An Integrated Educational Approach to Studying Wildfires as Natural Hazards and Their Impact on Ecosystems

Wildfires are one of the most serious forms of environmental degradation and represent a natural disaster. Human influence plays a key role in their occurrence and intensity. This posterresents an integrated educational approach that adapts teaching content to suit students' diverse and learning styles, with a particular focus on environmental topics such as sustainable development and climate change. Through this approach, students acquire scientific knowledge about the causes, processes, and consequences of forest fires, as well as their irreversible effects on ecosystems.

In the first teaching activity, students analyse various forms of negative human impact on the environment, including intentional and unintentional fire-setting, uncontrolled deforestation, and pollution of air, water, and soil. Using the 'brainstorming' technique, students work in groups to identify the main causes of forest fires and establish cause-and-effect relationships between fires and wildlife in forest ecosystems. Using visual displays with arrows and schematic representations, students can see the chain of consequences, such as the destruction of plant life, loss of habitats, and disruption of biodiversity.

The second activity is experimental and focuses on burning as an irreversible chemical process. By conducting a safe and controlled experiment involving a tea bag filter, students observe the release of heat and the material changes that occur during burning. They analyse and compare the results obtained with the processes that occur during real forest fires, concluding that burning has lasting consequences for the environment, including the emission of smoke, heat and toxic substances.

Research shows that combining investigative learning with group work and experimental activities can significantly contribute to developing environmental awareness and critical thinking skills, as well as encouraging responsible behaviour among students. This is essential for preventing and mitigating the consequences of forest fires.

Keywords: forest fires, natural hazard, anthropogenic impact, environmental education, burning, biodiversity, sustainable development.