Patterns, drivers, and implications of postfire delayed tree mortality in temperate conifer forests of the western United States

Ecosphere, Год журнала: 2024, Номер 15(4)

Опубликована: Апрель 1, 2024

Abstract Conifer forest resilience may be threatened by increasing wildfire activity and compound disturbances in western North America. Fire refugia enhance resilience, yet decline over time due to delayed mortality—a process that remains poorly understood at landscape regional scales. To address this uncertainty, we used high‐resolution satellite imagery (5‐m pixel) map quantify mortality of conifer tree cover between 1 5 years postfire, across 30 large wildfires burned within three montane ecoregions the United States. We statistical models explore influence burn severity, topography, soils, climate moisture deficit on mortality. estimate reduced live 5%–25% fire perimeter scale 12%–15% ecoregion scale. Remotely sensed severity (1‐year postfire) was strongest predictor mortality, indicating patch‐level effects are a strong proxy for injury among surviving trees eventually perish. Delayed rates were further influenced long‐term average short‐term postfire deficits, illustrating impact drought fire‐injured survival. Our work demonstrates forests States can remotely quantified fine grain scale, is spatially extensive phenomenon, driven fire–climate–environment interactions, has important ecological implications.

Язык: Английский

Megafires in Oregon: Riparian vegetation layers differ three years after mixed severity fire

Research Square (Research Square), Год журнала: 2025, Номер unknown

Опубликована: Апрель 18, 2025

Riparian ecosystems are highly diverse and dynamic, but effects of fire on riparian vegetation poorly understood. In 2020, widespread fires impacted forests across the western Oregon Cascades, including areas. To investigate plant community recovery, we quantified responses to wildfire forest management. We determined that response burn severity varied by structural layer was dynamic first three years post-fire. Overstory mortality after species. understory, forb cover recovered rapidly; shrub richness showed some recovery within years. Indicator species highlighted compositional differences between sites burned those did not. Although zones thought be resilient fire, our results demonstrate megafires can significantly alter them, resulting in extensive initial delayed mortality, regrowth. Globally, increasingly exposed understanding factors influencing their is critical.

Язык: Английский

Green is the New Black: Outcomes of post-fire tree planting across the US Interior West

Forest Ecology and Management, Год журнала: 2024, Номер 574, С. 122358 - 122358

Опубликована: Ноя. 1, 2024

Язык: Английский