T P O 20 - Integrated TOEFL essay

In this set of material, the reading passage claims that the policy of "let it burn", in which there is no suppression for natural forest fires, destroyed an extensive area of the forests in 1988 and recounts three kinds of damages caused by this policy. However, the lecturer rejects the effects of the policy on the forests and states that fire is a natural part of ecological cycle in forests and "let it burn" policy is fundamentally good. She provides three reasons to support the policy.

First of all, it is mentioned in the reading passage that the fires devastated vegetation in Yellowstone forests. In contrast, the lecturer declares that the scorched area is colonized by more diverse plants because fire created new opportunities for specific plants that could not thrive before the fire. Some small plants which needed unshaded areas started to grow. In addition, some seeds of the plants that required high levels of heat to germinate grew after the fire.

Furthermore, the author of the passage states that the fire affected the wildlife of the Yellowstone forests and made some animals to flee. On the contrary, the lecturer states that the situation for animals is the same as the vegetation. New conditions, such as small plants, created ideal habitat for animals, like rabbit and hare and by inference, the predators of these animals have better opportunities to live in this forest. Therefore, fire rendered the food chain much stronger in this area.

Finally, the reading passage states that the fire posed negative consequences for the local economy by decreasing the tourist attractions and suffering the local businesses dependent on the visitors. Conversely, the lecturer claims that the fire will be destroying and damaging if it happens every year but it does not. She contends that some particular combination of the events caused such a massive fire on 1988, including low rainfall, unusual strong winds and the like which has not happened since 1988. In addition, the visitors come to see the forest the year after the fire and they come now as well.