Flamingly Good: Fire Ecology

Overview

Objectives/Goals An experiment was set up to test the effect of burned soil on seed germination. Soil samples were collected from five sites, each one varying in burn history. The most recent of three months prior to the least recent of over one hundred years. A variety of indigenous seeds were then planted in the soil and allowed to germinate. The hypothesis was that the soil with the most recent burn history would have the most germination and the one with the most remote burn history would have the least. The data supported the hypothesis. Methods/Materials The map is a little outdated, revised in the late 1990's, but all recent fires (which were not on the map) were accounted for when choosing the soil sample sites. From the information four sites were chosen ranging in burn activity: Cold Springs, Painted Cave, Ojai, and Cate School. Two soil samples were collected from slightly different areas in each site. The seeds were indigenous to chaparral of Southern California. The soil was then placed in potting containers. The same number of seeds were used for each type of plant, but varied from species to. The seeds were then water occasionally so that the soil stayed moist. Shovel Containers - eight Camera Seeds Type Quantity California Poppy 200 Chaparral Yucca 80 Giant Coreopsis 80 Island Buckwheat 200 Meadow Rue 200 Succulent Lupine 80 Water Planting Container Notepad Pen Marking Sticks - eight Results

Competition history

• CSEF 2003 Plant Biology · Entry S1617

Resources

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