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• 1. [Article] Factors Influencing Residential Risk Perception in Fire-Prone Landscapes

  2012

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Factors Influencing Residential Risk Perception in Fire-Prone Landscapes Author: Vandeventer, Alexia 2012 Title: Factors Influencing Residential Risk Perception in Fire-Prone Landscapes Author: Vandeventer, Alexia 2012 Close

• 2. [Article] Factors Influencing Residential Risk Perception in Fire-Prone Landscapes

  2012

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Factors Influencing Residential Risk Perception in Fire-Prone Landscapes Author: Vandeventer, Alexia 2012 Title: Factors Influencing Residential Risk Perception in Fire-Prone Landscapes Author: Vandeventer, Alexia 2012 Close

• 3. [Article] Analyzing the transmission of wildfire exposure on a fire-prone landscape in Oregon, USA

  To the best of our knowledge, one or more authors of this paper were federal employees when contributing to this work. This is the publisher’s final pdf. The published article is copyrighted by Elsevier ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Analyzing the transmission of wildfire exposure on a fire-prone landscape in Oregon, USA Author: Ager, Alan A., Vaillant, Nicole M., Finney, Mark A., Vance-Borland, Ken, Day, Michelle A. To the best of our knowledge, one or more authors of this paper were federal employees when contributing to this work. This is the publisher’s final pdf. The published article is copyrighted by Elsevier and can be found at: http://www.journals.elsevier.com/forest-ecology-and-management. Title: Analyzing the transmission of wildfire exposure on a fire-prone landscape in Oregon, USA Author: Ager, Alan A., Vaillant, Nicole M., Finney, Mark A., Vance-Borland, Ken, Day, Michelle A. To the best of our knowledge, one or more authors of this paper were federal employees when contributing to this work. This is the publisher’s final pdf. The published article is copyrighted by Elsevier and can be found at: http://www.journals.elsevier.com/forest-ecology-and-management. Close

• 4. [Article] The effects of fire on soil nitrogen associated with patches of the actinorhizal scrub Ceanothus cordulatus

  Nitrogen is a limiting resource in many temperate forests and nitrogen-fixing plants are usually limited to the early stages of post-disturbance succession. In fire-dependent Sierra Nevada forests, however, ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: The effects of fire on soil nitrogen associated with patches of the actinorhizal scrub Ceanothus cordulatus Author: Oakley, Brian B., North, Malcolm P., Franklin, Jerry F. Nitrogen is a limiting resource in many temperate forests and nitrogen-fixing plants are usually limited to the early stages of post-disturbance succession. In fire-dependent Sierra Nevada forests, however, Ceanothus cordulatus is relatively abundant even in old-growth forest conditions which are at least partly maintained by fire. We conducted a field experiment to determine if soil beneath Ceanothus patches represent ‘resource islands’ of available N which persist after fire. Nine plots containing discrete patches of Ceanothus, Arctostaphylos patula (manzanita; chosen as a non N-fixing reference species), and bare forest floor were subjected to either a low-intensity (n = 3) or high intensity (n = 3) bum treatment, or remained unburned as controls (n = 3). Soil temperatures during the bum were monitored by a network of thermocouples placed at the surface of the mineral soil and at ca. 10 cm depths. Soil samples were collected from the organic horizon, 0-10 cm and 15-25 cm depths within each patch type immediately before burning and 2 days, and 6, and 11 months after. Soil moisture, total C and N, and ammonium and nitrate concentrations were determined in the laboratory. Before the burn, Ceanothus patches were significantly enriched in total and inorganic N in the organic horizon relative to the other patch types. A sharp increase in inorganic N was observed in all patch types and depths immediately following burning, but by 6 months after the burn, Ceanothus patches were significantly enriched relative to the surrounding patch types and remained so at months. Resprouting Ceanothus patches will continue to be an important source of a limiting nutrient in this fire-prone ecosystem. Title: The effects of fire on soil nitrogen associated with patches of the actinorhizal scrub Ceanothus cordulatus Author: Oakley, Brian B., North, Malcolm P., Franklin, Jerry F. Nitrogen is a limiting resource in many temperate forests and nitrogen-fixing plants are usually limited to the early stages of post-disturbance succession. In fire-dependent Sierra Nevada forests, however, Ceanothus cordulatus is relatively abundant even in old-growth forest conditions which are at least partly maintained by fire. We conducted a field experiment to determine if soil beneath Ceanothus patches represent ‘resource islands’ of available N which persist after fire. Nine plots containing discrete patches of Ceanothus, Arctostaphylos patula (manzanita; chosen as a non N-fixing reference species), and bare forest floor were subjected to either a low-intensity (n = 3) or high intensity (n = 3) bum treatment, or remained unburned as controls (n = 3). Soil temperatures during the bum were monitored by a network of thermocouples placed at the surface of the mineral soil and at ca. 10 cm depths. Soil samples were collected from the organic horizon, 0-10 cm and 15-25 cm depths within each patch type immediately before burning and 2 days, and 6, and 11 months after. Soil moisture, total C and N, and ammonium and nitrate concentrations were determined in the laboratory. Before the burn, Ceanothus patches were significantly enriched in total and inorganic N in the organic horizon relative to the other patch types. A sharp increase in inorganic N was observed in all patch types and depths immediately following burning, but by 6 months after the burn, Ceanothus patches were significantly enriched relative to the surrounding patch types and remained so at months. Resprouting Ceanothus patches will continue to be an important source of a limiting nutrient in this fire-prone ecosystem. Close

