Background: The United States has approximately 700 million acres of forests. These forests are very important for maintaining ecological balance. Some trees have actually adapted to protect against forest fires. The pine, the longleaf pine, and the giant sequoia have all developed thick bark to resist the ravages of fires. These trees are called "pyrophytes," which means fire-traited plants. Some trees bear seed cones called "serotinous cones." These cones have seeds inside that are opened only by the intense heat of a wildfire. A serotinous cone, such as that of the lodgepole pine, can contain enough seeds to cover the forest with millions of seeds per acre for several years. This is one way the forest is renewed and begins to grow again.

Activity: Students will brainstorm a list of all the different ways that trees are useful, and then each create their own unique "pyrophyte" tree or plant, give their plant a name, write a brief description of their plant, and explain how it would be ecologically helpful. Encourage your class to use their imaginations to dream up ways a tree could resist fire and encourage re-growth.

1. Tell your class they will be designing their own trees. Each student will need a large sheet of drawing paper.

2. Give the students some quiet time to think after discussion. Ask them to think of ways trees are important to people and to the environment. Have them write down five such ways.

3. Discuss as a class the ways in which trees are useful. For examples, trees are home to wildlife. They produce nuts and other edible products. What other uses for trees can your students think of?

4. Forest fires also have positive effects on the environment: excess buildup of fuels, such as dead leaves, pines, and underbrush, are destroyed; woodpeckers and other creatures find homes in the burned-out trees; plants and trees that depend on forest fires to release their thick seeds can do so; certain kinds of prairie grasses have underground buds that begin to sprout after a fire. Talk to your students about controlled burns. Make a list on the board of the possible positive and negatives of these forest fires, which are set and controlled by fire experts.

Photo: Eric Draper/AP/Wide World

	OTHER MINI-LESSONS
			Wildfire Search!
			Wildfires: Reporters on the Scene
			Which Fire Do We Fight?
			Smoke Jumpers Diary
			Travel Posters: Our National Parks

Sites:

Society of American Foresters
www.safnet.org