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This lesson from the "Fire in the Ozark Highlands" curriculum is available with permission from The Oak Woodlands and Forests Fire Consortium.
This lesson from the "Fire in the Ozark Highlands" curriculum is available with permission from The Oak Woodlands and Forests Fire Consortium.
In this activity, students use a geographic information system [GIS] model (VSmoke-Web) to map the extent of smoke impacts from a chosen prescribed fire case study. Students will decide if the burn should be conducted with the conditions presented in the case study. Students will discuss ways in which smoke impacts could be eliminated or mitigated.
In this activity, students use a geographic information system [GIS] model (VSmoke-Web) to map the extent of smoke impacts from a chosen prescribed fire case study. Students will decide if the burn should be conducted with the conditions presented in the case study. Students will discuss ways in which smoke impacts could be eliminated or mitigated.
Follow the steps below (1-8) to complete this activity.
Follow the steps below (1-8) to complete this activity.
Step 1: Open the "Smoke in the Ozark Highlands" student worksheet (Google Document). Make a copy of this Google document that will be submitted using a Google form when the activity has been completed (Step 8).
Step 1: Open the "Smoke in the Ozark Highlands" student worksheet (Google Document). Make a copy of this Google document that will be submitted using a Google form when the activity has been completed (Step 8).
Step 2: Go through the slideshow below. Complete "Part A" and "Part B" of the student worksheet using information provided by the slideshow.
Step 2: Go through the slideshow below. Complete "Part A" and "Part B" of the student worksheet using information provided by the slideshow.
Step 3: Following the instructions on the student worksheet, choose an "Orange" case study to simulate from the map below. In "Part C" of the student worksheet, enter the name of the case study and make "map observations" according to the instructions.
Step 3: Following the instructions on the student worksheet, choose an "Orange" case study to simulate from the map below. In "Part C" of the student worksheet, enter the name of the case study and make "map observations" according to the instructions.
Step 4: Use the links below to visit the "Fire & Weather Info" table for the case study chosen in Step 3. Record the case study information in the corresponding table on the student worksheet.
Step 4: Use the links below to visit the "Fire & Weather Info" table for the case study chosen in Step 3. Record the case study information in the corresponding table on the student worksheet.
Step 5: Run the VSmoke-Web simulation by inputting the "Fire & Weather Info" for the chosen case study. After the simulation has been completed, take a "screenshot" of resulting smoke plume map. Insert the map in the location indicated in "Part C" of the student worksheet.
Step 5: Run the VSmoke-Web simulation by inputting the "Fire & Weather Info" for the chosen case study. After the simulation has been completed, take a "screenshot" of resulting smoke plume map. Insert the map in the location indicated in "Part C" of the student worksheet.
VSmoke-Web Demonstration
VSmoke-Web Demonstration
Video Demonstrating How to Enter Case Study Parameters and to Run the VSmoke-Web Simulator
Step 6: Respond to the prompts in "Part D" of the student worksheet. To assist with responses, refer to the slideshow, "Part A" and "Part B" of the student worksheet, and the air quality index information below.
Step 6: Respond to the prompts in "Part D" of the student worksheet. To assist with responses, refer to the slideshow, "Part A" and "Part B" of the student worksheet, and the air quality index information below.
The Air Quality Index [AQI] is an index for reporting daily air quality. It tells you how clean or polluted your air is, and what associated health effects might be a concern for you. The AQI focuses on health effects you may experience within a few hours or days after breathing polluted air. EPA calculates the AQI for five major air pollutants regulated by the Clean Air Act: ground-level ozone, particle pollution (also known as particulate matter), carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, and nitrogen dioxide. For each of these pollutants, EPA has established national air quality standards to protect public health. Ground-level ozone and airborne particles are the two pollutants that pose the greatest threat to human health in this country (airnow.gov).
Step 7: Wilson's Creek National Battlefield Smoke Management Plan ("Part E" on the student worksheet)
Step 7: Wilson's Creek National Battlefield Smoke Management Plan ("Part E" on the student worksheet)
Background Information - Wilson's Creek National Battlefield
Background Information - Wilson's Creek National Battlefield
Wilson's Creek was the first major Civil War battle fought west of the Mississippi River, and where the first Union general was killed in action. The costly Southern victory on August 10, 1861, focused national attention on the war in Missouri. Wilson’s Creek National Battlefield commemorates and interprets the battle within the context of the war west of the Mississippi. For more information and images: https://www.nps.gov/wicr/index.htm.
Prescribed fire management at Wilson’s Creek National Battlefield is a carefully planned practice designed to restore and preserve the historic landscape while promoting ecosystem health. By using prescribed fires, park personnel reduce invasive species, maintain native grasses, and protect cultural resources, ensuring the battlefield reflects its 1861 appearance.
Important goals of the prescribed fire management plan at Wilson's Creek National Battlefield:
Restore historic vegetation patterns
Reduce invasive plant species
Enhance native prairie grasses and wildlife habitat
Mitigate wildfire risk through fuel reduction
Preserve cultural and historic landscape integrity
For this case study's smoke simulation, the fictional prescribed burn will treat 30 acres.
For this case study's smoke simulation, the fictional prescribed burn will treat 30 acres.
Step 8: Worksheet Submission ("Part F" on the student worksheet) - Submit your completed student worksheet using the submission process provided by your instructor.
Step 8: Worksheet Submission ("Part F" on the student worksheet) - Submit your completed student worksheet using the submission process provided by your instructor.
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