Fuels and fire behavior dynamics in bark beetle-attacked forests in Western North America and implications for fire management

2012 ◽  
Vol 275 ◽  
pp. 23-34 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael J. Jenkins ◽  
Wesley G. Page ◽  
Elizabeth G. Hebertson ◽  
Martin E. Alexander
Keyword(s):  
North America ◽  
Bark Beetle ◽  
Fire Management ◽  
Fire Behavior ◽  
Western North America ◽  
Behavior Dynamics

Forest fuel treatments in western North America: Merging silviculture and fire management

2005 ◽  
Vol 81 (3) ◽  
pp. 365-368 ◽  
Author(s):  
Morris C Johnson ◽  
David L Peterson
Keyword(s):  
North America ◽  
Fire Management ◽  
Stand Structure ◽  
Fire Hazard ◽  
Spatial Scales ◽  
Fire Disturbance ◽  
Western North America ◽  
Fire Behaviour ◽  
Fuel Treatments ◽  
Management Tools

For many years silviculture and fire management have mostly been separate forestry disciplines with disparate objectives and activities. However, in order to accomplish complex and multiple management objectives related to forest structure, fuels, and fire disturbance, these two disciplines must be effectively integrated in science and practice. We have linked scientific and management tools to develop an analytical approach that allows resource managers to quantify and evaluate the effectiveness of alternative fuel treatments in dry interior forests of western North America. The principal tool is the Fire and Fuels Extension of the Forest Vegetation Simulator (FFE-FVS) for characterizing fuel succession and fire behaviour, and for quantifying and visualizing stand structure. FFE-FVS provides a user-friendly framework that facilitates rapid evaluation of thinning and surface fuel treatments intended to reduce crown fire potential and fireline intensity. This approach quantifies fire hazard at small and large spatial scales, assists with treatment priorities and schedules, and generates stand and landscape visualizations that facilitate decisions about appropriate fuel treatments. Key words: fire behaviour, fire hazard, fuel treatments, silviculture

scholarly journals The impact of bark beetle infestation on monoterpene emissions and secondary organic aerosol formation in Western North America

2012 ◽  
Vol 12 (11) ◽  
pp. 29763-29800 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. R. Berg ◽  
C. L. Heald ◽  
K. E. Huff Hartz ◽  
A. G. Hallar ◽  
A. J. H. Meddens ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
British Columbia ◽  
North America ◽  
Bark Beetle ◽  
Secondary Organic Aerosol ◽  
Organic Aerosol ◽  
Western United States ◽  
Mortality Data ◽  
Western North America ◽  
The Impact

Abstract. Over the last decade, extensive beetle outbreaks in Western North America have destroyed over 100 000 km2 of forest throughout British Columbia and the Western United States. Beetle infestations impact monoterpene emissions through both decreased emissions as trees are killed (mortality effect) and increased emissions in trees under attack (attack effect). We use 14 yr of beetle mortality data together with beetle-induced monoterpene concentration data in the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) Community Earth System Model (CESM) to investigate the impact of beetle mortality and attack on monoterpene emissions and secondary organic aerosol (SOA) formation in Western North America. Regionally, beetle infestations may have a significant impact on monoterpene emissions and SOA concentrations, with up to a 4-fold increase in monoterpene emissions and up to a 40% increase in SOA concentrations in some years (following a scenario where the attack effect is based on observed lodgepole pine response). Responses to beetle attack depend on the extent of previous mortality and the number of trees under attack in a given year, which can vary greatly over space and time. Simulated enhancements peak in 2004 (British Columbia) and 2008 (US). Responses to beetle attack are shown to be substantially larger (up to a 3-fold localized increase in SOA concentrations) when following a scenario based on bark-beetle attack in spruce trees. Placed in the context of observations from the IMPROVE network, the changes in SOA concentrations due to beetle attack are in most cases small compared to the large annual and interannual variability in total organic aerosol which is driven by wildfire activity in Western North America. This indicates that most beetle-induced SOA changes are not likely detectable in current observation networks; however these changes may impede efforts to achieve natural visibility conditions in the national parks and wilderness areas of the Western United States.

scholarly journals The impact of bark beetle infestations on monoterpene emissions and secondary organic aerosol formation in western North America

2013 ◽  
Vol 13 (6) ◽  
pp. 3149-3161 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. R. Berg ◽  
C. L. Heald ◽  
K. E. Huff Hartz ◽  
A. G. Hallar ◽  
A. J. H. Meddens ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
British Columbia ◽  
North America ◽  
Bark Beetle ◽  
Tree Mortality ◽  
Secondary Organic Aerosol ◽  
Organic Aerosol ◽  
Western United States ◽  
Western North America ◽  
The Impact

