scholarly journals Soil temperatures during autumn prescribed burning: implications for the germination of fire responsive species?

2008 ◽  
Vol 17 (5) ◽  
pp. 572 ◽  
Author(s):  
T. D. Penman ◽  
A. L. Towerton
Keyword(s):  
Prescribed Fire ◽  
Prescribed Burning ◽  
Woody Debris ◽  
Seed Banks ◽  
Ecological Impacts ◽  
Management Tool ◽  
Soil Seed Banks ◽  
Native Flora ◽  
Soil Temperatures ◽  
Standard Practices

Prescribed fire is a widely applied management tool in native forests. There have been concerns raised about the ecological impacts of prescribed fire on native flora. One aspect of the debate is the extent to which prescribed fire heats the soil to levels reported to trigger germination in the soil seed banks. We used Thermochrons to test soil temperatures at 2 and 5 cm in prescribed burns in dry sclerophyll forests. Soil temperatures during the burns were generally low (<40°C) with less than 5% of sites being exposed to temperatures necessary for the germination of fire-dependent shrub species. High temperatures were associated with high fuel consumption and large woody debris. This information suggests that prescribed fires, carried out according to standard practices, in these forests are unlikely to trigger germination in the majority of the soil-stored seed banks. If ecological burns in these forests are aimed at promoting populations of senescing obligate seeder species, they need to be hotter than standard practice if they are to achieve their objectives, although we acknowledge that there are inherent risks associated with hotter burns.

scholarly journals Estimating Fuel Consumption for the Upper Coastal Plain of South Carolina

2010 ◽  
Vol 34 (1) ◽  
pp. 5-12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Scott L. Goodrick ◽  
Dan Shea ◽  
John Blake
Keyword(s):  
South Carolina ◽  
Air Quality ◽  
Fuel Consumption ◽  
Prescribed Fire ◽  
Coastal Plain ◽  
Prescribed Burning ◽  
Management Tool ◽  
Fuel Load ◽  
Trade Offs ◽  
Continued Use

Abstract Recent changes in air quality regulations present a potential obstacle to continued use of prescribed fire as a land management tool. Lowering of the acceptable daily concentration of particulate matter from 65 to 35 μg/m3 will bring much closer scrutiny of prescribed burning practices from the air quality community. To work within this narrow window, land managers need simple tools to allow them to estimate their potential emissions and examine trade-offs between continued use of prescribed fire and other means of fuels management. A critical part of the emissions estimation process is determining the amount of fuel consumed during the burn. This study combines results from a number of studies along the Upper Coastal Plain of South Carolina to arrive at a simple means of estimating total fuel consumption on prescribed fires. The result is a simple linear relationship that determines the total fuel consumed as a function of the product of the preburn fuel load and the burning index of the National Fire Danger Rating System.

Tree mortality 6 years after burning a thinned Quercuschrysolepis stand

1993 ◽  
Vol 23 (10) ◽  
pp. 2236-2241 ◽  
Author(s):  
Timothy E. Paysen ◽  
Marcia G. Narog
Keyword(s):  
Prescribed Fire ◽  
Tree Mortality ◽  
Prescribed Burning ◽  
Root Zone ◽  
Wildlife Habitat ◽  
Management Tool ◽  
Prescribed Burn ◽  
Live Oak ◽  
San Bernardino ◽  
Favorable Conditions

Managers do not currently use prescribed fire in stands of canyon live oak (Quercuschrysolepis Liebm.) because it is highly susceptible to fire injury. A preliminary study investigating the effects of prescribed burning on this species was initiated on the San Bernardino National Forest in southern California. The purpose was to assess the feasibility of using thinning and prescribed burning to develop shaded fuel breaks in these stands. This paper addresses aboveground tree mortality inventoried 2 and 6 years after a prescribed burn. Aboveground tree stems were judged as live or dead (irrespective of root-zone sprouting). Fire caused approximately 50% mortality in DBH classes ≤15 cm and <10% in larger classes. Between the 2nd and 6th years after burning, tree mortality increased by only 3%. Our results suggest that prescribed fire can be used as a management tool in Q. chrysolepis stands and that tree mortality might be evaluated sooner than previously believed. More investigations are required to identify favorable conditions for prescribed burning in this species, as well as applicability for (i) degree of hazard reduction near the urban wildland interface, (ii) stand improvement by thinning small or crowded trees, and (iii) revitalizing wildlife habitat.

