Modeling the direct effects of salvage logging on long-term temporal fuel dynamics in dry-mixed conifer forests

Dunn, Christopher J.; Bailey, John D.

doi:10.1016/j.foreco.2015.01.002

Cited by 25 publications

(21 citation statements)

References 69 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Our results agree with previous findings (Bull 1983;Chambers and Mast 2005;Russell et al 2006;Dunn and Bailey 2012;Ritchie and Knapp 2014). The differences between species are likely due to a combination of species-specific wood characteristics, xylogphagous insects, and wood decay fungi (Scheffer 1966;Lowell et al 2010;Dunn and Bailey 2015), although interspecific differences in tree characteristics and injury could play a role (Table 2). Incense-cedar was very stable for the first 8 years, as also reported in Ritchie and Knapp (2014) and Ritchie et al (2013).…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 92%

“…Many factors interact to affect wood decay and snag longevity (DeNitto et al 2000;Lowell et al 2010;Dunn and Bailey 2015). Snag persistence was species specific in our study, with yellow pine snags falling at a much faster rate than the other species studied.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 46%

“…These fire-killed snags persist for only a short time, with very few remaining after 10 years (Harrington 1996;Everett et al 1999;Ritchie et al 2013;Ritchie and Knapp 2014). Current post-fire management practices often include harvest activities to recoup economic losses from dead trees, to reduce long-term coarse woody fuel loading, and for hazard-tree abatement (Dunn and Bailey 2015;Peterson et al 2015). Snag retention guidelines frequently focus on tree sizes and species anticipated to persist the longest.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

Persistence of fire-killed conifer snags in California, USA

2019

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Background: Coarse woody debris has numerous functions in forest ecosystems, including wildlife habitat, fuel loading, and nutrient cycling. Standing dead trees, or snags, are particularly important resources for wildlife, and guidelines for snag recruitment and retention are integral parts of forest management. However, snag persistence is not well understood and existing models are poorly validated. We monitored fire-killed conifer snag persistence after four California wildfires and one prescribed fire. Species sampled included white fir (Abies concolor [Gord. & Glend.] Lindl. ex Hildebr.), incense-cedar (Calocedrus decurrens [Torr.] Florin), Jeffrey pine (Pinus jeffreyi [Balf.]), sugar pine (Pinus lambertiana Douglas), and ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa Lawson & C. Lawson var. ponderosa C. Lawson). Results: Fire-injured trees that survived at least one year post fire were monitored for 10 years after they died. We developed two sets of species-specific snag persistence rates: a simplified model based only on time since death, and a full model that included tree characteristics. The primary factors affecting persistence rates in all models were snag age (years since death) and species. Secondary factors included diameter at breast height, time between fire and tree death, and crown injury. Snag persistence rates decreased with snag age. Yellow pine snags (a combined group of ponderosa pine and Jeffrey pine) fell significantly faster than any other species. Larger-diameter snags persisted longer than smaller-diameter snags for all species. Incense-cedar trees that survived longer post fire persisted longer as snags. Conclusions: This study provides land managers with guidance on snag longevity, which can aid in planning for long-term wildlife habitat, fuel loading estimates, and forest structural diversity.

show abstract

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 92%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 46%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Persistence of fire-killed conifer snags in California, USA

2019

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Next to the suggested post-fire management operations, we further endorse the application of ecologically-sound fuel reduction treatments planned at the landscape scale (Dunn and Bailey, 2015;Finney et al, 2007;Lehmkuhl et al, 2007;Loehle, 2004) to decrease plant (pioneer shrubs and tree seedlings) competition and the amount of aboveground biomass available for the next fire (see de las Heras et al, 2012;Moreira et al, 2012;Pausas and Paula, 2012). Fuel reduction should be, however, applied after the third growing season following fire, when pine seedlings grow exponentially and the positive effects of nurse shrubs on seedling height have reached their maximum value (see Calvo et al, 2008).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Fire recurrence and emergency post-fire management influence seedling recruitment and growth by altering plant interactions in fire-prone ecosystems

