(A) When fires are suppressed, forests become denser with underbrush and small trees, which
increases the fuel available for future fires, making them more severe. Additionally, tree
overcrowding from fire suppression leads to increased stress, disease, and death, which adds
more dry, combustible material, raising the risk of intense fires.
(B) A positive effect of the Healthy Forests Initiative is that it helps reduce large fires by thinning
forests and removing excess fuel. This protects communities and ecosystems. A negative effect
could be overharvesting by timber companies, which might lead to habitat destruction, loss of
biodiversity, and long-term ecological harm.
(C) Forests provide homes for wildlife. This helps maintain biodiversity and supports activities like
ecotourism. Clear-cutting destroys these habitats, leading to fewer species and less biodiversity.
Forests also clean the air by absorbing pollutants and producing oxygen. Clear-cutting reduces
the number of trees, leading to dirtier air and less oxygen.
(D) The savanna biome is maintained by periodic fires that prevent woody plants from taking over,
allowing fire-adapted grasses to thrive and keeping the landscape open.