California State University, Northridge » Geography » Geography 321 - The United States » Summer 2023 » Introduction Video Quiz 3 Forest Fires in the West

Question #1

Why are fires less frequent and less intense in the American East than in the American West?

A. The East has more ponderosa pine trees.

B. The West has more maple trees.

C. The West has a higher annual rainfall.

D. The East has a higher annual rainfall.

E. The East has larger sand dunes.

Question #2

Fire behavior is most influenced by which of the following?

A. wind

B. altitude

C. weather

D. cloud cover

E. root depth

Question #3

What was the main reason why old growth forests were replaced by more flammable, immature trees at the end of the nineteenth century?

A. Smokey the Bear encouraged burning in those areas.

B. Conservationists thought they would be flame-resistant.

C. Pine and bark beetle infestations.

D. Clear-cutting timber for mines and railroads.

E. Large fires like the Big Burn happened frequently.

Question #4

Usually, wilderness areas that have little to no fire suppression history tend to experience fires that are __________.

A. larger and more intense

B. smaller and less intense

C. larger but less intense

D. smaller and more intense at the urban-wildland interface

E. smaller but more intense

Question #5

In the past half century, forest fires have grown larger because __________.

A. less money is being spent on firefighting

B. logging has thinned forests, making it easier for fire to spread from tree to tree

C. trees have become less fire-resistant over the years

D. trees now grow taller than they did back then

E. fire suppression in the past allowed forest fuels to build up