Transcript CSampson_termpaper_firex

Fire in
Restoration
Ecology
Christie Sampson
Fire in ecosystems
 Fire is an essential disturbance
 In the context of restoration ecology
Restoring fire to a fire-dependent ecosystem
Can be a tool in a new area
 Fire regime = spatial and temporal variations of
fires and their effects in a given area over a given
time period
US Fire Adapted Ecosystems
 Tallgrass Prairie: Midwest
 Chaparral: California and Southwest
 Ponderosa Pine: Interior West
 Douglas-Fir: Pacific Northwest
 Loblolly and Shortleaf Pine: The Southeast
 Jack Pine: Great Lake States
http://www.fs.fed.us/r6/okawen/fire/naches/index.shtml
Fire in ecosystems
Fire contributes to the :
• Recycling of
nutrients
• Regulation of plant
succession and
wildlife habitat
• Controlling insect
populations and
diseases
• Maintenance
biological diversity
• Reduction of
biomass
Natural Burning Regime
(nature.org)
Changes in North American Fires
 Increases in human-related fire ignitions
forest roads, widespread logging, recreational
use and development
 Reduction in biomass of fine fuels
livestock grazing and increased tree invasion
 Increases in fuel accumulation
dense tree plantations and a buildup of shadetolerant conifers
Changes in North American Fires
 Modifications/habitat fragmentation
agriculture, urban development, and other
firebreaks
 Active fire suppression changed the types of forests
found in the US
 fewer forest that need frequent, low intensity fire
 Loss of forests with fire-resilient properties
community and landscape levels
removal of large trees and “legacy” stand
components
Environmental Effects
Environmental Effects -Soil
 Return nutrients to soil
 Factors
Frequency, duration, and intensity
soil characteristics
 Consequences
 Loss of duff layer
 Surface runoff and soil erosion
http://www.blm.gov/pgdata/etc/medialib/blm/ut/moab_fo/fire.Par.57697.Image.-1.-1.1.gif
Environmental Effects -Water
 Consequences
 Erosion
 Nutrient Loading
Environmental Effects -Plants
Fire adapted
 smoke-activated seeds or fire-activated buds
 Southern pine bark thicker than many hardwoods, needles will
survive exposure to 1300°F for about 5 minutes
 chaparral - plants have oil covered leaves that allows their fireactivated seeds to germinate. The offspring can then flourish
can then capitalize on the lack of competition in a burnt
landscape.
Grasses regenerate
quickly, outcompeting
trees and shrubs
http://www.blm.gov/pgdata/etc/medialib/blm/
Fire Impacts on Succession
Environmental Effects Wildlife
 Primarily indirect
 Regenerate food sources
 Creation of habitat
 Snags
 Loss of habitat
 Dead and down wood
 Temporary loss of grasslands/understory
Restoration Challenges
 What was the temporal variability of the fire regime over multicentury reference periods?
 History is needed to identify temporal trends that may be
related to climatic variation prior to and during intensive
European settlement
 How was the fire regime influenced by Native Americans?
 How much influence did they have on the ecosystem?
 How did native and introduced herbivores affect fuels and fire
regimes?
 Fires declined with reduced grass fuels due to the
introduction of sheep and cattle
 Fluctuations in native herbivore populations
(Veblen 2003)
Restoration Challenges
 What was the spatial variability of the fire regime within a
particular ecosystem type?
 climatic seasonality
 topography
 weather patterns
 understory species/characteristics
 site productivity (related to geology, soils, and/or climate)
 use by Native Americans
 How have invasive plant species altered fire regimes?
 Exotic plant species can change fuel continuity- spread and
intensity may be significantly altered
(Veblen 2003)
Invasive Species
Nonnative plant abundance was over
200% higher on fuel breaks than in
adjacent areas
Invasive Species
 Reduced exotic plant seed production (seed bank)
 Increased native seedling establishment through
litter removal and decreased competition
http://www.cas.vanderbilt.edu/bioimages/biohires/ecoregions/h50805burn20011103crv185.jpg
(Veblen 2003)
Overcoming public dissent
Fire = dangerous force to be suppressed
and contained at all costs
http://www.dosomething.org/files/pictures/fire-road.jpg
Overcoming public dissent
 Walt Disney’s Bambi
 U.S. Forest Service’s
Smokey Bear
http://inel.wordpress.com/2007/10/24/bambi-had-wildfires-butnot-as-bad-as-this/
http://harebrainedcreative.files.wordpress.com/2011/03/sm
okey_the_bear.jpg?w=453&h=660
Overcoming public dissent
 Discuss environmental, social and economic benefits and
consequences for the community
www.nature.org
Additional References

www.bugwood.org/pfire/

http://isebindia.com/95_99/98-04-1.html

http://www.wildlandfire.com/pics/wall/wall.htm

http://fireecology.org/education/doc1.htm

Brown, James K.; Smith, Jane Kapler (2000). "Wildland fire in ecosystems: effects of fire on flora". Gen. Tech. Rep. RMRS-GTR42-vol. 2 40,56-68. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station.

DellaSala, D. A., J. E. Williams, C.D. Williams and J. F. Franklin. 2004. Beyond Smoke and Mirrors: a Synthesis of Fire Policy and
Science. Conservation Biology, 18:976–986

Menke, J. W. 1992. GRAZING AND FIRE MANAGEMENT FOR NATIVE PERENNIAL GRASS RESTORATION IN CALIFORNIA
GRASSLANDS . Journal of the California Native Plant Society 20:22-25
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Merriam, Kyle E., Jon E. Keeley, and Jan L. Beyers. 2006. Fuel Breaks Affect Nonnative Species Abundance In Californian Plant
Communities. Ecological Applications 16:515–527

Romme, W.H. 1980. Fire history terminology: report of the Ad Hoc Committee. Pages 135-37 in M.A. Stokes and J.H. Dieterich,
editors. Proceedings of the fire history workshop, Oct. 20-24, 1980. Tucson, Arizona. U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest
Service, General Technical Report

Veblen, T.T. 2003. Key issues in fire regime research for fuels management and ecological restoration. Pages 259-276 in: P. Omi
and L. Joyce (technical eds). Fire, Fuel Treatments and Ecological Restoration: Conference proceedings; 2002 16-18 April; Fort
Collins, CO: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station. 475 p.