Abstract. Over the last decade, extensive beetle outbreaks in western North America have destroyed over 100 000 km2 of forest throughout British Columbia and the western United States. Beetle infestations impact monoterpene emissions through both decreased emissions as trees are killed (mortality effect) and increased emissions in trees under attack (attack effect). We use 14 yr of beetle-induced tree mortality data together with beetle-induced monoterpene emission data in the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) Community Earth System Model (CESM) to investigate the impact of beetle-induced tree mortality and attack on monoterpene emissions and secondary organic aerosol (SOA) formation in western North America. Regionally, beetle infestations may have a significant impact on monoterpene emissions and SOA concentrations, with up to a 4-fold increase in monoterpene emissions and up to a 40% increase in SOA concentrations in some years (in a scenario where the attack effect is based on observed lodgepole pine response). Responses to beetle attack depend on the extent of previous mortality and the number of trees under attack in a given year, which can vary greatly over space and time. Simulated enhancements peak in 2004 (British Columbia) and 2008 (US). Responses to beetle attack are shown to be substantially larger (up to a 3-fold localized increase in summertime SOA concentrations) in a scenario based on bark-beetle attack in spruce trees. Placed in the context of observations from the IMPROVE network, the changes in SOA concentrations due to beetle attack are in most cases small compared to the large annual and interannual variability in total organic aerosol which is driven by wildfire activity in western North America. This indicates that most beetle-induced SOA changes are not likely detectable in current observation networks; however, these changes may impede efforts to achieve natural visibility conditions in the national parks and wilderness areas of the western United States.

Two species in the Ceratocystis coerulescens complex from conifers in western North America

1997 ◽  
Vol 75 (5) ◽  
pp. 827-834 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael J. Wingfield ◽  
Thomas C. Harrington ◽  
Halvor Solheim
Keyword(s):  
North America ◽  
Bark Beetle ◽  
Picea Glauca ◽  
Primary Component ◽  
Western North America ◽  
Dendroctonus Rufipennis ◽  
Engelmann Spruce ◽  
The North ◽  
Blue Stain ◽  
High Degree

Two species of Ceratocystis are described from western North America. Ceratocystis rufipenni Wingfield, Harrington, & Solheim is associated with the North American spruce bark beetle Dendroctonus rufipennis infesting both Engelmann spruce (Picea engelmannii Parry) and white spruce (Picea glauca (Moench) Voss) in British Columbia. This fungus is a primary component of the bark beetle mycota and has a relatively high degree of virulence to Engelmann spruce. Ceratocystis douglasii (Davidson) Wingfield & Harrington was previously described as Endoconidiophora coerulescens f. douglasii. It is common on Douglas-fir lumber in western North America where it causes blue stain. Both fungi grow optimally at low temperatures and produce perithecia only after extended incubation under refrigeration. Ceratocystis rufipenni produces conidiophores mostly in association with perithecia, whereas conidia and conidiophores of C. douglasii are produced abundantly on wood and agar. Key words: Ceratocystis, Chalara, Dendroctonus, Ophiostoma, bark beetle – fungus interactions, symbiosis.

RESPONSE BY THE STRIPED AMBROSIA BEETLE, TRYPODENDRON LINEATUM (OLIVIER), TO THE BARK BEETLE PHEROMONE, FRONTALIN

1992 ◽  
Vol 124 (3) ◽  
pp. 559-560
Author(s):  
R.R. Setter ◽  
J.H. Borden
Keyword(s):  
North America ◽  
Single Cell ◽  
Bark Beetle ◽  
Aggregation Pheromone ◽  
Ips Typographus ◽  
Extensive Study ◽  
Ambrosia Beetle ◽  
Western North America ◽  
Trypodendron Lineatum ◽  
Olfactory Cells

Semiochemical-mediated behavior of the striped ambrosia beetle, Trypodendron lineatum (Olivier) (Coleoptera: Scolytidae), has received extensive study. In selecting and mass-attacking hosts in nature, it utilizes a blend of volatiles, including the aggregation pheromone, lineatin, and the host kairomones α-pinene and ethanol (MacConnell et al. 1977; Vité and Bakke 1979; Borden et al. 1982; Bakke 1983; Lindgren et al. 1983). In single cell recordings of European T. lineatum olfactory cells, Tømmerås and Mustaparta (1989) reported no response to pheromones of other scolytid species. However, Benz et al. (1986) reported some response in the field by European T. lineatum to a blend of synthetic Ips typographus (L.) pheromones, although a single attractant was not identified. We report that frontalin, a pheromone utilized by numerous Dendroctonus spp., is an attractive kairomone for T. lineatum in western North America.

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