Evidence for widespread changes in the structure, composition, and fire regimes of western North American forests

Ecological Applications, Journal Year: 2021, Volume and Issue: 31(8)

Published: Aug. 2, 2021

Implementation of wildfire- and climate-adaptation strategies in seasonally dry forests western North America is impeded by numerous constraints uncertainties. After more than a century resource land use change, some question the need for proactive management, particularly given novel social, ecological, climatic conditions. To address this question, we first provide framework assessing changes landscape conditions fire regimes. Using framework, then evaluate evidence change contemporary relative to those maintained active regimes, i.e., uninterrupted or human-induced exclusion. The cumulative results research document persistent substantial deficit widespread alterations ecological structures functions. These are not necessarily apparent at all spatial scales dimensions regimes forest nonforest Nonetheless, loss once abundant influence low- moderate-severity fires suggests that even least fire-prone ecosystems may be affected alteration surrounding and, consequently, ecosystem Vegetation patterns fire-excluded forested landscapes no longer reflect heterogeneity interacting Live dead vegetation (surface canopy fuels) generally continuous before European colonization. As result, current vulnerable direct indirect effects seasonal episodic increases drought fire, especially under rapidly warming climate. Long-term exclusion contemporaneous social-ecological influences continue extensively modify landscapes. Management realigns adapts can moderate transitions as human communities adapt changing disturbance adaptation developed, evaluated, implemented, objective scientific evaluation ongoing monitoring aid differentiation warranted unwarranted

Language: Английский

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Climate‐change refugia: biodiversity in the slow lane

Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment, Journal Year: 2020, Volume and Issue: 18(5), P. 228 - 234

Published: June 1, 2020

Climate‐change adaptation focuses on conducting and translating research to minimize the dire impacts of anthropogenic climate change, including threats biodiversity human welfare. One strategy is focus conservation climate‐change refugia (that is, areas relatively buffered from contemporary change over time that enable persistence valued physical, ecological, sociocultural resources). In this Special Issue, recent methodological conceptual advances in science will be highlighted. Advances emerging subdiscipline are improving scientific understanding face by considering scale ecosystem dynamics, looking beyond exposure sensitivity adaptive capacity. We propose context a multifaceted, long‐term, network‐based approach, as temporal spatial gradients ecological can act “slow lanes” rather than stasis. After years discussion confined primarily literature, researchers resource managers now working together put into practice.

Language: Английский

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Adapting western North American forests to climate change and wildfires: 10 common questions

Ecological Applications, Journal Year: 2021, Volume and Issue: 31(8)

Published: Aug. 2, 2021

We review science-based adaptation strategies for western North American (wNA) forests that include restoring active fire regimes and fostering resilient structure composition of forested landscapes. As part the review, we address common questions associated with climate realignment treatments run counter to a broad consensus in literature. These following: (1) Are effects exclusion overstated? If so, are unwarranted even counterproductive? (2) Is forest thinning alone sufficient mitigate wildfire hazard? (3) Can prescribed burning solve problem? (4) Should management, including thinning, be concentrated wildland urban interface (WUI)? (5) wildfires on their own do work fuel treatments? (6) primary objective reduction assist future firefighting response containment? (7) Do under extreme weather? (8) scale problem too great? ever catch up? (9) Will planting more trees change wNA forests? And (10) is post-fire management needed or ecologically justified? Based our scientific evidence, range proactive actions justified necessary keep pace changing climatic declining heterogeneity after severe wildfires. Science-based options use managed wildfire, burning, coupled mechanical as consistent land allocations conditions. Although some current models averse short-term risks uncertainties, long-term environmental, social, cultural consequences primarily grounded suppression well documented, highlighting an urgency invest intentional restoration regimes.

Language: Английский

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Limits to post‐fire vegetation recovery under climate change

Plant Cell & Environment, Journal Year: 2021, Volume and Issue: 44(11), P. 3471 - 3489

Published: Aug. 28, 2021

Abstract Record‐breaking fire seasons in many regions across the globe raise important questions about plant community responses to shifting regimes (i.e., changing frequency, severity and seasonality). Here, we examine impacts of climate‐driven shifts on vegetation communities, likely coinciding with severe drought, heatwaves and/or insect outbreaks. We present scenario‐based conceptual models how overlapping disturbance events interact differently limit post‐fire resprouting recruitment capacity. demonstrate that, although communities will remain resilient short‐term, longer‐term changes structure, demography species composition are likely, a range subsequent effects ecosystem function. Resprouting be most regimes. However, even these susceptible if exposed repeated short‐interval combination other stressors. Post‐fire is highly vulnerable increased particularly as climatic limitations propagule availability intensify. Prediction under climate change greatly improved by addressing knowledge gaps disturbances change‐induced regime affect resprouting, recruitment, growth rates, species‐level adaptation

