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 West has more maple trees.

B. The East has more ponderosa pine trees.

C. The East has larger sand dunes.

D. The West has a higher annual rainfall.

E. The East has a higher annual rainfall.

Question #2

Fire behavior is most influenced by which of the following?

A. root depth

B. wind

C. weather

D. cloud cover

E. altitude

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. Conservationists thought they would be flame-resistant.

B. Pine and bark beetle infestations.

C. Clear-cutting timber for mines and railroads.

D. Smokey the Bear encouraged burning in those areas.

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. smaller and less intense

B. larger and more intense

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

D. smaller but more intense

E. larger but less intense

Question #5

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

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

B. trees now grow taller than they did back then

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

D. less money is being spent on firefighting

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