Taboada

Tárrega

Marcos

et al. 2017

Forest Ecology and Management

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Projections of future wildfire regimes forecast an increased frequency of large high-severity fires that create very harsh environmental conditions and constitute a challenge to post-fire ecosystem regeneration. Under these new circumstances, better knowledge of the plant interaction mechanisms underlying post-fire seedling establishment success would aid restoration management to achieve the intended targets. We evaluated the combined effect of recurrent large stand-replacing fires and conventional post-fire restoration activities (salvage logging after a single large fire, and direct seeding and linear subsoiling plus seedling planting after two subsequent large fires) on tree seedling recruitment and performance (development, annual growth, and biomass) in the early stages of succession in fire-prone maritime pine (Pinus pinaster Ait.) ecosystems. We quantified plant facilitative/competitive interactions between naturally recruited pine seedlings, neighbouring seedlings and potential nurse shrubs with different post-fire regeneration strategies (obligate seeders vs resprouters), by computing the relative interaction index (RII). The results evidenced that fire recurrence altered plant species composition and conditioned initial pine seedling recruitment and establishment, prevailing over the expected negative impact of salvage logging and positive impact of seeding. Seedling recruitment was sufficient to ensure natural tree regeneration after a single fire event and undermined by repeated fires. Both delaying burned timber removal during salvage logging operations and retaining immature dead trees without commercial value onsite in subsoiled stands enhanced seedling recruitment via facilitative interactions. Higher seedling growth and height under shrubs than in open ground resulted in lower aerial and root biomass, indicating elongation in response to shade, and net competition for resources. Inter-specific competition between naturally regenerated seedlings and shrubs was aggravated by intra-specific competition with neighbouring seedlings and by mechanical site preparation in subsoiled stands. All in all, post-burn increased soil fertility most likely counterbalanced the environmental stress created by fire, shifting the net outcome of plant interactions from positive (facilitation) to negative (competition). We recommend alternative post-fire management actions that decrease plant competition and take advantage of facilitation by residual burned wood, to ultimately accelerate ecosystem recovery after large stand-replacing fires.

show abstract

“…Fine fuels declined more rapidly with time in fully salvaged units than indicated by the modeled results of Dunn and Bailey (), who predicted fine‐fuel mass would be higher in salvaged areas for up to 22 yr. The faster decline of fine fuels in our study may be because all snags were removed, with the unmerchantable trees chipped and sold as biomass, whereas Dunn and Bailey's modeled results were based on empirical data from sites where the salvage operation removed only merchantable trees, leaving a source of fine‐fuel inputs from the smaller unmerchantable trees over time.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 86%

Response of understory vegetation to salvage logging following a high‐severity wildfire

Knapp

Ritchie

2016

Ecosphere

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Citation: Knapp, E. E., and M. W. Ritchie. 2016. Response of understory vegetation to salvage logging following a high-severity wildfire. Ecosphere 7(11):e01550. 10.1002/ecs2.1550Abstract. Timber is frequently salvage-logged following high-severity stand-replacing wildfire, but the practice is controversial. One concern is that compound disturbances could result in more deleterious impacts than either disturbance individually, with mechanical operations having the potential to set back recovering native species and increase invasion by non-native species. Following the 2002 Cone Fire on the Lassen National Forest, three replicates of five salvage treatments were applied to 15 units formerly dominated by ponderosa pine, covering a range of disturbance intensities from unsalvaged to 100% salvaged. Understory species richness and cover data were collected every two years between 2006 and 2012. Richness of both native and non-native species did not differ among salvage treatments, but both showed strong changes over time. While cover of forbs and graminoids did not differ with salvage treatment, cover of shrubs was significantly reduced at the higher salvage intensities. The three main shrub species are all stimulated to germinate by fire, potentially leaving seedlings vulnerable to any mechanical disturbance occurring immediately postgermination. Many other native perennial species emerge from rhizomes or other deeply buried underground structures and appear to be less affected by salvage harvest. Over time, the plant community in all salvage treatments shifted from dominance by shrubs and forbs to shrubs and grasses. Most of the grasses were native, except Bromus tectorum (cheatgrass), which was found in 4% of measurement quadrats in 2006 and 52% in 2012. Our results indicated that understory vegetation change 4-10 years posthigh-severity wildfire appeared to be influenced more strongly by factors other than salvage logging.

show abstract

Modeling the direct effects of salvage logging on long-term temporal fuel dynamics in dry-mixed conifer forests

Cited by 25 publications

References 69 publications

Persistence of fire-killed conifer snags in California, USA

Persistence of fire-killed conifer snags in California, USA

Fire recurrence and emergency post-fire management influence seedling recruitment and growth by altering plant interactions in fire-prone ecosystems

Response of understory vegetation to salvage logging following a high‐severity wildfire

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About