Megafires: an emerging threat to old‐forest species

Jones, Gavin M.; Gutiérrez, R. J.; Tempel, Douglas J.; Whitmore, Sheila A.; Berigan, William J.; Peery, M. Zachariah

doi:10.1002/fee.1298

Cited by 166 publications

(252 citation statements)

References 34 publications

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“…Conversely, a portion of sites not occupied in a given year may be re-colonised and occupied in the next year. Concern has recently been expressed regarding the effect of large forest fires in the central Sierra Nevada on occupancy of the California spotted owl, particularly in sites with predominantly high-severity fire effects (Jones et al 2016). Jones et al (2016), who analysed the northern half of the 39,311 ha King fire of 2014, dismissed post-fire logging as a factor in the reduced spotted owl occupancy that they reported one year after the fire.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…High-severity fires were defined as forest with RdNBR (Relativised differenced Normalised Burn Ratio) values >572 (Jones et al 2016), equating to a median level of basal area mortality of trees of ~80% (Miller et al 2009, Miller andQuayle 2015). RdNBR values are based on satellite imagery and pertain to the difference between pre-fire and post-fire reflectance of green foliage (Miller and Thode 2007).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The authors considered a site to be occupied in a given year when at least one owl was detected (Lee et al 2012, Lee and Bond 2015a, b, Jones et al 2016). Detection indicated an owl utilised the site for any component of its life history, including foraging, roosting, nesting or territorial defence (Jones et al 2016). Given the concern indicated in Jones et al (2016) regarding lost occupancy in sites with substantial high-severity fire effects, the authors analysed naïve occupancy (detections versus no detections as recorded by surveyors, without extrapolating to adjust for probability of detection) of California spotted owl sites with 20-49% and 50-80% high-severity fire (as defined below).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Detection indicated an owl utilised the site for any component of its life history, including foraging, roosting, nesting or territorial defence (Jones et al 2016). Given the concern indicated in Jones et al (2016) regarding lost occupancy in sites with substantial high-severity fire effects, the authors analysed naïve occupancy (detections versus no detections as recorded by surveyors, without extrapolating to adjust for probability of detection) of California spotted owl sites with 20-49% and 50-80% high-severity fire (as defined below). Occupancy of such sites was analysed within a 1500 m radius around site centres (nest or core roost locations at the centre of the site; Lee et al 2012) at two different levels of post-fire logging, <5% and ≥5%, pertaining to the percentage of the total area within the 1500 m radius around the site's centre that was post-fire logged.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Some research suggests reduced site occupancy which has been observed in at least one large recent fire, the King fire of 2014 in the central Sierra Nevada, may occur due to predominantly high-severity fire effects (Jones et al 2016). However, distinguishing the effects of fire alone from those of post-fire logging remains a challenge.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Effects of post-fire logging on California spotted owl occupancy

Hanson¹,

Bond²,

Lee³

2018

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In fire-adapted forest ecosystems around the world, there has been growing concern about adverse impacts of post-fire logging on native biodiversity and ecological processes. This is also true in conifer forests of California, U.S.A. which are home to a rare and declining owl subspecies, the California spotted owl (Strix occidentalis occidentalis). While there has been recent concern about the California spotted owl occupancy in large fire areas where some territories have substantial high-severity fire effects, the influence of post-fire logging on the California spotted owl occupancy has been investigated very little, leading to some uncertainty about interpretation of conflicting results in different large fires. Research has found these owls preferentially select high-severity fire areas, characterised by high levels of snags and native shrubs, for foraging in forests that were not logged after fire, suggesting that removal of this foraging habitat might impact occupancy. The authors assessed the effect of post-fire logging and high-severity fire, on occupancy of this subspecies in eight large fire areas, within spotted owl sites with two different levels of high-severity fire effects. They found a significant adverse effect of such logging and no effect of high-severity fire alone. These results indicate it is post-fire logging, not large fires themselves, that poses a conservation threat to this imperilled species. RESEARCH ARTICLE Launched to accelerate biodiversity conservation A peer-reviewed open-access journalChad T. Hanson et al. / Nature Conservation 24: 93-105 (2018) 94

