Assignment task: General Patterns Found Across All Biomes
Disturbance is important in determining the set of species found in an area. Naturally, broadleaf trees will replace longleaf pine trees, changing the forest from coniferous to deciduous. However, fire removes the broadleaf species, maintaining the coniferous forest. Before agriculture, the southeastern United States was dominated by longleaf pine, but now broadleaf trees are found where the great coniferous forests once grew. From this change in forest species, what do you know has happened to the frequency of fire in the southeastern United States?
Group of answer choices
- There are more forest fires in the southern United States now then there were in the past.
- There are fewer forest fires in the southern United States now then there were in the past.