Post-fire landscape evaluations in Eastern Washington, USA: Assessing the work of contemporary wildfires

Forest Ecology and Management, Год журнала: 2021, Номер 504, С. 119796 - 119796

Опубликована: Ноя. 5, 2021

Язык: Английский

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Consistently heterogeneous structures observed at multiple spatial scales across fire-intact reference sites

Forest Ecology and Management, Год журнала: 2023, Номер 550, С. 121478 - 121478

Опубликована: Окт. 31, 2023

Yellow pine and mixed-conifer (YPMC) forests of California's Sierra Nevada have experienced widespread fire suppression for over a century, resulting in ingrowth densification trees, heavy fuel accumulation, shifts species composition. Under warmer drier climates, these are primed stand-replacing fires severe drought mortality, requiring management interventions to improve their resilience mitigate future impacts. Observations from functioning frequent-fire systems (e.g., contemporary reference sites) can provide key insights about pattern-process relationships fire-intact systems, which be used inform regional efforts. In this study, we airborne lidar data quantify compare forest structure at multiple spatial scales between sites (i.e., with restored frequent, low-intensity regime) control typical fire-suppressed forests). We evaluated structures the neighborhood- (∼1 ha), site- (∼100–1,000 among-site- (∼10,000–100,000 ha) levels. sites, high proportions individual small clumps 2–4 open space formed mostly canopy neighborhood-level, patches neighborhood-level were arranged heterogeneous patterns within sites. observed low variability site-level among indicating stabilizing effect across broad, ecosystem scales. edaphic factors other non-fire disturbances occasionally produced heterogeneity site-level, but degree was not consistent Structural suggest improved climate change, increased provisioning services relative applying metrics help multi-scale multi-resource forests.

Язык: Английский

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Assessing the Impact of Conservation Practices on Post-Wildfire Recovery of Evergreen and Conifer Forests Using Remote Sensing Data

Fire, Год журнала: 2025, Номер 8(3), С. 92 - 92

Опубликована: Фев. 25, 2025

The intensity of wildfires has increased dramatically in recent decades; thus, better understanding the impact land-management efforts biodiversity conservation on post-wildfire recovery could highlight value these interventions. Field assessments are often costly; therefore, monitoring effectiveness applied practices using remote sensing tools is critical. main goal this study to develop and apply a framework assess post-fire recovery. We focused area northern California southern Oregon, region with diverse wildfire activity past decade. proposed uses MODIS dataset identify fire burn events Landsat analyze time series an area-aggregated vegetation index, Normalized Burn Ratio (NBR). Using framework, we confirmed our hypothesis that areas lacking protection practices, slower more lingering. median 5-year dNBR for unprotected was around 27%, compared 37% across all other areas. Along primary analysis, also examined severity different moderate-to-severe capture differences characteristics under conversation practices. This analysis revealed experienced severe events. investigated three dominant forest types area: Dry-Mesic Conifer, Mesic Evergreen Forests. disparity between protected non-protected most pronounced dominated by aggregated highlights importance approach provide cost-efficient tool assessing globe.

Язык: Английский

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Extreme Fire Spread Events Burn More Severely and Homogenize Postfire Landscapes in the Southwestern United States

Global Change Biology, Год журнала: 2025, Номер 31(2)

Опубликована: Фев. 1, 2025

ABSTRACT Extreme fire spread events rapidly burn large areas with disproportionate impacts on people and ecosystems. Such are associated warmer drier seasons expected to increase in the future. Our understanding of landscape outcomes extreme is limited, particularly regarding whether they more severely or produce spatial patterns less conducive ecosystem recovery. To assess relationships between rates severity patterns, we used satellite detections create day‐of‐burning maps for 623 fires comprising 4267 single‐day within forested ecoregions southwestern United States. We related satellite‐measured a suite high‐severity patch metrics daily area burned. (defined here as burning > 4900 ha/day) exhibited higher mean severity, greater proportion burned severely, increased like adjacencies pixels. Furthermore, increasing also resulted distances patches live tree seed sources. High‐severity size total core were substantially containing one than without an event. Larger homogenous produced during can limit regeneration set stage protracted forest conversion. These be magnified under future climate scenarios, accelerating fire‐driven loss long‐term ecological change.

