used.

Meet the Scientists
This section introduces the scientists (and others) who worked on the study. In their own words, they each share a memorable science experience, a favorite research project, or something they learned during the course of their education or research.

Use this section to:
- Introduce kids to the variety of people who work in science
- Introduce kids to the variety of scientific fields and give brief descriptions of science-related jobs
- Explore ways that people interact with science every day
Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) applications:
- Science and Engineering Practices
- Crosscutting Concepts: Influence of Science, Engineering, and Technology on Society and the Natural World
Note that specific standards for this particular monograph are linked on this educator guide tab.

Other resources:

Many of the scientists and engineers featured in this section are also featured on our collector cards. Learn more about their work, how they got interested in their fields, and interesting projects they worked on. Cards can be printed as posters, too.
Thinking About Science
This section briefly describes a concept about science or scientific research. This overview can touch on topics like
- study type (longitudinal study, quantitative vs. qualitative data),
- behaviors of scientists (conducting literature reviews, collaborating with other specialists, replicating earlier studies),
- the practice of science (the scientific method, engineering design, data collection, randomization, controls and variables),
- or other aspects of science (bias, correlation vs. causation).
Use this section to:
- Reinforce steps in the scientific method and the process of science
- Encourage students to think about the practice of science and what it can and cannot tell us
- Consider the many types of scientific study and what information each type can provide
Next Generation Science Standards applications:
- Science and Engineering Practices
- Life Science Disciplinary Core Ideas (depending on topic)
- Most Crosscutting Concepts (depending on topic)
Note that specific standards for this particular monograph are linked on this educator guide tab.

Other resources:

You can use key words to search for other or related scientific topics on our website (e.g. “longitudinal study,” “bias,” or “sampling”).
Thinking About the Environment
This section provides a brief overview of a topic or concept in environmental/life science. The topic or concept is directly related to the research study that follows. Examples of topics include the carbon cycle, the water cycle, habitat fragmentation, phenology, biodiversity, and ecosystem services.

Use this section to:
- Provide important background information to help students understand the research study
- Serve as a quick reference during reading or class instruction
- Connect the research article with other activities or media on the same topic
Next Generation Science Standards applications:
- Life Science and some Earth Science Disciplinary Core Ideas (depending on topic)
- Most Crosscutting Concepts (depending on topic)
Note that specific standards for this particular monograph are linked on this educator guide tab.

Other resources:

You can use key words to search for more resources on life or earth science topics on our website (e.g. “habitat,” “carbon,” or “genetics”).
Introduction
This section begins the scientific article format. Much like the published, peer-reviewed study this article is based on, the introduction provides background information for the study – what is currently known and what remains unknown. The introduction culminates in the question(s) the study hopes to answer.

The introduction is also the first section with a Reflection Section. This section includes two or three questions to help kids reflect on what they’ve just learned in the Introduction. If they are using the online distraction-free reading mode, they can answer these questions directly on the website.

Use this section to:
- Review important background information that kids need to understand the study
- Connect the study to the concepts addressed in the Thinking About Science and Thinking About the Environment sections
- Understand research questions and hypotheses, including generating their own hypotheses given what they already know
Next Generation Science Standards applications:
- Life Science and some Earth Science Disciplinary Core Ideas (depending on topic)
- Most Crosscutting Concepts (depending on topic)
Note that specific standards for this particular monograph are linked on this educator guide tab.

Other resources:

Use one of the guided reading lesson plans to help kids follow the format of a scientific paper.
Methods
This section is the nuts and bolts of the study design – the who, what, when, where, why, and how of the research. Contained within the Methods section are usually maps of the study location or the set-up of study plots, as well as details about what data was collected and how.

The Methods section also ends with a Reflection Section – two or three questions to help students think through what they just read. These questions are interactive on the distraction-free reading mode.

Use this section to:
- Show students how experiments and studies are designed and carried out
- Explore sampling methods and randomization
- Introduce various data collection tools (e.g. camera traps, surveys, insect collection tools, weather stations, etc.)
- Explain bias and how studies are designed to remove bias
- Help students gain experience with map reading
Next Generation Science Standards applications:
- Life Science and some Earth Science Disciplinary Core Ideas (depending on topic)
- Most Crosscutting Concepts (depending on topic)
Note that specific standards for this particular monograph are linked on this educator guide tab.

Other resources:

Many Methods and Findings sections contain Number Crunches, which are simple math exercises designed to help students interact with the data from the study.
Findings
This section summarizes the data collected during the study. The Findings section usually includes data tables or graphs and highlights the significant data points from the study. This section often mentions statistical analysis or the use of computer programs to model or analyze the data, though these methods are only discussed generally.

The Findings section also ends with a Reflection Section – two or three questions to help students think through what they just read. These questions are interactive on the distraction-free reading mode.

Use this section to:
- Have students practice reading and interpreting graphs and tables
- Compare results between variables and controls
- Explain the concept of statistical significance
- Discuss how no data or negative results still provide valuable information
Next Generation Science Standards applications:
- Life Science and some Earth Science Disciplinary Core Ideas (depending on topic)
- Most Crosscutting Concepts (depending on topic)
Note that specific standards for this particular monograph are linked on this educator guide tab.

