Effect of vegetation on the impact of a severe blowdown in the southern Rocky Mountains, USA

Baker, William L.; Flaherty, Patrick H; Lindemann, Jeremiah D.; Veblen, Thomas T.; Eisenhart, Karen S.; Kulakowski, Dominik

doi:10.1016/s0378-1127(01)00730-7

Cited by 66 publications

(40 citation statements)

References 26 publications

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“…The number of salvage logged plots was somewhat low (n ¼ 11) and at relatively lower elevations, as a result of the selection criteria (see Methods) and a lack of known salvage logged areas. Finally, several different datasets were used in this investigation: previously published maps (Baker et al 2002), pre-fire data (Rumbaitis-del Rio 2004), and USFS products and models (Reinhardt 2003), as well as extensive survey work by the authors. While this allows for large-scale synthesis, it should be recognized that these datasets were created independently and at different scales.…”

Section: Limitations Of Study Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…v www.esajournals.org rate of approximately 9% (Baker et al 2002), means in the 20% class groupings were also compared (Fig. 4, inset) to account for potential measurement error; results were still significant (Kruskal Wallis test: X 2 ¼ 27.6, p , 0.05).…”

Section: Regenerationmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Non-serotinous P. contorta may also seed from off-site, but its dispersal distance is less than either P. engelmannii or A. lasiocarpa, and therefore is impacted in the same fashion. (Baker et al 2002). Some areas of high severity blowdown ('900 ha) were salvage logged (1999)(2000)(2001).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The number of downed trees/ha was used in the majority of analyses because it represents the mechanistic aspect of the blowdown/fire interaction. Both the percent down and number of downed trees/ha were taken from published maps (Baker et al 2002). Ten sites, each consisting of two paired plots, were randomly located in each class using ArcMap (ESRI 2009), with a minimum of 500 m spacing between sites (n ¼ 50).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Disturbance interactions can impact resilience mechanisms of forests

2011

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Abstract. Interactions between multiple disturbances are of special concern in ecology due to their potential for non-linear behavior and long-lasting legacies on landscape structure and function. If multiple disturbances overcome the ecological resilience of a system, alternate stable states are possible. Increases in the frequency and severity of disturbance events as a result of climate change heighten this concern. This study directly addresses the question of ecosystem resilience in the face of multiple disturbances. We investigated a gradient of disturbance interaction severities between two events in a subalpine forest, a 1997 windstorm (variable severity) and a 2002 wildfire (high-severity). A third disturbance, salvage logging of blowdown (1999)(2000)(2001) prior to the fire, served as a de facto experimental treatment. Ninetynine study plots were established across the disturbance gradient, including fire-only areas for a baseline fire response. Modeling indicated that the combination of two severe disturbances created novel conditions which exceeded the resilience mechanisms of the system. Modeled mean fire residence time and temperature (First Order Fire Effects Model, FOFEM), as well as mean distance to potential seed sources, increased as a result of the interaction. Regeneration 8 years post-fire was essentially absent in medium-to high-severity blowdown þ fire plots, whereas low-severity blowdown þ fire and fire-only areas showed strong regeneration. Blowdown þ salvage þ fire had significantly higher regeneration than areas of comparable blowdown, suggesting that fuel loading drove the interaction. CART analysis supported this hypothesis. Multiple disturbances have the potential to create surprising situations and reduce the resilience of an ecosystem. Differential recovery as a result of a ''novel disturbance'' created by compounding events will likely have long lasting legacies across the landscape.

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Section: Limitations Of Study Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Regenerationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Disturbance interactions can impact resilience mechanisms of forests

2011

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“…The climate is continental: mean annual temperature of 4.8 C, ranging from −6.0 C in January (mean) to 15.7 C in July (NRCS 2010). In 2002, lightning ignited the Hinman fire, which burned a substantial portion of a previous blowdown (in 1997, see Baker et al 2002) and surrounding forests. All burned areas used in this study are in areas of high burn severity, i.e., complete aboveground mortality.…”

Section: Study Areamentioning

confidence: 99%

Evaluating the utility and seasonality of NDVI values for assessing post-disturbance recovery in a subalpine forest

Buma

2011

Environ Monit Assess

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Forest disturbances around the world have the potential to alter forest type and cover, with impacts on diversity, carbon storage, and landscape composition. These disturbances, especially fire, are common and often large, making ground investigation of forest recovery difficult. Remote sensing offers a means to monitor forest recovery in real time, over the entire landscape. Typically, recovery monitoring via remote sensing consists of measuring vegetation indices (e.g., NDVI) or index-derived metrics, with the assumption that recovery in NDVI (for example) is a meaningful measure of ecosystem recovery. This study tests that assumption using MODIS 16-day imagery from 2000 to 2010 in the area of the Colorado's Routt National Forest Hinman burn (2002) and seedling density counts taken in the same area. Results indicate that NDVI is rarely correlated with forest recovery, and is dominated by annual and perennial forb cover, although topography complicates analysis. Utility of NDVI as a means to delineate areas of recovery or non-recovery are in doubt, as bootstrapped analysis indicates distinguishing power only slightly better than random. NDVI in revegetation analyses should carefully consider the ecology and seasonal patterns of the system in question.

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Redistribution of forest carbon caused by patch blowdowns in subalpine forests of the Southern Rocky Mountains, USA

Wohl

2013

Global Biogeochemical Cycles

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Patch blowdowns varying in size from 0.1 to 33 ha affected several areas in Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado, USA, during the winter of 2011–2012. These blowdowns resulted in substantial redistribution of forest carbon by snapping and uprooting trees, thereby increasing instream wood recruitment, recruitment of dead wood to the forest floor, and exposure of organic soil on uprooted tree plates. Estimates of carbon redistribution at five sites in Rocky Mountain National Park range as high as 308 Mg C/ha in high‐severity patches to 106 Mg C/ha in low‐severity patches, of which typically 10–30% is soil C and the remainder is downed wood. Masses of carbon redistributed from living to dead biomass at high‐severity sites represent a substantial portion of average total biomass in old‐growth subalpine forests in the region. Consequently, the potential for increasing frequency and/or severity of blowdowns under a warming climate represents a significant potential source of terrestrial carbon to the atmosphere. The majority of this carbon is in the form of downed wood that becomes a carbon source to the atmosphere, although interactions between downed wood and river processes can locally increase carbon storage in floodplain soil. Predictions of changes in precipitation and wind patterns, and associated changes in wildfire and insect infestation, suggest that blowdowns may become more common in future in the Southern Rockies, but the consequences for carbon dynamics depend on site‐specific interactions between blowdowns and other processes such as floodplain storage of organic matter.

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Effect of vegetation on the impact of a severe blowdown in the southern Rocky Mountains, USA

Cited by 66 publications

References 26 publications

Disturbance interactions can impact resilience mechanisms of forests

Disturbance interactions can impact resilience mechanisms of forests

Evaluating the utility and seasonality of NDVI values for assessing post-disturbance recovery in a subalpine forest

Redistribution of forest carbon caused by patch blowdowns in subalpine forests of the Southern Rocky Mountains, USA

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