A comprehensive guide to fuel management practices for dry mixed conifer forests in the northwestern United States

Jain, Theresa B.; Battaglia, Mike A.; Han, Han-Sup; Graham, Russell T.; Keyes, Christopher R.; Fried, Jeremy S.; Sandquist, Jonathan E.

doi:10.2737/rmrs-gtr-292

Cited by 51 publications

(57 citation statements)

References 2 publications

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“…Mixed conifer forests are considered among North America's most difficult for fire management, and conservation of these forests is currently of keen interest (Agee, 1993;Klenner et al, 2008;Jain et al, 2012). Contemporary conditions of mixed conifer forests differ from those before or during initial Euro-American settlement (Parsons and DeBenedetti, 1979;Covington et al, 1994;Minnich et al, 1995;Reynolds et al, 2013).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 98%

Effects of tree cutting and fire on understory vegetation in mixed conifer forests

Abella

Springer

2015

Forest Ecology and Management

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 98%

Effects of tree cutting and fire on understory vegetation in mixed conifer forests

Abella

Springer

2015

Forest Ecology and Management

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“…Commonly, the goal of these restoration treatments is to reverse the cumulative negative consequences of fire suppression on stand conditions; namely, development of great wildfire hazard, densification of low-vigor trees, and displacement of ponderosa pine by more shadetolerant species (such as Douglas-fir). Treatment effectiveness in addressing the first two issues has been widely studied and well demonstrated (e.g., Graham et al, 2004;Jain et al, 2012;McIver et al, 2012), but few have studied the effects of restoration treatments on ponderosa pine seed production. Our findings contribute evidence that restoration treatments benefit seed production, but also suggest that the specific details of the treatment matters.…”

Section: Synchronic Seed Production Cyclical Masting and Crop Depletionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Climate-influenced ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa) seed masting trends in western Montana, USA

Keyes

González

2015

For. syst.

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Aim of study: The aim of this study was to analyze 10-year records of ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa) seed production, in order to confirm synchronic seed production and to evaluate cyclical masting trends, masting depletion effect, and climate-masting relationships.Area of study: The study area was located in a P. ponderosa stand in the northern Rocky Mountains (western Montana, USA).Material and methods: The study was conducted in one stand that had been subjected to a silvicultural study of uneven-aged management techniques that was carried out in 1984, and which resulted in three separate units consisting of one control, one cut/no-burn treatment, and one cut/burn treatment. Seeds were collected during the 10 years following treatment in 15 traps systematically deployed within each of the stand’s three units. The total numbers of seeds collected in each unit were plotted over time to analyze crop synchrony, with Spearman rank correlation coefficient used to test for masting cycles and crop depletion after a mast year. Meteorological records over the period 1983-1994 were related to the occurrence of a mast event (defined as crops exceeding 50,000 viable seeds/ha).Main results: The seed production pattern was non-cyclical, synchronous, and independent of silvicultural treatment history. A mast-depletion effect was evident but was not statistically significant. Mast events seem to be promoted by the occurrence of optimum mean temperatures at the beginning of spring during both the first (11 °C) and second (9 °C) years of cone maturation. The probability of a mast year was also affected by summer temperature (number of late frost days; negative effect) and precipitation amount (positive effect). All these factors would seemingly explain the observed synchronous pattern in cone production.Research highlights: The non-cyclical trend of ponderosa pine seed mast years is influenced by specific climate determinants. Fluctuations in mean early spring temperatures, late frost and water availability are likely to affect P. ponderosa seed production, with implications for natural regeneration in this region.Key words: natural regeneration; seed periodicity; reproduction; uneven-aged management; Rocky Mountains.

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“…Early US practitioners relied on subjective observations and, later, changes to qualitative indices (e.g., low, moderate, and high resistance to control). Conventional wisdom with access to more quantitative estimates (e.g., projected fuel impacts on spread rate and fireline intensity) has informed several compendia for western coniferous forests [46][47][48][49][50]. These provide useful guidance for fuel treatments, including impacts on forest structure and ecosystem dynamics supporting the principles and sequencing of fuel treatments summarized in Table 2.…”

Section: Theory Underlying Fuels Management: a Summarymentioning

confidence: 99%

Theory and Practice of Wildland Fuels Management

Omi

2015

Curr Forestry Rep

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Fuel treatments have become an indispensable tool for managing fire in North American wildland ecosystems. Historical perspective and extant practices provide insights into current theory and areas of future emphasis. Managers have better understanding of treatment practices as researchers have provided clearer understanding of fire behavior in treated vs. untreated areas and enhanced wisdom about ecological effects in a variety of fire regimes. Even so, recent breakthroughs in the theory and practice of fuels management have been limited, and significant knowledge gaps remain, particularly fuel and treatment quantification. In general, the theory behind fuel treatments has lagged actual practice as implementation has preceded scientific understanding. Until the late twentieth century, fuel hazard reduction was considered incidental to forest management activities such as timber harvesting (exception: southern California and other shrubland ecosystems). Fuel treatment usage has expanded in response to devastating wildfires despite limited insights regarding effectiveness. Extant procedures for analyzing treatment efficacy (i.e., computer modeling, retrospective analyses of wildfires encountering treated areas, and experimentation) likewise suffer from analytical shortcomings. Fundamental questions related to efficacy remain, especially linkage to treatment objectives as affected by fire behavior, treatment intensity, and values at risk. Future research needs include a generalized, cohesive theory on the role of fuels in combustion dynamics, and improved effectiveness metrics at project and landscape scales.

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A comprehensive guide to fuel management practices for dry mixed conifer forests in the northwestern United States

Cited by 51 publications

References 2 publications

Effects of tree cutting and fire on understory vegetation in mixed conifer forests

Effects of tree cutting and fire on understory vegetation in mixed conifer forests

Climate-influenced ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa) seed masting trends in western Montana, USA

Theory and Practice of Wildland Fuels Management

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