The effects of thinning and similar stand treatments on fire behavior in Western forests.

Graham, Russell T.; Harvey, A. E.; Jain, Theresa B.; Tonn, Jonalea R.

doi:10.2737/pnw-gtr-463

Cited by 156 publications

(153 citation statements)

References 23 publications

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“…Interestingly, we also proved that the presence of slash remnants in the thinned plots ddoes not increase fire severity and fire damage is only controlled by the amount of standing basal area. Thinning appears as a promising silvicultural tool to ameliorate the structure and development of these young P. halepensis thickets and to create more fire resilient stands [60]. However, the final density of retained saplings in a particular stand as well as the spatial arrangement of un-thinned and thinned thickets at the landscape level should be adapted to match and balance three simultaneous objectives: i.e., increase growth and reproduction of pines, reduce fire intensity and damage, and ensure the resilience of the forest to new wildfire events.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Contrasting Effects of Fire Severity on the Regeneration of Pinus halepensis Mill. and Resprouter Species in Recently Thinned Thickets

García‐Jiménez

Palmero‐Iniesta

Espelta

2017

Forests

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Abstract:Many studies have outlined the benefits for growth and reproduction resulting from thinning extremely crowded young forests regenerating after stand replacing wildfires ("thickets"). However, scarce information is available on how thinning may influence fire severity and vegetation regeneration in case a new fire occurs. We investigated the relationship between thinning and fire severity in P. halepensis thickets, and the effects on the establishment of pine seedlings and resprouting vigour in resprouter species the year after the fire. Our results show a positive relationship between forest basal area and fire severity, and thus reserved pines in thinned stands suffered less fire damage than those in un-thinned sites (respectively, 2.02 ± 0.13 vs. 2.93 ± 0.15 in a scale from 0 to 4). Ultimately, differences in fire severity influenced post-fire regeneration. Resprouting vigour varied depending on the species and the size of individuals but it was consistently higher in thinned stands. Concerning P. halepensis, the proportion of cones surviving the fire decreased with fire severity. However, this could not compensate the much lower pine density in thinned stands and thus the overall seed crop was higher in un-thinned areas. Establishment of pine seedlings was negatively affected by the slope and positively driven by the number of cones and thus it was higher in un-thinned than in thinned stands (respectively, 2581 ± 649 vs. 898 ± 325 seedlings·ha −1 ). Thinning decreases fire intensity, and thus it may facilitate fire suppression tasks, but retaining a higher density of pines would be necessary to ensure P. halepensis regeneration after a new fire event.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Contrasting Effects of Fire Severity on the Regeneration of Pinus halepensis Mill. and Resprouter Species in Recently Thinned Thickets

García‐Jiménez

Palmero‐Iniesta

Espelta

2017

Forests

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“…They thus depend too on forest and fuel management regimes (Graham et al 1999, Omi & Martinson 2004, Jactel et al 2009, CrecenteCampo et al 2009). In fact, the relationship between fuel load, rate of spread, and fire intensity has provided a simple but powerful argument to support fuel reduction in eucalypt forests (McArthur 1962, 1967, Peet 1965.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Developing wildfire risk probability models for Eucalyptus globulus stands in Portugal