• 5. [Article] The effects of fire on soil nitrogen associated with patches of the actinorhizal shrub Ceanothus cordulatus

  Nitrogen is a limiting resource in many temperate forests and nitrogen-fixing plants are usually limited to the early stages of post-disturbance succession. In fire-dependent Sierra Nevada forests, however, ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: The effects of fire on soil nitrogen associated with patches of the actinorhizal shrub Ceanothus cordulatus Author: Oakley, Brian B., Norht, Malcolm P., Franklin, Jerry F. Nitrogen is a limiting resource in many temperate forests and nitrogen-fixing plants are usually limited to the early stages of post-disturbance succession. In fire-dependent Sierra Nevada forests, however, Ceanothus cordulatus is relatively abundant even in old-growth forest conditions which are at least partly maintained by fire.We conducted a field experiment to determine if soil beneath Ceanothus patches represent ‘resource islands’ of available N which persist after fire. Nine plots containing discrete patches of Ceanothus, Arctostaphylos patula (manzanita; chosen as a non N-fixing reference species), and bare forest floor were subjected to either a low-intensity (n = 3) or highintensity (n = 3) bum treatment, or remained unburned as controls (n = 3). Soil temperatures during the bum were monitored by a network of thermocouples placed at the surface of the mineral soil and at ca. 10 cm depths. Soil samples were collected from the organic horizon, 0-10 cm and 15-25 cm depths within each patch type immediately before burning and 2 days, and 6, and 11 months after. Soil moisture, total C and N, and ammonium and nitrate concentrations were determined in the laboratory. Before the burn, Ceanothus patches were significantly enriched in total and inorganic N in the organic horizon relative to the other patch types. A sharp increase in inorganic N was observed in all patch types and depths immediately following burning, but by 6 months after the burn, Ceanothus patches were significantly enriched relative to the surrounding patch types and remained so at months. Resprouting Ceanothus patches will continue to be an important source of a limiting nutrient in this fire-prone ecosystem. Title: The effects of fire on soil nitrogen associated with patches of the actinorhizal shrub Ceanothus cordulatus Author: Oakley, Brian B., Norht, Malcolm P., Franklin, Jerry F. Nitrogen is a limiting resource in many temperate forests and nitrogen-fixing plants are usually limited to the early stages of post-disturbance succession. In fire-dependent Sierra Nevada forests, however, Ceanothus cordulatus is relatively abundant even in old-growth forest conditions which are at least partly maintained by fire.We conducted a field experiment to determine if soil beneath Ceanothus patches represent ‘resource islands’ of available N which persist after fire. Nine plots containing discrete patches of Ceanothus, Arctostaphylos patula (manzanita; chosen as a non N-fixing reference species), and bare forest floor were subjected to either a low-intensity (n = 3) or highintensity (n = 3) bum treatment, or remained unburned as controls (n = 3). Soil temperatures during the bum were monitored by a network of thermocouples placed at the surface of the mineral soil and at ca. 10 cm depths. Soil samples were collected from the organic horizon, 0-10 cm and 15-25 cm depths within each patch type immediately before burning and 2 days, and 6, and 11 months after. Soil moisture, total C and N, and ammonium and nitrate concentrations were determined in the laboratory. Before the burn, Ceanothus patches were significantly enriched in total and inorganic N in the organic horizon relative to the other patch types. A sharp increase in inorganic N was observed in all patch types and depths immediately following burning, but by 6 months after the burn, Ceanothus patches were significantly enriched relative to the surrounding patch types and remained so at months. Resprouting Ceanothus patches will continue to be an important source of a limiting nutrient in this fire-prone ecosystem. Close

• 6. [Article] Meta-analysis of avian and small-mammal response to fire severity and fire surrogate treatments in U.S. fire-prone forests

  This is the publisher’s final pdf. The published article is copyrighted by Ecological Society of America and can be found at: http://www.esa.org/.

