Integrating Subjective and Objective Dimensions of Resilience in Fire-Prone Landscapes

Higuera, Philip E.; Metcalf, Alexander L.; Miller, Carol; Buma, Brian; McWethy, David B.; Metcalf, Elizabeth Covelli; Ratajczak, Zak; Nelson, Cara R.; Chaffin, Brian C.; Stedman, Richard C.; McCaffrey, Sarah; Schoennagel, Tania; Harvey, Brian; Hood, Sharon M.; Schultz, Courtney A.; Black, Arthur D.; Campbell, David I.; Haggerty, Julia H.; Keane, Robert E.; Krawchuk, Meg A.; Kulig, Judith C.; Rafferty, Rebekah; Virapongse, Arika

doi:10.1093/biosci/biz030

Cited by 47 publications

(31 citation statements)

References 69 publications

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“…Adequately addressing these challenges requires consideration of societal values and forest ecosystem services, as well as the best possible technical understanding of the potential for success of a variety of possible management interventions (Higuera et al. ). Potential management options include actions that attempt to forestall change through enhanced ecosystem resistance to fire effects, interventions aimed at improving postfire resilience, and actions such as assisted migration aimed at facilitating ecosystem transformation to systems consistent with a changing climate (Millar et al.…”

Section: Adaptation and Management Implicationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Limitations to recovery following wildfire in dry forests of southern Colorado and northern New Mexico, USA

Rodman

Veblen

Chapman

et al. 2019

Ecological Applications

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Climate warming is contributing to increases in wildfire activity throughout the western United States, leading to potentially long‐lasting shifts in vegetation. The response of forest ecosystems to wildfire is thus a crucial indicator of future vegetation trajectories, and these responses are contingent upon factors such as seed availability, interannual climate variability, average climate, and other components of the physical environment. To better understand variation in resilience to wildfire across vulnerable dry forests, we surveyed conifer seedling densities in 15 recent (1988–2010) wildfires and characterized temporal variation in seed cone production and seedling establishment. We then predicted postfire seedling densities at a 30‐m resolution within each fire perimeter using downscaled climate data, monthly water balance models, and maps of surviving forest cover. Widespread ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa) seed cone production occurred at least twice following each fire surveyed, and pulses of conifer seedling establishment coincided with years of above‐average moisture availability. Ponderosa pine and Douglas‐fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii) seedling densities were higher on more mesic sites and adjacent to surviving trees, though there were also important interspecific differences, likely attributable to drought and shade tolerance. We estimated that postfire seedling densities in 42% (for ponderosa pine) and 69% (for Douglas‐fir) of the total burned area were below the lowest reported historical tree densities in these forests. Spatial models demonstrated that an absence of mature conifers (particularly in the interior of large, high‐severity patches) limited seedling densities in many areas, but 30‐yr average actual evapotranspiration and climatic water deficit limited densities on marginal sites. A better understanding of the limitations to postfire forest recovery will refine models of vegetation dynamics and will help to improve strategies of adaptation to a warming climate and shifting fire activity.

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Section: Adaptation and Management Implicationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Limitations to recovery following wildfire in dry forests of southern Colorado and northern New Mexico, USA

Rodman

Veblen

Chapman

et al. 2019

Ecological Applications

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“…Forests are essential components of the biosphere, and ensuring their persistence is of high management priority given their large carbon stores and other valued ecosystem services (Trumbore et al ; Higuera et al ). Modern forests are subject to disturbances that are increasingly frequent, intense and entangled with human society, which may compromise their resilience and their ability to persist (Millar & Stephenson ; Seidl et al ; Schoennagel et al ; Hessburg et al ; McWethy et al ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Local forest structure variability increases resilience to wildfire in dry western U.S. coniferous forests

et al. 2020

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A 'resilient' forest endures disturbance and is likely to persist. Resilience to wildfire may arise from feedback between fire behaviour and forest structure in dry forest systems. Frequent fire creates fine-scale variability in forest structure, which may then interrupt fuel continuity and prevent future fires from killing overstorey trees. Testing the generality and scale of this phenomenon is challenging for vast, long-lived forest ecosystems. We quantify forest structural variability and fire severity across >30 years and >1000 wildfires in California's Sierra Nevada. We find that greater variability in forest structure increases resilience by reducing rates of fire-induced tree mortality and that the scale of this effect is local, manifesting at the smallest spatial extent of forest structure tested (90 9 90 m). Resilience of these forests is likely compromised by structural homogenisation from a century of fire suppression, but could be restored with management that increases forest structural variability.

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“…However, there are still many challenges for utilizing EO data to benefit society. Societal benefits are anchored in people's "values", which relate to a desirable outcome or way of doing things (De Wit and Notje 2014); these values are dynamic, subjective, and highly dependent on context (Higuera et al 2019). Given such circumstances, translating data into information for decision-making is no easy task (Virapongse et al 2018a).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Ten rules to increase the societal value of earth observations

Virapongse

Pearlman²,

Pearlman³

et al. 2020

Earth Sci Inform

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Earth Observation (EO) data play an important role in our society today, but there is still tremendous opportunity to improve how these data are used to affect change. In this paper, we provide guidance to help data providers and intermediaries within the EO value chain (from data to applications) increase the societal value of the EO data, information, and data products that they work with. We first describe the EO value chain as a conceptual framework for how data are translated and applied for societal benefit. We then introduce three approaches that are often used to assess and improve the EO value chain. Finally, we present "10 rules" that can be implemented to increase the societal benefits of Earth science information. The 10 rules emphasize meeting user needs, problem-solving within interdisciplinary teams, and long-term sustainable solutions. Some rules focus on a specific segment of the value chain or phase in the problem-solving process, while others are relevant to the value chain or process as a whole. Each rule includes at least one case study example to illustrate the key points. The rules are loosely organized according to project management principles with the initial rules focusing on defining problems, planning for data use, creating effective teams, and examining a diverse selection of solutions. The next set of rules are best applied throughout a project, and include such concepts as evaluation, interoperability, trust, adoption, and documentation. Finally, the last rule addresses the challenge of determining when to close a project.

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Integrating Subjective and Objective Dimensions of Resilience in Fire-Prone Landscapes

Cited by 47 publications

References 69 publications

Limitations to recovery following wildfire in dry forests of southern Colorado and northern New Mexico, USA

Limitations to recovery following wildfire in dry forests of southern Colorado and northern New Mexico, USA

Local forest structure variability increases resilience to wildfire in dry western U.S. coniferous forests

Ten rules to increase the societal value of earth observations

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