A multi-benefit framework for funding forest management in fire-driven ecosystems across the Western U.S.

Seipp, Kimberly Quesnel; Maurer, Tessa; Elias, Micah; Saksa, P. C.; Keske, Catherine; Oleson, Kirsten L.L.; Egoh, Benis N.; Cleveland, Rachael; Nyelele, Charity; Goncalves, Nicolas; Hemes, Kyle S.; Wyrsch, Peter; Lewis, David B.; Chung, Min Gon; Guo, Han; Conklin, M. H.; Bales, Roger

doi:10.1016/j.jenvman.2023.118270

Cited by 8 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 92 publications

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“…Although prescribed fire could be viewed as a threat to C storage given fire suppression has increased C storage in forests over the past century, current C stocks are increasingly vulnerable to combustion during high-severity wildfire events. Properly used at the correct frequency and locations, prescribed fire has the potential to maintain C storage while having tangible effects on other land management goals (Seipp et al, 2023).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Prescribed fire placement matters more than increasing frequency and extent in a simulated Pacific Northwest landscape

Deak,

Lucash,

Coughlan

et al. 2024

Ecosphere

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Prescribed fire has been increasingly promoted to reduce wildfire risk and restore fire‐adapted ecosystems. Yet, the complexities of forest ecosystem dynamics in response to disturbances, climate change, and drought stress, combined with myriad social and policy barriers, have inhibited widespread implementation. Using the forest succession model LANDIS‐II, we investigated the likely impacts of increasing prescribed fire frequency and extent on wildfire severity and forest carbon storage at local and landscape scales. Specifically, we ask how much prescribed fire is required to maintain carbon storage and reduce the severity and extent of wildfires under divergent climate change scenarios? We simulated four prescribed fire scenarios (no prescribed fire, business‐as‐usual, moderate increase, and large increase) in the Siskiyou Mountains of northwest California and southwest Oregon. At the local site scale, prescribed fires lowered the severity of projected wildfires and maintained approximately the same level of ecosystem carbon storage when reapplied at a ~15‐year return interval for 50‐year simulations. Increased frequency and extent of prescribed fire decreased the likelihood of aboveground carbon combustion during wildfire events. However, at the landscape scale, prescribed fire did not decrease the projected severity and extent of wildfire, even when large increases (up to 10× the current levels) of prescribed fire were simulated. Prescribed fire was most effective at reducing wildfire severity under a climate change scenario with increased temperature and precipitation and on sites with north‐facing aspects and slopes greater than 30°. Our findings suggest that placement matters more than frequency and extent to estimate the effects of prescribed fire, and that prescribed fire alone would not be sufficient to reduce the risk of wildfire and promote carbon sequestration at regional scales in the Siskiyou Mountains. To improve feasibility, we propose targeting areas of high concern or value to decrease the risk of high‐severity fire and contribute to meeting climate mitigation and adaptation goals. Our results support strategic and targeted landscape prioritization of fire treatments to reduce wildfire severity and increase the pace and scale of forest restoration in areas of social and ecological importance, highlighting the challenges of using prescribed fire to lower wildfire risk.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Prescribed fire placement matters more than increasing frequency and extent in a simulated Pacific Northwest landscape

Deak,

Lucash,

Coughlan

et al. 2024

Ecosphere

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“…The degradation of water quality increases water treatment costs for downstream users (Hohner et al, 2019). Additionally, moderate-and high-severity wildfires worsened other types of ecosystem services such as air quality and recreational activities within and beyond burned areas (Quesnel Seipp et al, 2023).…”