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Meta-analysis of avian and small-mammal response to fire severity and fire surrogate treatments in U.S. fire-prone forests Author: Fontaine, Joseph B., Kennedy, Patricia L. This is the publisher’s final pdf. The published article is copyrighted by Ecological Society of America and can be found at: http://www.esa.org/. Title: Meta-analysis of avian and small-mammal response to fire severity and fire surrogate treatments in U.S. fire-prone forests Author: Fontaine, Joseph B., Kennedy, Patricia L. This is the publisher’s final pdf. The published article is copyrighted by Ecological Society of America and can be found at: http://www.esa.org/. Close

• 7. [Article] Four centuries of soil carbon and nitrogen change after severe fire in a Western Cascades forest landscape

  Fire is a major disturbance process in many forests. Long-term studies of the biogeochemical effects of fires, especially on soils, are very rare. Consequently, long-term effects of fire on soils are often ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Four centuries of soil carbon and nitrogen change after severe fire in a Western Cascades forest landscape Author: Giesen, Thomas William Fire is a major disturbance process in many forests. Long-term studies of the biogeochemical effects of fires, especially on soils, are very rare. Consequently, long-term effects of fire on soils are often hypothesized from short-term effects. In a chronosequence study, I studied 24 western Cascades (Oregon) forest stands thought to have been initiated in fire. Twelve of those burned about 150 years ago (“young” sites), and the other 12 burned an average of 550 years ago (“old” sites). I hypothesized that young stands would have less carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) in forest floor and in 0 -10 cm mineral soil than old stands. I found that forest floor N pools of old sites (average = 1,823 kg/ha ± s.e. = 132 kg/ha) were significantly greater than young sites (1,450 ± 98 kg/ha). Similarly, forest floor C pools of old sites (62,980 ± 5,403 kg/ha) were significantly greater than young sites (49,032 ± 2,965 kg/ha). Greater N and C pools in forest floor of old sites resulted from greater forest floor mass in old sites; concentrations of both N and C, and C:N ratios, did not differ significantly by forest age class. In mineral soil, neither concentrations nor pools of N and C differed between young and old sites. Despite overall similarity of C:N ratios in young versus old sites, potential N mineralization rates were twice as high in forest floor of old sites (average = 60 ± 7.3 mg N / g soil) than young sites (26 ± 3.5 mg N / g soil), . Nitrate accounted for only 2% or less of total N mineralized in forest floor samples. In mineral soil, potential net N mineralization did not differ by forest age class. The pattern of high net N mineralization and low nitrification in old forests is consistent with other studies of fire-prone forests, yet contrasts with many studies of forests that lack fire, and suggests that ammonium is not the sole control over nitrification in fire-prone ecosystems. Overall, fire appears to impart a longterm legacy of reduced forest floor N and C pools in this western Oregon Cascades landscape, which suggests that current fire-suppression activities in the region may increase forest floor N and C storage over historical conditions within several centuries. The differences in forest floor and soil N cycling processes that I observed by forest age class raise the further possibility that fire exclusion in these forests may change the relative abundance of soil inorganic N forms to favor ammonium over nitrate. Such changes may have unknown consequences for relative competitive abilities of plant and microbial species that rely preferentially on different N-forms to meet N nutrition requirements. While forest floor N and C pools increase from young to old stands, forest floor and soil N and C pools are not different, or decline, between 450 year old stands and the oldest stands at 800+ years, That, and other, anomalous changes in values from ~450 to 800+ years, suggest possible changes in ecosystem functions, and may indicate that this landscape could be a fruitful study area for examinations of a mature, steady-state ecosystem Title: Four centuries of soil carbon and nitrogen change after severe fire in a Western Cascades forest landscape Author: Giesen, Thomas William Fire is a major disturbance process in many forests. Long-term studies of the biogeochemical effects of fires, especially on soils, are very rare. Consequently, long-term effects of fire on soils are often hypothesized from short-term effects. In a chronosequence study, I studied 24 western Cascades (Oregon) forest stands thought to have been initiated in fire. Twelve of those burned about 150 years ago (“young” sites), and the other 12 burned an average of 550 years ago (“old” sites). I hypothesized that young stands would have less carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) in forest floor and in 0 -10 cm mineral soil than old stands. I found that forest floor N pools of old sites (average = 1,823 kg/ha ± s.e. = 132 kg/ha) were significantly greater than young sites (1,450 ± 98 kg/ha). Similarly, forest floor C pools of old sites (62,980 ± 5,403 kg/ha) were significantly greater than young sites (49,032 ± 2,965 kg/ha). Greater N and C pools in forest floor of old sites resulted from greater forest floor mass in old sites; concentrations of both N and C, and C:N ratios, did not differ significantly by forest age class. In mineral soil, neither concentrations nor pools of N and C differed between young and old sites. Despite overall similarity of C:N ratios in young versus old sites, potential N mineralization rates were twice as high in forest floor of old sites (average = 60 ± 7.3 mg N / g soil) than young sites (26 ± 3.5 mg N / g soil), . Nitrate accounted for only 2% or less of total N mineralized in forest floor samples. In mineral soil, potential net N mineralization did not differ by forest age class. The pattern of high net N mineralization and low nitrification in old forests is consistent with other studies of fire-prone forests, yet contrasts with many studies of forests that lack fire, and suggests that ammonium is not the sole control over nitrification in fire-prone ecosystems. Overall, fire appears to impart a longterm legacy of reduced forest floor N and C pools in this western Oregon Cascades landscape, which suggests that current fire-suppression activities in the region may increase forest floor N and C storage over historical conditions within several centuries. The differences in forest floor and soil N cycling processes that I observed by forest age class raise the further possibility that fire exclusion in these forests may change the relative abundance of soil inorganic N forms to favor ammonium over nitrate. Such changes may have unknown consequences for relative competitive abilities of plant and microbial species that rely preferentially on different N-forms to meet N nutrition requirements. While forest floor N and C pools increase from young to old stands, forest floor and soil N and C pools are not different, or decline, between 450 year old stands and the oldest stands at 800+ years, That, and other, anomalous changes in values from ~450 to 800+ years, suggest possible changes in ecosystem functions, and may indicate that this landscape could be a fruitful study area for examinations of a mature, steady-state ecosystem Close