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Effects of post-fire logging on California spotted owl occupancy

Hanson¹,

Bond²,

Lee³

2018

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Impacts of different land management histories on forest change

Collins

Fry

Lydersen

et al. 2017

Ecological Applications

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Many western North American forest types have experienced considerable changes in ecosystem structure, composition, and function as a result of both fire exclusion and timber harvesting. These two influences co-occurred over a large portion of dry forests, making it difficult to know the strength of either one on its own or the potential for an interaction between the two. In this study, we used contemporary remeasurements of a systematic historical forest inventory to investigate forest change in the Sierra Nevada. The historical data opportunistically spanned a significant land management agency boundary, which protected part of the inventory area from timber harvesting. This allowed for a robust comparison of forest change between logged and unlogged areas. In addition, we assessed the effects of recent management activities aimed at forest restoration relative to the same areas historically, and to other areas without recent management. Based on analyses of 22,007 trees (historical, 9,573; contemporary, 12,434), live basal area and tree density significantly increased from 1911 to the early 2000s in both logged and unlogged areas. Both shrub cover and the proportion of live basal area occupied by pine species declined from 1911 to the early 2000s in both areas, but statistical significance was inconsistent. The most notable difference between logged and unlogged areas was in the density of large trees, which declined significantly in logged areas, but was unchanged in unlogged areas. Recent management activities had a varied impact on the forest structure and composition variables analyzed. In general, areas with no recent management activities experienced the greatest change from 1911 to the early 2000s. If approximating historical forest conditions is a land management goal the documented changes in forest structure and composition from 1911 to the early 2000s indicate that active restoration, including fire use and mechanical thinning, is needed in many areas.

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Future changes in fire weather, spring droughts, and false springs across U.S. National Forests and Grasslands

Martinuzzi

Allstadt

Pidgeon

et al. 2019

Ecological Applications

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Public lands provide many ecosystem services and support diverse plant and animal communities. In order to provide these benefits in the future, land managers and policy makers need information about future climate change and its potential effects. In particular, weather extremes are key drivers of wildfires, droughts, and false springs, which in turn can have large impacts on ecosystems. However, information on future changes in weather extremes on public lands is lacking. Our goal was to compare historical (1950–2005) and projected mid‐century (2041–2070) changes in weather extremes (fire weather, spring droughts, and false springs) on public lands. This case study looked at the lands managed by the U.S. Forest Service across the conterminous United States including 501 ranger district units. We analyzed downscaled projections of daily records from 19 Coupled Model Intercomparison Project 5 General Circulation Models for two climate scenarios, with either medium‐low or high CO2− equivalent concentration (RCPs 4.5 and 8.5). For each ranger district, we estimated: (1) fire potential, using the Keetch‐Byram Drought Index; (2) frequency of spring droughts, using the Standardized Precipitation Index; and (3) frequency of false springs, using the extended Spring Indices. We found that future climates could substantially alter weather conditions across Forest Service lands. Under the two climate scenarios, increases in wildfire potential, spring droughts, and false springs were projected in 32–72%, 28–29%, and 13–16% of all ranger districts, respectively. Moreover, a substantial number of ranger districts (17–30%), especially in the Southwestern, Pacific Southwest, and Rocky Mountain regions, were projected to see increases in more than one type of weather extreme, which may require special management attention. We suggest that future changes in weather extremes could threaten the ability of public lands to provide ecosystem services and ecological benefits to society. Overall, our results highlight the value of spatially‐explicit weather projections to assess future changes in key weather extremes for land managers and policy makers.

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Megafires: an emerging threat to old‐forest species

Cited by 166 publications

References 34 publications

Effects of post-fire logging on California spotted owl occupancy

Effects of post-fire logging on California spotted owl occupancy

Impacts of different land management histories on forest change

Future changes in fire weather, spring droughts, and false springs across U.S. National Forests and Grasslands

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