A review of prescribed burning effectiveness in fire hazard reduction

2003 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 117 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paulo M. Fernandes ◽  
Hermínio S. Botelho
Keyword(s):  
Prescribed Fire ◽  
Prescribed Burning ◽  
Fire Regime ◽  
Accumulation Rate ◽  
Fire Suppression ◽  
Fire Hazard ◽  
Weather Conditions ◽  
Management Tool ◽  
Adequate Treatment ◽  
Hazard Reduction

Wildfire hazard abatement is one of the major reasons to use prescribed burning. Computer simulation, case studies, and analysis of the fire regime in the presence of active prescribed burning programs in forest and shrubland generally indicate that this fuel management tool facilitates fire suppression efforts by reducing the intensity, size and damage of wildfires. However, the conclusions that can be drawn from the above approaches are limited, highlighting the need for more properly designed experiments addressing this question. Fuel accumulation rate frequently limits prescribed fire effectiveness to a short post-treatment period (2–4 years). Optimisation of the spatial pattern of fire application is critical but has been poorly addressed by research, and practical management guidelines are lacking to initiate this. Furthermore, adequate treatment efforts in terms of fire protection are constrained by operational, social and ecological issues. The best results of prescribed fire application are likely to be attained in heterogeneous landscapes and in climates where the likelihood of extreme weather conditions is low. Conclusive statements concerning the hazard-reduction potential of prescribed fire are not easily generalised, and will ultimately depend on the overall efficiency of the entire fire management process.

scholarly journals Tree Mortality following Prescribed Fire and a Storm Surge Event in Slash Pine (Pinus elliottiivar.densa) Forests in the Florida Keys, USA

2010 ◽  
Vol 2010 ◽  
pp. 1-13 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jay P. Sah ◽  
Michael S. Ross ◽  
James R. Snyder ◽  
Danielle E. Ogurcak
Keyword(s):  
Storm Surge ◽  
Prescribed Fire ◽  
Statistical Power ◽  
Tree Mortality ◽  
Prescribed Burning ◽  
Fire Severity ◽  
Practical Importance ◽  
Florida Keys ◽  
Management Tool ◽  
Individual Tree

In fire-dependent forests, managers are interested in predicting the consequences of prescribed burning on postfire tree mortality. We examined the effects of prescribed fire on tree mortality in Florida Keys pine forests, using a factorial design with understory type, season, and year of burn as factors. We also used logistic regression to model the effects of burn season, fire severity, and tree dimensions on individual tree mortality. Despite limited statistical power due to problems in carrying out the full suite of planned experimental burns, associations with tree and fire variables were observed. Post-fire pine tree mortality was negatively correlated with tree size and positively correlated with char height and percent crown scorch. Unlike post-fire mortality, tree mortality associated with storm surge from Hurricane Wilma was greater in the large size classes. Due to their influence on population structure and fuel dynamics, the size-selective mortality patterns following fire and storm surge have practical importance for using fire as a management tool in Florida Keys pinelands in the future, particularly when the threats to their continued existence from tropical storms and sea level rise are expected to increase.

Effects of prescribed fire on soil quality in Mediterranean grassland (Prades Mountains, north-east Spain)

2005 ◽  
Vol 14 (4) ◽  
pp. 379 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xavier Úbeda ◽  
Marc Lorca ◽  
Luís R. Outeiro ◽  
Sara Bernia ◽  
Marc Castellnou
Keyword(s):  
Soil Quality ◽  
Prescribed Fire ◽  
Mediterranean Climate ◽  
Prescribed Burning ◽  
Total Carbon ◽  
Fire Intensity ◽  
North East ◽  
Soil Temperatures ◽  
Phosphorous Content ◽  
One Year

This study examines the effects of a prescribed fire, conducted in grassland in order to maintain a fire break, on soil quality (pH and nutrients) in the Prades Mountains in the Mediterranean climate of north-east Spain. Soil at a 4 × 18 m study plot, located in an abandoned agricultural terrace on calcareous bedrock at 760 m above sea level, was sampled at 0–5 cm depth at 42 sampling points before, immediately after and one year after the burn and analysed for pH and carbon, nitrogen, potassium and phosphorous content. Fire intensity was low and surface soil temperatures did not exceed 200°C. All parameters examined showed a significant increase immediately after the fire. One year later, pH and total carbon had returned to pre-fire levels, and nitrogen and phosphorous were above, whereas potassium levels had decreased to below pre-fire levels. Overall, the prescribed fire did not appear to adversely affect soil. However, using prescribed burning on an annual basis as a tool to maintain an effective fire break may not allow enough time for the soils to fully recover.

scholarly journals Classification of Post-Fire Responses of Woody Plants to include Pyrophobic Communities

Fire ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. 15 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lynda D. Prior ◽  
David M. J. S. Bowman
Keyword(s):  
Woody Plants ◽  
Seed Banks ◽  
Classification Systems ◽  
Woody Vegetation ◽  
General Category ◽  
Conifer Species ◽  
Soil Seed Banks ◽  
Obligate Seeder ◽  
In Fire

Developing standardised classification of post-fire responses is essential for globally consistent comparisons of woody vegetation communities. Existing classification systems are based on responses of species growing in fire-prone environments. To accommodate species that occur in rarely burnt environments, we have suggested some important points of clarification to earlier schemes categorizing post-fire responses. We have illustrated this approach using several Australasian conifer species as examples of pyrophobic species. In particular, we suggest using the term “obligate seeder” for the general category of plants that rely on seed to reproduce, and qualifying this to “post-fire obligate seeder” for the narrower category of species with populations that recover from canopy fire only by seeding; the species are typically fire-cued, with large aerial or soil seed banks that germinate profusely following a fire, and grow and reproduce rapidly in order to renew the seed bank before the next fire.

