Are fires good or bad?
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Are fires good or bad?
fires are growing more destructive as the climate changes
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fires moderate the amount of atmospheric oxygen
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fires increase biodiversity by clearing debris
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fires redistribute nutrients over land masses
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what is the composition, structure, and evolutionary history of fire?
fires occur naturally when fuel and oxidizer contact an ignition source
flames vaporize fuel and mix oxygen in as hot glowing plasma rises
fire did not exist until photosynthesis produced flammable materials and released oxygen into the atmosphere
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TBD textfire first appeared on Earth 420 million years ago
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plants co-evolved with fire
lightning started igniting fires when plants evolved
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volcanoes and asteroids can start fires
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some plants produce flammable oils on leaves to help seeds germinate
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fire can help sunlight reach seedlings
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how do fires affect animals?
some mammals, reptiles, and birds can burrow or flee from fires
some birds may intentionally propagate fire to flush out prey
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some animals benefit from the affect of fire on habitats
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humans domesticated fire but often mishandle flammables and mismanage fire ecology
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