Module 3: Wildfire Ecology
Recommended completion date: June 23rd
SECTION 1: LEARN
Welcome to the Wildfire Ecology module. Our focus is on interpreting large data sets of wildfires in Idaho. We will be exploring key variables related to wildfire risk, and investigating questions about relationships between human activity, invasive plants, and wildfire outcomes. Data analysis tools include CODAP and pivot tables in Google Sheets.
INTRODUCTION TO SCIENCE CONTEXT
Opening Activity
After viewing the intro video / slides, but before looking closely at the data, share your initial thoughts about EACH of the three essential questions via the provided Padlet corresponding to your grade level workshop (linked below).
- What describes Idaho wildfires?
- What variables are associated with Idaho wildfires?
- How does human activity affect Idaho wildfires?
Describing Idaho Wildfires
Task: Describe Idaho Wildfires
Spend about 1 hour working on either (or both) of the following two methods for describing wildfire data.
Method 1: Use CODAP to Describe Wildfire Data
Access and download the Idaho Wildfires data as a .csv file, and upload it to CODAP [it will prompt you to sample the data - here is a how-to video]. **Be sure to look at the "guide" tab on the original data file to better understand the column headings.** Then answer the following:
- Where have wildfires been reported in Idaho (i.e., make a map)?
- Where has each agency reported wildfires? (hint: color the points on your map by agency)
- What is the distribution of wildfire sizes reported by each agency?
- What other plots can you use to describe the wildfires?
Method 2: Use Google Sheets to Describe Wildfire Data
Access and make a copy of the Idaho Wildfires data set in Google Sheets. Use pivot tables [how-to video] to answer the following questions:
Recommended: Watch these videos [video 1 and video 2] on how to interpret and work with pivot tables.
- How many wildfires were reported in each year? Do you see any trends?
- How many wildfires were reported in each month? Do you see any trends?
- How many wildfires were reported in each county? What geographic features might explain the differences?
- How many wildfires were reported by each agency? What explains the differences?
- How many wildfires of each size were reported in each county? What's the average size in acres?
Submit your Results
Submit a summary of your results via the following Google Form.
Part A - 1: Variables Related to Idaho Wildfires
Task 2: Identify Associations in County Wildfire Data
Spend about 1 hour working on the following analysis of county-level data about wildfire and related variables.
Use CODAP To Analyze County Wildfire Variables
Download the Idaho Wildfires by County data as a .csv file, and upload it to CODAP. **Be sure to look at the "guide" tab on the original data file to better understand the column headings.**
Calculate new variables in your spreadsheet [how-to video] to help in your analysis, including:
logFires = log(nfires)logFireArea = log(fireArea)logPop = log(pop)percBurned = 100*fireArea/area
Optional: Watch this video on how to interpret a logarithm scale.
Then, answer the following:
- Is there a relationship between precipitation and wildfire outcomes?
- Is there a relationship between temperature and wildfire outcomes?
- Is there a relationship between air pollution and wildfire outcomes?
- Is there a relationship between urbanicity and wildfire outcomes?
- Is there a relationship between education and wildfire outcomes?
- What other relationships can you find among the variables in the data set?
Share your Findings
Record a brief video of what you did, what you discovered, and what you wondered. Submit your video in Flipgrid.
PART A - 2: Human Impacts
Task 3: Investigate Effects of Human Activity
Spend about 1 hour working on either (or both) of the following two methods for describing Idaho wildfire data.
Method 1: Use Google Sheets to Analyze Wildfire Causes
Access and make a copy of the Idaho Wildfire Causes by County data in Google Sheets. Use sorting and cell functions [how-to video] to answer the following:
- What are the leading causes of wildfires in Idaho?
- In what ways do wildfire causes differ from one county to another?
- Approximately what percentage of wildfires are caused by human activity? What decisions were required to make your estimate?
- What questions arise from your analysis? What additional data might help you move forward?
- Based on your analysis, what recommendations do you have for reducing the impact of human activity on wildfire risk?
Method 2: Use CODAP to Analyze the Effects of Cheatgrass Cover
Access and download the Idaho Wildfires and Idaho Wildfires by County as .csv files. **Be sure to look at the "guide" tab on the original data file to better understand the column headings.** Upload the data sets to separate CODAP pages, and answer the following:
- Where is the greatest and least cheatgrass cover in Idaho?
- What relationships can you find between cheatgrass and wildfire outcomes?
- What relationships can you find between cheatgrass and other variables in the data sets?
- How would you rate the quality of the provided cheatgrass data? What uncertainties does the data quality introduce into your analysis and findings?
Optional: Watch this video on interpreting data quality. (Note: indicators of data quality include completeness, timeliness, consistency, accuracy, validity, and interpretability).
Share your Findings
Based on your analysis, make one claim about the effects of human activity on wildfire outcomes. Make a slideshow presentation for your claim and supporting evidence (include images, words, statistics, graphs), and use Flipgrid's screen recording feature to record your video [how-to video].
Comment on other participants' video presentations in Flipgrid.
PART B
Learn From Each Other and Provide Feedback
Watch the Flipgrid videos from your peers and provide feedback on at least three. Learn more about how to respond to your peers here.
For more details on the expectations of this feedback, see this rubric.
