The effects of early season and late season prescribed fires on small mammals in a Sierra Nevada mixed conifer forest

2006 ◽  
Vol 236 (2-3) ◽  
pp. 229-240 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michelle E. Monroe ◽  
Sarah J. Converse
Keyword(s):  
Sierra Nevada ◽  
Small Mammals ◽  
Prescribed Fires ◽  
Conifer Forest ◽  
Mixed Conifer ◽  
Early Season ◽  
Late Season ◽  
Mixed Conifer Forest

Tree mortality from fire and bark beetles following early and late season prescribed fires in a Sierra Nevada mixed-conifer forest

2006 ◽  
Vol 232 (1-3) ◽  
pp. 36-45 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dylan W. Schwilk ◽  
Eric E. Knapp ◽  
Scott M. Ferrenberg ◽  
Jon E. Keeley ◽  
Anthony C. Caprio
Keyword(s):  
Sierra Nevada ◽  
Bark Beetles ◽  
Tree Mortality ◽  
Prescribed Fires ◽  
Conifer Forest ◽  
Mixed Conifer ◽  
Late Season ◽  
Mixed Conifer Forest

scholarly journals “Prescribed fire shrub consumption in a Sierra Nevada mixed-conifer forest

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Melissa R Jaffe ◽  
Brandon M. Collins ◽  
Jacob Levine ◽  
Hudson Northrop ◽  
Francesco Malandra ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Sierra Nevada ◽  
Prescribed Fire ◽  
Additive Model ◽  
Tree Cover ◽  
Prescribed Fires ◽  
Percent Cover ◽  
Conifer Forest ◽  
Mixed Conifer ◽  
Mixed Conifer Forest ◽  
Coarse Woody Material

Live shrubs in forest understories pose a challenge for mitigating wildfire risk with prescribed fire. Factors driving shrub consumption in prescribed fires are variable and difficult to explain. This study investigated spatial patterns and drivers of Sierra Nevada mixed-conifer forest shrub consumption in prescribed fires through analysis of high-resolution imagery taken before and after prescribed fire. We applied a spatially explicit, generalized additive model to assess tree cover and coarse woody material as potential drivers of shrub consumption. Shrub cover in two experimental stands prior to burning was 38% and 59% and was 36% and 45% one-year post burn. In both stands shrub patch density increased, while area-weighted mean patch size and largest patch index decreased. Increased local percent cover of coarse woody material was associated with increased shrub consumption. These findings provide information for prescribed fire managers to help better anticipate shrub consumption and patchiness outcomes under similar conditions.

Role of burning season on initial understory vegetation response to prescribed fire in a mixed conifer forest

2007 ◽  
Vol 37 (1) ◽  
pp. 11-22 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eric E Knapp ◽  
Dylan W Schwilk ◽  
Jeffrey M Kane ◽  
Jon E Keeley
Keyword(s):  
Prescribed Burning ◽  
Understory Vegetation ◽  
Fire Intensity ◽  
Conifer Forest ◽  
Mixed Conifer ◽  
Fuel Loading ◽  
Significant Drop ◽  
Early Season ◽  
Late Season ◽  
Mixed Conifer Forest

Although the majority of fires in the western United States historically occurred during the late summer or early fall when fuels were dry and plants were dormant or nearly so, early-season prescribed burns are often ignited when fuels are still moist and plants are actively growing. The purpose of this study was to determine if burn season influences postfire vegetation recovery. Replicated early-season burn, late-season burn, and unburned control units were established in a mixed conifer forest, and understory vegetation was evaluated before and after treatment. Vegetation generally recovered rapidly after prescribed burning. However, late-season burns resulted in a temporary but significant drop in cover and a decline in species richness at the 1 m2 scale in the following year. For two of the several taxa that were negatively affected by burning, the reduction in frequency was greater after late-season than early-season burns. Early-season burns may have moderated the effect of fire by consuming less fuel and lessening the amount of soil heating. Our results suggest that, when burned under high fuel loading conditions, many plant species respond more strongly to differences in fire intensity and severity than to timing of the burn relative to stage of plant growth.

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