1. The study "Evaluation of Prescribe Burning in Relation to Available Deer Browse" was undertaken at the Virginia Polytechnic Institute to determine if fire can be used as a viable management tool to increase the amount of forage available to deer during the crucial months in late winter and spring.Calcium is a required element for plants and animals.The amount taken up and stored in the plant is closely correlated to the amount present in the soil.It was hypothesized that a fire may change the calcium levels present in the soil and thus affect the amount available to the deer.Soil samples were taken from 12 plots of equal area just prior to the burn and analyzed for calcium.Postburn calcium levels were analyzed from the same plots.These values, in kilograms per plot, are presented in the following table:

Plot

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

Preburn

50

50

82

64

82

73

77

54

23

45

36

54

Postburn

29

38

75

58

68

67

72

59

18

39

39

49

Do these data support the hypothesis that fire may change calcium levels? (Use= 0.05)