Botequim¹,

García-Gonzalo²,

Marques³

et al. 2013

iForest

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© iForest -Biogeosciences and Forestry IntroductionFire is a major disturbance impacting the Mediterranean landscape (Rundel 1998). In recent decades its incidence has increased dramatically in southern Europe (Rego 1992, Moreno 1999, Pausas et al. 2008. The Portuguese territory is characterized by a Mediterranean climate and a rugged topography. Moreover, the Portuguese vegetation cover is mostly evergreen and drought resistant. The country is thus prone to vegetation fires. Recent demographic, socio-economic and climatic trends (e.g., Mather & Pereira 2006, Pereira et al. 2002 have further contributed to the country's vulnerability to wildfires. In Portugal, wildfire is the most important agent of land cover change (Pereira & Santos 2003). In fact, in the period extending from 1975 to 2007 the total burned area approximated 3.8 · 10 6 hectares, representing 40% of the country's area (Marques et al. 2011a).In Portugal, around 90% of the total forest land is managed by private landowners (DGRF 2006) and most stands are monospecific or dominated by one species. Eucalypt is the most important forest species in terms of area as it extends over 8.12 · 10 3 ha, corresponding to 26% of the country's forestland (ICNF 2013). Further, it provides key raw material to the export driven pulp and paper industry (about 5.75 million m 3 of pulpwood per year -DGRF 2007). Wildfires constrain the economic viability of eucalypt in commercial forestry and the competitiveness of this industry (Nogueira 1990, Moreira et al. 2001. The development of forest plans that may mitigate wildfire impacts on the profitability of eucalypt management scheduling is thus a key factor to the sustainability of this forestry sub-sector. This prompted the research of models to assess wildfire occurrence probability in eucalypt plantations as a function of variables that may be controlled by forest managers. The forestry literature has associated the term risk with the probability of occurrence of a natural hazard (González et al. 2006, Jactel et al. 2009. In this research, we will refer to risk as the probability of a stand to be affected by a wildfire (i.e., probability of burning) if an ignition exists ). Thus, rather than modeling fire ignition probability, the focus of this research is on modeling at stand level the probability of wildfire occurrence at stand level. This is understood as a spatial process related to forest structure as potential fire spread is impacted by fuel presence/composition (Fernandes 2009).In Portugal, former studies have focused on the characterization of wildfire ignition or of wildfire risk as a function of environmental or socioeconomic variables (Vasconcelos et al. 2001, Pereira & Santos 2003, Nunes et al. 2005, Catry et al. 2008, Marques et al. 2011a. It was demonstrated that in general wildfire impacts depend on the forest cover types where they occur (Moreira et al. 2001, Godinho-Ferreira et al. 2005, Nunes et al. 2005. The characterization of these impacts on eucalypt plantations was addressed recently by Fernande...

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“…But eastside forests are diverse and conditions in dry site ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa) are too often generalized to other types. Furthermore, grazing and silviculture has compounded the changes in eastside forests (Graham et al 1999). point out the patterns in eastside forest are often misunderstood, with patches within late-seral forests interpreted as independent stands instead of part of the forest mosaic.…”

Section: Fire Suppressionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…However, with legacy retention, patchy regeneration of multiple species including hardwoods, and natural disturbances during the periods following either a natural catastrophic disturbance by wind or fire or following partial cuts, the prey base can reach or exceed levels of diversity and abundance found in many old-growth stands and will be used for foraging and roosting by spotted owls ." (Carey 2004, see Appendix) 7.2 THINNING "Thinning can be done in many ways and for many purposes and has differing and diverse consequences on the ecosystem including effects on the prey themselves, the plants that provide them with food and cover, the fungi that provide them with food, and the health and resilience of the forest (Waters et al 1994;Graham et al 1999;Carey 2000bCarey 2000, 2001;Carey 2000a, b, 2002b;Carey and Wilson 2001;Sullivan et al 2001;Muir et al 2002). All thinning has short-term negative effects on understory plants (mechanical destruction) and below-ground fungi (death of host trees and mechanical destruction).…”

Section: Timber Harvestmentioning

confidence: 99%

Forest Structure Within Barred Owl (Strix varia) Home Ranges in the Eastern Cascade Range, Washington

Singleton

2015

Journal of Raptor Research

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The effects of thinning and similar stand treatments on fire behavior in Western forests.

Cited by 156 publications

References 23 publications

Contrasting Effects of Fire Severity on the Regeneration of Pinus halepensis Mill. and Resprouter Species in Recently Thinned Thickets

Contrasting Effects of Fire Severity on the Regeneration of Pinus halepensis Mill. and Resprouter Species in Recently Thinned Thickets

Developing wildfire risk probability models for Eucalyptus globulus stands in Portugal

Forest Structure Within Barred Owl (Strix varia) Home Ranges in the Eastern Cascade Range, Washington

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