Язык: Английский

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Topographic conditions dominate tree species recovery over 15 years post-fire in a temperate Pinus sylvestris forest

Fire Ecology, Год журнала: 2025, Номер 21(1)

Опубликована: Май 11, 2025

Язык: Английский

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Quantitative methods for integrating climate adaptation strategies into spatial decision support models

Frontiers in Forests and Global Change, Год журнала: 2024, Номер 7

Опубликована: Фев. 22, 2024

With the onset of rapid climate change and legacy past forest management fire suppression policies, capacity for forested landscapes to maintain core functionality processes is being challenged. As such, managers are tasked with increasing pace scale mitigate negative impacts future large disturbances improve resilience adaptation landscapes. Such efforts require consensus building, partners stakeholders determine where allocate scarce resources. We present a methodology identify strategic (where go) tactical (what do) priorities across assist in project level planning. The model integrates spatial assessment current ecosystem resource conditions outputs from landscape succession disturbance simulation (LANDIS-II) assess potential achieve desired under ongoing disturbances. Based on expected trajectory over time, applies fuzzy logic modeling provide quantitative support four strategies (Monitor, Protect, Adapt, Transform) landscape. an example application these methods targeting sustainable carbon loads 970,000 ha central Sierras California. By including model, decisions made at stand-level inherently tied influenced by larger landscape-level that likely have greatest impact dynamics. outlined here able incorporate multiple metrics capture many resources targeted management. Model could also be used as inputs into optimization models tradeoffs synergies among treatment options aid long-term

Язык: Английский

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When do contemporary wildfires restore forest structures in the Sierra Nevada?

Fire Ecology, Год журнала: 2024, Номер 20(1)

Опубликована: Сен. 30, 2024

Язык: Английский

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Mesic mixed-conifer forests are resilient to both historical high-severity fire and contemporary reburns in the US Northern Rocky Mountains

Forest Ecology and Management, Год журнала: 2023, Номер 545, С. 121283 - 121283

Опубликована: Июль 20, 2023

Язык: Английский

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Too hot, too cold, or just right: Can wildfire restore dry forests of the interior Pacific Northwest?

PLoS ONE, Год журнала: 2023, Номер 18(2), С. e0281927 - e0281927

Опубликована: Фев. 27, 2023

As contemporary wildfire activity intensifies across the western United States, there is increasing recognition that a variety of forest management activities are necessary to restore ecosystem function and reduce hazard in dry forests. However, pace scale current, active insufficient address restoration needs. Managed landscape-scale prescribed burns hold potential achieve broad-scale goals but may not desired outcomes where fire severity too high or low. To explore for alone forests, we developed novel method predict range severities most likely historical basal area, density, species composition forests eastern Oregon. First, probabilistic tree mortality models 24 based on characteristics remotely sensed from burned field plots. We applied these estimates unburned stands four national post-fire conditions using multi-scale modeling Monte Carlo framework. compared results reconstructions identify with highest potential. Generally, found area density targets could be achieved by relatively narrow moderate-severity (roughly 365–560 RdNBR). single events did were historically maintained frequent, low-severity fire. Restorative ranges stand strikingly similar ponderosa pine ( Pinus ) mixed-conifer broad geographic range, part due tolerance large grand Abies grandis white fir concolor) . Our suggest created recurrent readily restored fires landscapes have passed thresholds preclude effectiveness managed as tool.

Язык: Английский

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Does large area burned mean a bad fire year? Comparing contemporary wildfire years to historical fire regimes informs the restoration task in fire-dependent forests

Forest Ecology and Management, Год журнала: 2023, Номер 546, С. 121372 - 121372

Опубликована: Сен. 4, 2023

Язык: Английский

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