• 8. [Article] Patterns of crown damage within a large wildfire in the Klamath-Siskiyou bioregion

  The 2002 Biscuit Fire burned through more than 200,000 ha of mixed conifer/ evergreen hardwood forests in southwestern Oregon and northwestern California. The remarkable size of the fire and the diversity ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Patterns of crown damage within a large wildfire in the Klamath-Siskiyou bioregion Author: Thompson, Jonathan R. The 2002 Biscuit Fire burned through more than 200,000 ha of mixed conifer/ evergreen hardwood forests in southwestern Oregon and northwestern California. The remarkable size of the fire and the diversity of conditions through which it burned provided an opportunity to analyze the correlates of burn severity across vegetation types and disturbance histories and to describe the weather, topographical, and fuel conditions that gave rise to the mosaic of crown damage. In chapter two, I focused on a region that had burned previously by the 1987 Silver Fire then was subject, in part, to salvage-logging and conifer planting before being reburned by the Biscuit Fire. I used the Landsat-based differenced normalized burn ratio (dNBR) to quantify severity in both fires and took a hypothesis-testing approach to answering two questions: First, was severity in the Biscuit Fire associated with severity in the Silver Fire in unmanaged areas? And second, did areas that were salvaged-logged and planted with conifers after the Silver Fire burn more or less severely in the Biscuit Fire than comparable unmanaged areas? I found that areas that burned severely in 1987 tended to re-burn at high severity in 2002, after controlling for the influence of several topographical and biophysical covariates. Areas unaffected by the initial fire tended to burn at the lowest severities in 2002. In addition, areas that were salvage-logged and planted after the initial fire burned more severely than comparable unmanaged areas, suggesting that post-fire logging and planting did not reduce future fire severity as had been suggested by some. In chapter three, I again focused on the twice-burned landscape, but this time I used a temporal sequence of digital aerial photography plots (6.25 ha) to measure changes in shrub-stratum, hardwood, and conifer cover. I estimated the strength and nature of relationships between crown damage and several fuel, topographical, weather, and management variables. Median crown damage, including damage to the shrub-stratum, on unmanaged plots was 63% after the Biscuit Fire and was most strongly related to damage in the Silver Fire. Plots that burned severely in the Silver Fire and had succeeded to a mix of shrubs and tree regeneration experienced high levels of Biscuit Fire damage. Plots dominated by large conifer cover after the Silver Fire had the lowest levels of Biscuit Fire canopy damage. Median crown damage was 39% for conifer cover and 85% for hardwood cover, and was most strongly related to daily average temperature and "burn period," an index of fire weather and fire suppression effort. Damage in the tree-stratum was largely independent of Silver Fire severity. Plots that had experienced stand replacing fire in 1987 and then were logged and planted with conifers had median crown damage of 100%. Plots that experienced a stand replacing fire but were unmanaged had median crown damage of 95%. The managed areas were at higher topographical positions and had greater total pre-fire cover, which may explain the small difference. These results suggest that in productive, fire-prone landscapes, the patch mosaic of young regenerating forest created by mixed-severity fire can structure the severity pattern of future wildfires occurring at short intervals and support the previous studies findings that post-fire logging and planting did not reduce fire severity. In Chapter four, I expanded my focus to include the entire region burned by the Biscuit Fire and again used digital aerial photos taken before and after the fire to interpret patterns of crown damage and relate them to several fuel, topographical, weather, and management variables. Ninety-eight percent of plots experienced some level of crown damage, but only 10% experienced complete crown damage. The median level of crown damage on unmanaged plots was 74%. Median conifer damage was 52%. The most important predictors of