SimuLab 18: Percolating Forests

The tree probability p at which approximately half of the fires percolate is called the critical probability. Below the critical probability, the fire is unlikely to percolate, spread across the forest. Above the critical probably the fire almost always percolates.



Q7.18: What do you think is the critical probability for the forest modeled in Blaze?





Q7.19: What's so special about the critical probability? If you were a forest ranger, you might want to keep the forest density below the critical probability, so that if a fire starts the whole forest won't burn down.





Q7.20: Can you describe the relationship between the different test tubes of Jell-O at various concentrations and the forest generated by the Blaze simulation?




Now let's go back to the Blaze program and test your skills as a forest ranger!



Q7.21: What happens if you play with a tree probability of p = 0.5, or p = 0.7? Which of these cases leads to a higher score?



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