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 a higher annual rainfall.

B. The West has a higher annual rainfall.

C. The West has more maple trees.

D. The East has more ponderosa pine trees.

E. The East has larger sand dunes.

Question #2

Fire behavior is most influenced by which of the following?

A. wind

B. altitude

C. root depth

D. weather

E. cloud cover

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. Large fires like the Big Burn happened frequently.

C. Smokey the Bear encouraged burning in those areas.

D. Clear-cutting timber for mines and railroads.

E. Pine and bark beetle infestations.

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. smaller but more intense

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

E. larger but less intense

Question #5

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

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

B. less money is being spent on firefighting

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