Soil seed banks and the effects of meadow management on vegetation change in a 10-year meadow field trial

2002 ◽  
Vol 39 (2) ◽  
pp. 279-293 ◽  
Author(s):  
R.S. Smith ◽  
R.S. Shiel ◽  
D. Millward ◽  
P. Corkhill ◽  
R.A. Sanderson
Keyword(s):  
Field Trial ◽  
Vegetation Change ◽  
Seed Banks ◽  
Soil Seed Banks

scholarly journals Prescribed burning in a mediterranean-climate region mitigates the disturbance by bushfire to a critical food resource for an endangered bird, the Carnaby’s cockatoo

Fire Ecology ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 15 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Valerie S. Densmore ◽  
Emma S. Clingan
Keyword(s):  
Seed Production ◽  
Prescribed Burning ◽  
Fire Regime ◽  
Fire Hazard ◽  
Food Resource ◽  
Management Tool ◽  
Fire Intensity ◽  
Prescribed Burns ◽  
Low Intensity ◽  
Percentage Survival

Abstract Background Prescribed burning is used to reduce fire hazard in highly flammable vegetation types, including Banksia L.f. woodland that occurs on the Swan Coastal Plain (SCP), Western Australia, Australia. The 2016 census recorded well over 1.9 million people living on the SCP, which also encompasses Perth, the fourth largest city in Australia. Banksia woodland is prone to frequent ignitions that can cause extensive bushfires that consume canopy-stored banksia seeds, a critical food resource for an endangered bird, the Carnaby’s cockatoo (Calyptorynchus latirostris, Carnaby 1948). The time needed for banksias to reach maturity and maximum seed production is several years longer than the typical interval between prescribed burns. We compared prescribed burns to bushfires and unburned sites at three locations in banksia woodland to determine whether low-intensity prescribed burns affect the number of adult banksias and their seed production. Study sites were matched to the same vegetation complex, fire regime, and time-since-fire to isolate fire intensity as a variable. Results Headfire rates of spread and differenced normalized burn ratios indicated that prescribed burning was generally of a much lower intensity than bushfire. The percentage survival of adult banksias and their production of cones and follicles (seeds) did not decrease during the first three years following a prescribed burn. However, survival and seed production were significantly diminished followed high-intensity bushfire. Thus, carrying capacity for Carnaby’s cockatoo was unchanged by prescribed burning but decreased markedly following bushfire in banksia woodland. Conclusions These results suggest that prescribed burning is markedly different from bushfire when considering appropriate fire intervals to conserve canopy habitats in fire-resilient vegetation communities. Therefore, low-intensity prescribed burning represents a viable management tool to reduce the frequency and extent of bushfire impacts on banksia woodland and Carnaby’s cockatoo.

scholarly journals Facilitating Prescribed Fire in Northern California through Indigenous Governance and Interagency Partnerships

Fire ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 4 (3) ◽  
pp. 37
Author(s):  
Tony Marks-Block ◽  
William Tripp
Keyword(s):  
Political Ecology ◽  
Prescribed Fire ◽  
Prescribed Burning ◽  
Participant Observation ◽  
Fire Suppression ◽  
The United States ◽  
Northern California ◽  
Prescribed Burn ◽  
California Department ◽  
State Regulations

Prescribed burning by Indigenous people was once ubiquitous throughout California. Settler colonialism brought immense investments in fire suppression by the United States Forest Service and the California Department of Forestry and Fire Prevention (CAL FIRE) to protect timber and structures, effectively limiting prescribed burning in California. Despite this, fire-dependent American Indian communities such as the Karuk and Yurok peoples, stalwartly advocate for expanding prescribed burning as a part of their efforts to revitalize their culture and sovereignty. To examine the political ecology of prescribed burning in Northern California, we coupled participant observation of prescribed burning in Karuk and Yurok territories (2015–2019) with 75 surveys and 18 interviews with Indigenous and non-Indigenous fire managers to identify political structures and material conditions that facilitate and constrain prescribed fire expansion. Managers report that interagency partnerships have provided supplemental funding and personnel to enable burning, and that decentralized prescribed burn associations facilitate prescribed fire. However, land dispossession and centralized state regulations undermine Indigenous and local fire governance. Excessive investment in suppression and the underfunding of prescribed fire produces a scarcity of personnel to implement and plan burns. Where Tribes and local communities have established burning infrastructure, authorities should consider the devolution of decision-making and land repatriation to accelerate prescribed fire expansion.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document