Response of Understory Vegetation to Ponderosa Pine Thinning in Eastern Washington

McConnell, Burt R.; Smith, Justin G.

doi:10.2307/3896390

Cited by 57 publications

(44 citation statements)

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“…Although the high variability in post-treatment shrub cover precluded clear findings with respect to development over time, the hypothesis that thinning and prescribed fire treatments would promote shrub growth, exacerbating potential fire hazards, is not supported by these data, as total shrub cover was nearly always low (<20%) in control and treatment sites alike. Similarly low levels of shrub cover have been observed in other dry western forests following treatment [16,67].…”

Section: Shrubssupporting

confidence: 62%

“…Some treatment techniques may actually enhance post-treatment vegetation growth, effectively shortening the lifespan of low fire hazard conditions. Reducing overstory density has long been recognized to promote regeneration [15] and increase understory growth [16,17]. Additionally, the exposure of mineral soil by prescribed burning fosters seed germination [18].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Development of Vegetation and Surface Fuels Following Fire Hazard Reduction Treatment

Chiono

O’Hara

Lasaux³

et al. 2012

Forests

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Abstract:In dry western Unites States forests where past resource management has altered the ecological role of fire and stand characteristics alike, mechanical thinning and prescribed burning are commonly applied in wildfire hazard abatement. The reduced surface fuel loads and stand structures resulting from fuels modifications are temporary, yet few studies have assessed the lifespan of treatment effects. We sampled forest fuels and vegetation following fuels reduction in a chronosequence of time since treatment in the northern Sierra Nevada and southern Cascade regions of California. Treatments altered overstory characteristics including stand density, basal area, and species composition. These effects were still present on the oldest treatment sites (8-15 years post-treatment). Other stand characteristics, particularly timelag fuel loads, seedling density, and shrub cover, exhibited substantial variability, and differences between treatment age classes and between treatment and control groups were not statistically significant. OPEN ACCESSForests 2012, 3 701

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Section: Shrubssupporting

confidence: 62%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Development of Vegetation and Surface Fuels Following Fire Hazard Reduction Treatment

Chiono

O’Hara

Lasaux³

et al. 2012

Forests

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“…Understory production in ponderosa pine forests is inversely related to tree crown cover (ease 1958) or other measures of tree competition such as basal area, litter depth, or tree density. With dense tree canopies, forbs are favored over grasses (McConnell and Smith 1970). Once-common grasses such as Idaho fescue, bluebunch wheatgrass, and Sandberg's bluegrass have declined, also in part because of heavy grazing.…”

Section: Grasslands Shrublands and Woodland Ecosystems-the Perenniamentioning

confidence: 99%

Fire and weather disturbances in terrestrial ecosystems of the eastern Cascades.

Agee¹

1994

108

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Fire has been an important ecological process in eastside Cascade ecosystems for millennia. Fire regimes ranged from low severity to high severity, and historic fire return intervals ranged from less than a decade to greater than 300 years. Fire history and effects are described for grassland and shrubland ecosystems, and the range of forested communities by plant series: Ponderosa Pine, Douglas-fir/White fir/Grand fir, Lodgepole pine, Western hemlock/Western redcedar, and subalpine fir/Mountain hemlock. The riparian zones within these communities may be more or less impacted by fire. The effects of extreme weather events, including unusual temperature, wind, or moisture have generally had less significant impact than fire. Management practices, including fire suppression, timber harvesting, and livestock grazing, have altered historical fire regimes, in some cases irreversibly. The management issues for the 1990s include both management and research issues, at a grand scale with which we have little experience. Ecosystem and adaptive management principles will have to be applied.

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“…Earlier reports on growth of timber stands were made by Barrett (1968); Sassaman et al (1973) made an economic analysis of timber and forage returns. McConnell and Smith (1965,1970) reported on understory responses after thinning. …”

Section: Introduction the Study Areamentioning

confidence: 99%

Twenty-year growth of thinned and unthinned ponderosa pine in the Methow Valley of northern Washington.

Barrett¹

1981

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Response of Understory Vegetation to Ponderosa Pine Thinning in Eastern Washington

Cited by 57 publications

References 0 publications

Development of Vegetation and Surface Fuels Following Fire Hazard Reduction Treatment

Development of Vegetation and Surface Fuels Following Fire Hazard Reduction Treatment

Fire and weather disturbances in terrestrial ecosystems of the eastern Cascades.

Twenty-year growth of thinned and unthinned ponderosa pine in the Methow Valley of northern Washington.

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