Language: Английский

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Mechanisms of forest resilience

Forest Ecology and Management, Journal Year: 2022, Volume and Issue: 512, P. 120129 - 120129

Published: March 25, 2022

Language: Английский

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Reduced fire severity offers near-term buffer to climate-driven declines in conifer resilience across the western United States

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Journal Year: 2023, Volume and Issue: 120(11)

Published: March 6, 2023

Increasing fire severity and warmer, drier postfire conditions are making forests in the western United States (West) vulnerable to ecological transformation. Yet, relative importance of interactions between these drivers forest change remain unresolved, particularly over upcoming decades. Here, we assess how interactive impacts changing climate wildfire activity influenced conifer regeneration after 334 wildfires, using a dataset from 10,230 field plots. Our findings highlight declining capacity across West past four decades for eight dominant species studied. Postfire is sensitive high-severity fire, which limits seed availability, climate, influences seedling establishment. In near-term, projected differences recruitment probability low- scenarios were larger than most species, suggesting that reductions severity, resultant on could partially offset expected climate-driven declines regeneration. Across 40 42% study area, project be likely following low-severity but not under future (2031 2050). However, increasingly warm, dry eventually outweigh influence availability. The percent area considered unlikely experience regeneration, regardless increased 5% 1981 2000 26 31% by mid-century, highlighting limited time window management actions reduce may effectively support

Language: Английский

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YOLO-Based Light-Weight Deep Learning Models for Insect Detection System with Field Adaption

Agriculture, Journal Year: 2023, Volume and Issue: 13(3), P. 741 - 741

Published: March 22, 2023

The most incredible diversity, abundance, spread, and adaptability in biology are found insects. foundation of insect study pest management is recognition. However, the current recognition research depends on a small number taxonomic experts. We can use computers to differentiate insects accurately instead professionals because quick advancement computer technology. “YOLOv5” model, with five different state art object detection techniques, has been used this classification investigation identify subtle differences between subcategories. To enhance critical information feature map weaken supporting information, both channel spatial attention modules introduced, improving network’s capacity for experimental findings show that F1 score approaches 0.90, mAP value reaches 93% through learning self-made dataset. increased by 0.02, 1% as compared other YOLOv5 models, demonstrating success upgraded YOLOv5-based system.

Language: Английский

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Global pattern of forest disturbances and its shift under climate change

The Science of The Total Environment, Journal Year: 2024, Volume and Issue: 915, P. 170117 - 170117

Published: Jan. 19, 2024

Language: Английский

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Climate‐change refugia in boreal North America: what, where, and for how long?

Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment, Journal Year: 2020, Volume and Issue: 18(5), P. 261 - 270

Published: June 1, 2020

The vast boreal biome plays an important role in the global carbon cycle but is experiencing particularly rapid climate warming, threatening integrity of valued ecosystems and their component species. We developed a framework taxonomy to identify climate‐change refugia potential North American region, summarizing current knowledge regarding mechanisms, geographic distribution, landscape indicators. While “terrain‐mediated” will mostly be limited coastal mountain regions, ecological inertia (resistance external fluctuations) contained some may provide more extensive buffering against change, resulting “ecosystem‐protected” refugia. A notable example peatlands, which can retain high surface soil moisture water tables even face drought. Refugia from wildfire are also especially characterized by active disturbance regimes. Our help areas potential, inform ecosystem management conservation planning light change.

Language: Английский

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Forest Fire Probability Mapping in Eastern Serbia: Logistic Regression versus Random Forest Method

Forests, Journal Year: 2020, Volume and Issue: 12(1), P. 5 - 5

Published: Dec. 22, 2020

Forest fire risk has increased globally during the previous decades. The Mediterranean region is traditionally most at in Europe, but continental countries like Serbia have experienced significant economic and ecological losses due to forest fires. To prevent damage forests infrastructure, alongside other societal losses, it necessary create an effective protection system against fire, which minimizes harmful effects. probability mapping, as one of basic tools management, allows allocation resources for suppression, within a season, from zones with lower those under higher threat. Logistic regression (LR) been used standard procedure last decade, machine learning methods such fandom (RF) become more frequent. main goals this study were (i) determine explanatory variables occurrence both models, LR RF, (ii) map Eastern based on RF. important variable was drought code, followed by different anthropogenic features depending type model. RF models demonstrated better overall predictive ability than models. produced may increase firefighting efficiency early detection enable be allocated eastern part Serbia, covers one-third country’s area.

Language: Английский

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