Science Buddies: "Ask an Expert"

Hello I am a high school student doing a science project. My science
question is, " how does soil burned in wildfires affect the
development of a plant during its growth?" . The question I have for
you is that I was wondering if this science question does make sense?
Or do I have to reword it ? What I'm trying to find out is how does soil that has been damaged affect the new plants because I've always wondered why it takes so long for plants to grow after a wildfire . Would I test just one type of plant or
should I choose more then one type of plant to test? I would really
appreciate it if I got help. Thank you .

Hi Ana,

I realize your deadline has passed, but you will be working on the project for awhile. If I were you I would probably reword the question to be a bit more specific: How does fire affect plant germination? Plant germination can be observed in a relatively short period of time whereas plant growth (depending on the type of plants involved and the amount of sunlight, etc. can take months).

Some plants actually need fire in order to germinate. I think it might be interesting to choose a few different types of common forest plants to test out. You could have a few different variables: the control (seeds and soil have not been exposed to fire); seeds only (seeds exposed to fire, soil not); seeds and soil (seeds and soil exposed to fire); soil only (soil exposed to fire, seeds not). I think this could make for an interesting topic.

Good luck!
Alexis

Hello there,

Very cool project idea, and you have already gotten some great advice! One thing I was wondering though is if you are going to collect soil samples from places that have just gone through forest fires, and then try to grow seeds from those soils, or if you are going to personally burn soil with fire and then test how that affects plant growth compared to soil that hasn't been burned? If that is what you're thinking of doing, remember to take the proper safety precautions when working with fire!

Let us know if you have anymore questions.

Best,
Connie

Thank you . Well I was wondering if I did reword it to plant germination , what would I be testing then ? What does germination mean ? Yes I was planning to collect soil that has already been burned at a wildfire area . I was also wondering what type of plants would be best to use ? I appreciate the help ! Thank you

Hi Ana,

You have gotten some great advice, and I'm happy to see that you are still pursuing this interesting project idea.

Here are some Science Buddies projects that deal with plant germination. You can use them to help you with your background research, and to help you develop a procedure that will work for your particular question.
Germination: https://www.sciencebuddies.org/science- ... p028.shtml
Effects of Irradiation on Seed Germination: https://www.sciencebuddies.org/science- ... p039.shtml
The Effects of Hydrogen Peroxide on the Roots of Plant Cuttings and on Seed Germination: https://www.sciencebuddies.org/science- ... p036.shtml

As for the plant type, radishes are a popular plant for science projects because they grow quickly and are relatively easy to grow. However, I recommend that you do some research on plants that grow in areas where wildfires occur. Are there weeds or common plants you can buy that would naturally grow in areas affected by fire? This would probably a plant that would make sense for your project.

Good luck, and please keep us posted on your progress!

Heather

Okay thank you ! So does that mean I would reword my question as , "how does soil burned in wildfires affect plant germination ?"

Hi Ana,

I think your question expresses what you are trying to ask.

One word of warning, though. My understanding is that many plants that germinate from fires do so because the seeds themselves are activated by the fire. Please make sure to research this before picking your plant. You may want to pick a plant that grows in forests subject to wildfires, but is not specifically a type of plant activated by fire. That would make sense for what you want to know: How does the burnt soil affect the germination of plants that grow in those areas, but for which the seeds are not themselves dependent on the fire?

I hope that makes sense. Good luck, and let us know if more questions come up as you deepen your research.

Heather

Thank you. I was wondering though should I keep my original question change it to the new one. I'm still a bit confused ? If I put in germination into my question does that mean I would be testing how much it grows ? Or be looking at something else since I don't have much time and plants take a while to grow

I think the question you listed would work well. Germination to full maturity may take too long, but you should have time to observe at least some growth.

Hi Ana,

Germination is the process of a seed sprouting into a seedling (baby plant). If you do not see seedlings coming up through the soil by the end of your experiment, you can try digging out the seeds to see whether they have sprouted underground (and have not yet broken the surface).

I hope that helps!

Heather