Other resources:

Search the website for “map” or “graph” to find activities where students can practice making and reading maps and graphs.
Discussion
This section concludes each monograph article. In it, we summarize the main findings of the scientists’ study. Additionally, we present the scientists’ ideas about the limitations of their study, the big-picture impacts of their research, and the scientists’ plans for future study or action.

The Discussion section ends with a Reflection Section – two or three questions to help students think through what they just read, especially general take-aways from the study. These questions are interactive on the distraction-free reading mode.

Use this section to:
- Discuss what conclusions can and cannot be drawn from the available data
- Explain the difference between correlation and causation
- Explore study limitations and opportunities for further study
- Brainstorm ways the study findings could be applied to real-world situations
Next Generation Science Standards applications:
- Life Science and some Earth Science Disciplinary Core Ideas (depending on topic)
- Most Crosscutting Concepts (depending on topic)
Note that specific standards for this particular monograph are linked on this educator guide tab.

Other resources:

Use the “Designing Your Own Study” resource page for videos of scientists discussing their own research studies. The page also includes educator resources to help students plan their own scientific studies.

Additional Resources on the Website

A screenshot of the product tabs for an NI monograph On the website, we pair each monograph with a variety of other resources, as well. Use the tabs on the product page to browse through the following:

Related activities, including the FACTivity for each article
An “About” essay that gives some larger context for the research the scientists conducted or more information about the science topic from the article
A glossary of all boldfaced terms from the article
A “Scientists and Collaborators” page that lists the people involved in the study; click on a researcher to reach their bio page and see what other articles they might be featured in
A “Related Content” page that lists both Natural Inquirer resources about similar topics and also outside reference materials

Article Selection and Review

Natural Inquirer partners with the USDA Forest Service, so we source research studies by Forest Service scientists that have been peer-reviewed and published in reputable journals. Some of our articles have also been created in collaboration with scientists from other Federal agencies, such as U.S. Geological Survey and the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization, universities, and other non-profits.

All monograph articles are reviewed by scientists who conducted the original research study to verify scientific accuracy. Monographs are also reviewed by student editorial review boards of middle or high school students before publication. Additionally, all monographs are reviewed by the Forest Service and the U.S. Department of Agriculture before publication.

A screenshot of the citation for "Lights, Camera, Tracks" Every monograph article includes a citation of its source study. Many educators pair the original research paper with our article to help more advanced students learn how to read formal research papers. The monograph article then serves as adapted primary literature, bridging the two articles.

Lessons

This lesson plan encourages students to think about a particular research topic across time, including past, present, and future. Students will compare and contrast the historical research with a more...
Lesson Plan – Time Warp Monograph Series
This lesson plan encourages students to think about a particular research topic across time, including past, present, and future. Students will compare and contrast the historical research with a more...
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SPLAT! Protecting Pine Trees in the Western United States from Beetle Attack
This lesson plan introduces students to the important components of a simple newspaper article and then has students write a newspaper article sharing information from a Natural Inquirer article. This...
Lesson Plan – Newspaper Article
This lesson plan introduces students to the important components of a simple newspaper article and then has students write a newspaper article sharing information from a Natural Inquirer article. This...
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Where There's Smoke, There's Fire (Time Warp Monograph Series) - Vol. 1 No. 14
Students work together to answer questions about an article generated by rolling the question cube. This lesson plan can be used with any Natural Inquirer article.
Lesson Plan – Question Cube
Students work together to answer questions about an article generated by rolling the question cube. This lesson plan can be used with any Natural Inquirer article.
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Education Files

Project Learning Tree

If you are a trained Project Learning Tree educator, you may use “Living With Fire” and “Rain Reasons” as additional resources.

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FACTivity – Where There’s Smoke, There’s Fire

Spotlight – Time Warp for Where There’s Smoke, There’s Fire

Glossary

accumulation

adapt

analyze

biophysical

climate

criteria

drought

encompass

hypothetical

influence

longitudinal

model

predict

prescribed fire

propulsion

statistics

suppress

variable

wildland fire

Natasha Stavros

John Abatzoglou

E. Ashley Steel

Standards addressed in this Article:

What Is a Natural Inquirer Monograph?

Reading Modes

What's in a Natural Inquirer Article?

Meet the Scientists

Thinking About Science

Thinking About the Environment

Introduction

Methods

Findings

Discussion

Additional Resources on the Website

Article Selection and Review

Lessons

Lesson Plan – Time Warp Monograph Series

Lesson Plan – Newspaper Article

Lesson Plan – Question Cube

Education Files

Project Learning Tree

Related Resources from the Natural Inquirer

Fire and Water: Predicting Future Wildfires in a Changing Climate

Wildland Fire – Vol. 4 No. 1

Additional Resources

National Interagency Fire Center: Geographic Area Coordination Centers

USDA Forest Service: National Fire Danger Rating System

USDA Forest Service: Fire and Aviation Management

National Park Service: Fire and Aviation Management