Fire and Aquatic Ecosystems in Forested Biomes of North America

Gresswell, Robert E.

doi:10.1577/1548-8659(1999)128<0193:faaeif>2.0.co;2

Cited by 242 publications

(281 citation statements)

References 84 publications

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“…Wildland and prescribed fires may affect amphibian populations either directly (e.g., killing individuals) or indirectly (e.g., habitat alteration), and effects likely vary relative to time since burning (Gresswell, 1999). Biotic responses to fire can be partitioned into immediate (during and days after a fire), short-term (<1 yr), mid-term (1-10 yrs), and long-term (>10 yrs) effects (Minshall et al, 1997).…”

Section: Effects Of Fire On Amphibiansmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Fire and amphibians in North America

Pilliod

Bury²,

Hyde³

et al. 2003

Forest Ecology and Management

151

139

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Information on amphibian responses to fire and fuel reduction practices is critically needed due to potential declines of species and the prevalence of new, more intensive fire management practices in North American forests. The goals of this review are to summarize the known and potential effects of fire and fuels management on amphibians and their aquatic habitats, and to identify information gaps to help direct future scientific research. Amphibians as a group are taxonomically and ecologically diverse; in turn, responses to fire and associated habitat alteration are expected to vary widely among species and among geographic regions.Available data suggest that amphibian responses to fire are spatially and temporally variable and incompletely understood. Much of the limited research has addressed short-term (1-3 yr) effects of prescribed fire on terrestrial life stages of amphibians in the southeastern United States.Information on the long-term negative effects of fire on amphibians and the importance of fire for maintaining amphibian communities is sparse for the high number of taxa in North America.Given the size and severity of recent wildland fires and the national effort to reduce fuels on federal lands, future studies are particularly needed to examine the effects of these landscape disturbances on amphibians. We encourage studies to address population-level responses of amphibians to fire by examining how different life stages are affected by changes in aquatic, riparian, and upland habitats. Research designs need to be rigorous and credible, yet provide information that is relevant for fire managers and those responsible for assessing the potential effects of various fuels reduction alternatives on rare, sensitive, and endangered amphibian species.

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Section: Effects Of Fire On Amphibiansmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Long-term fire effects on aquatic ecosystems may be related to a suite of changes in aquatic and upland habitats (Gresswell, 1999) and likely require more than "time since fire" studies to understand these complex environmental relationships (Table 3).…”

Section: Effects Of Fire On Amphibiansmentioning

confidence: 99%

Fire and amphibians in North America

Pilliod

Bury²,

Hyde³

et al. 2003

Forest Ecology and Management

151

139

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“…Part of the controversy in fire management is related to the diverse and complex effects that fire can have on aquatic ecosystems (Bisson et al, 2003). The effects of fires are contingent on a variety of factors, including their timing, location, area, extent, and intensity, the characteristics of the terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems that are affected, characteristics of the species therein, and a host of indirect physical and ecological linkages (McMahon and deCalesta, 1990;Gresswell, 1999). The challenge to researchers attempting to understand the effects of fire on fish is to define the critical subset of fire-related influences and modifying factors that drive important biological responses at a variety of scales.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Fires can have many specific influences on aquatic ecosystems, including decreased stream channel stability, greater and more variable discharge, altered coarse woody debris delivery and storage, increased nutrient availability, higher sediment delivery and transport, and increased solar radiation and altered water temperature regimes (McMahon and deCalesta, 1990;Young, 1994;Reeves et al, 1995;Minshall et al, 1997Minshall et al, , 2001Benda et al, 1998;Gresswell, 1999; papers in this issue). These influences can be generated independently of fire, or through interactions between fire and a variety of other influences, including climate, topography, geology, and land use.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Effects of fire on fish populations: landscape perspectives on persistence of native fishes and nonnative fish invasions

Dunham

Young

Gresswell

et al. 2003

Forest Ecology and Management

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Our limited understanding of the short and long-term effects of fire on fish contributes to considerable uncertainty in assessments of the risks and benefits of fire management alternatives. A primary concern among the many potential effects of fire is the effects of fire and fire management on persistence of native fish populations. Limited evidence suggests vulnerability of fish to fire is contingent upon the quality of affected habitats, the amount and distribution of habitat (habitat fragmentation), and habitat specificity of the species in question. Species with narrow habitat requirements in highly degraded and fragmented systems are likely to be most vulnerable to fire and fire-related disturbance. In addition to effects of fire on native fish, there are growing concerns about the effects of fire on nonnative fish invasions. The role of fire in facilitating invasions by nonnative fishes is unknown, but experience with other species suggests some forms of disturbance associated with fire may facilitate invasion. Management efforts to promote persistence of fishes in fire-prone landscapes can take the form of four basic alternatives: (1) prefire management; (2) post-fire management; (3) managing fire itself (e.g. fire fighting); and (4) monitoring and adaptive management. Among these alternatives, pre-fire management is likely to be most effective. Effective pre-fire management activities will address factors that may render fish populations more vulnerable to the effects of fire (e.g. habitat degradation, fragmentation, and nonnative species). Post-fire management is also potentially important, but suffers from being a reactive approach that may not address threats in time to avert them. Managing fire itself can be important in some contexts, but negative consequences for fish populations are possible (e.g. toxicity of fire fighting chemicals to fish). Monitoring and adaptive management can provide important new information for evaluating alternatives, but proper implementation is often hampered by inadequate study designs and inconsistent financial and institutional support. The challenge for providing better management guidelines will be to add solid empirical data and models to assess the relevance of emerging concepts and theories, and provide a sense of where and when fires pose significant risks and/or benefits to fishes. Published by Elsevier Science B.V.

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Interactions Between Forests and Fish in the Rocky Mountains of the USA

Fausch¹,

Young²

2004

Fishes and Forestry

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Fire and Aquatic Ecosystems in Forested Biomes of North America

Cited by 242 publications

References 84 publications

Fire and amphibians in North America

Fire and amphibians in North America

Effects of fire on fish populations: landscape perspectives on persistence of native fishes and nonnative fish invasions

Interactions Between Forests and Fish in the Rocky Mountains of the USA

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