Burn Today, Grow Tomorrow

Overview

Objectives/Goals My objective was to test the effects of fire on the mineral content of soil. I believed that the minerals in the soil would be depleted from the fire. Methods/Materials My materials to conduct this experiment included various samples of burnt and unburnt soil. I also ordered a Rapitest Soil Test Kit, which I used to test the PH level and the amounts of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium in the soil. I collected both burnt and unburnt soil samples from various areas in Southern California and then tested them using the Rapitest Soil Test Kit. Results My results showed that the amounts of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium in the soil were higher in the burnt soil samples as compared to the unburnt samples. They also showed that the soil was more alkaline in the burnt soil samples. Conclusions/Discussion My results proved that my hypothesis was incorrect. Instead of depleting the minerals in the soil, as I had predicted, the effects of the fire actually increased the mineral content, enriching the soil for the native plants. Contrary to what many people think, my results suggest that seeding or tampering with burnt soil may interfere with the natural healing process.

Competition history

• CSEF 2004 Environmental Science (Junior Division Only) · Entry J0924

Resources

• CSEF project summary ↗

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