Section: Mitigating Wildfire and Drought Risksmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In addition, while the high density of fire-suppressed forests influences key water processes such as evapotranspiration with high forest water uses, severe droughts exacerbate decreases in water runoff (Bales et al, 2018;Goulden & Bales, 2019;McKinnon et al, 2021). As a result, rapid increases in wildfire frequency and severity negatively impact the supplies of key ecosystem services to people (e.g., landowners, farmers and urban residents) such as air quality, tourism, water supplies and carbon storage (Nyelele et al, 2023;Quesnel Seipp et al, 2023). In this study, ecosystem services are the direct and indirect benefits provided by ecosystems that contribute to human well-being (Adams, 2014;Potschin & Haines-Young, 2011).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…To effectively expand management actions for climate risk reduction, funding sources through stakeholder partnerships need to be diversified. However, there is little valuation information to estimate the degree to which forest-management actions provide these co-benefits to any public and private entities during planning and implementing, particularly in the context of the western United States (Guo et al, 2023;Quesnel Seipp et al, 2023). The lack of valuation information can prevent further management actions by excluding important beneficiaries such as water agencies, who may be underrepresented in publicland-management planning.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

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Valuation of forest‐management and wildfire disturbance on water and carbon fluxes in mountain headwaters

Chung,

Guo,

Nyelele

et al. 2024

Ecohydrology

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Recent drought, wildfires and rising temperatures in the western US highlight the urgency of increasing resiliency in overstocked forests. However, limited valuation information hinders the broader participation of beneficiaries in forest management. We assessed how historical disturbances in California's Central Sierra Nevada affected live biomass, forest water use and carbon uptake and estimated marginal values of these changes. On average, low‐severity wildfire caused greater declines in forest evapotranspiration (ET), gross primary productivity (GPP) and live biomass than did commercial thinning. Low‐severity wildfires represent proxies for prescribed burns and both function as biomass removal to alleviate overstocked conditions. Increases in potential runoff over 15 years post‐disturbance were valued at $108,000/km2 for commercial thinning versus $234,000/km2 for low‐severity wildfire, based on historical water prices. Respective declines in GPP were valued at −$305,000 and −$1,317,000/km2, based on an average social cost of carbon. Considering biomass levels created by commercial thinning and low‐severity fire as more‐sustainable management baselines for overstocked forests, carbon uptake over 15 years post‐disturbance can be viewed as a benefit rather than loss. Realizing this benefit upon management re‐entry may require sequestering thinned material. High‐severity wildfire and clearcutting resulted in greater declines in ET and thus greater potential water benefits but also substantial declines in GPP and live carbon. These lessons from historical disturbances indicate what benefit ranges from fuels treatments can be expected from more‐sustainable management of mixed‐conifer forests and the importance of setting an appropriate baseline.

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“…Increased research and development spending can lead to innovations in fire detection, prevention, and healthcare response systems. This could mitigate health impacts and related healthcare costs during and after forest fire events (Quesnel Seipp et al, 2023;Singh & Kaur, 2023).…”

Section: Research and Development Expenditurementioning

confidence: 99%

Preserving health, protecting economies: Mitigating the impact of forest fires on healthcare expenditure and environmental sustainability

Soontha,

Bhat

2023

Sustainable Development

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Forest fires release harmful pollutants, endangering public health and incurring substantial healthcare costs. This study empirically investigates the environment‐health‐economy relationship, utilizing a robust MM‐QR approach. Findings divulge that economic growth, urbanization, and tourism drive healthcare expenditure, while environmental factors like forest fires, resource depletion, species extinction, and environmental policy stringency also increase health spending. Conversely, renewable energy consumption lowers healthcare costs, while coal extraction raises them. Empirical estimates reveal that increase in forest fires raises health spending by , socioeconomic indicators by , and environmental factors by . Conversely, a rise in renewable energy usage cuts healthcare expenses by . This study underscores the urgency of addressing environmental degradation, especially forest fires, to mitigate their impacts on human well‐being.

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A multi-benefit framework for funding forest management in fire-driven ecosystems across the Western U.S.

Cited by 8 publications

References 92 publications

Prescribed fire placement matters more than increasing frequency and extent in a simulated Pacific Northwest landscape

Prescribed fire placement matters more than increasing frequency and extent in a simulated Pacific Northwest landscape

Valuation of forest‐management and wildfire disturbance on water and carbon fluxes in mountain headwaters

Preserving health, protecting economies: Mitigating the impact of forest fires on healthcare expenditure and environmental sustainability

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