total crown damage were the percentage of pre-fire shrub-stratum vegetation cover and average daily temperature. The most important predictors of conifer damage were average daily temperature and burn period. Increasing levels of shrub-stratum cover were associated with increasing levels of conifer damage and hardwood damage. Large conifers had 32% median crown damage while small conifers had 62% median crown damage. Owing largely to widespread shrub-stratum cover, low-productivity ultramafic soils had 92% median crown damage compared to 59% on non-ultramafic sites. Patterns of damage were similar within the area that burned previously in the 1987 Silver Fire and edaphically comparable areas without a recently history of fire. Median crown damage in conifer plantations was 89% and plantation age was, by far, the most important predictor of the level of damage. Plantations under 20 years old experienced the highest rates of damage. I conclude that weather and vegetation conditions--not topography--were the primary determinants of Biscuit Fire crown damage. These findings suggest that in productive fire-prone ecosystems, fuel treatments that open tree canopies and stimulate shrub-stratum development may be counterproductive. Title: Patterns of crown damage within a large wildfire in the Klamath-Siskiyou bioregion Author: Thompson, Jonathan R. The 2002 Biscuit Fire burned through more than 200,000 ha of mixed conifer/ evergreen hardwood forests in southwestern Oregon and northwestern California. The remarkable size of the fire and the diversity of conditions through which it burned provided an opportunity to analyze the correlates of burn severity across vegetation types and disturbance histories and to describe the weather, topographical, and fuel conditions that gave rise to the mosaic of crown damage. In chapter two, I focused on a region that had burned previously by the 1987 Silver Fire then was subject, in part, to salvage-logging and conifer planting before being reburned by the Biscuit Fire. I used the Landsat-based differenced normalized burn ratio (dNBR) to quantify severity in both fires and took a hypothesis-testing approach to answering two questions: First, was severity in the Biscuit Fire associated with severity in the Silver Fire in unmanaged areas? And second, did areas that were salvaged-logged and planted with conifers after the Silver Fire burn more or less severely in the Biscuit Fire than comparable unmanaged areas? I found that areas that burned severely in 1987 tended to re-burn at high severity in 2002, after controlling for the influence of several topographical and biophysical covariates. Areas unaffected by the initial fire tended to burn at the lowest severities in 2002. In addition, areas that were salvage-logged and planted after the initial fire burned more severely than comparable unmanaged areas, suggesting that post-fire logging and planting did not reduce future fire severity as had been suggested by some. In chapter three, I again focused on the twice-burned landscape, but this time I used a temporal sequence of digital aerial photography plots (6.25 ha) to measure changes in shrub-stratum, hardwood, and conifer cover. I estimated the strength and nature of relationships between crown damage and several fuel, topographical, weather, and management variables. Median crown damage, including damage to the shrub-stratum, on unmanaged plots was 63% after the Biscuit Fire and was most strongly related to damage in the Silver Fire. Plots that burned severely in the Silver Fire and had succeeded to a mix of shrubs and tree regeneration experienced high levels of Biscuit Fire damage. Plots dominated by large conifer cover after the Silver Fire had the lowest levels of Biscuit Fire canopy damage. Median crown damage was 39% for conifer cover and 85% for hardwood cover, and was most strongly related to daily average temperature and "burn period," an index of fire weather and fire suppression effort. Damage in the tree-stratum was largely independent of Silver Fire severity. Plots that had experienced stand replacing fire in 1987 and then were logged and planted with conifers had median crown damage of 100%. Plots that experienced a stand replacing fire but were unmanaged had median crown damage of 95%. The managed areas were at higher topographical positions and had greater total pre-fire cover, which may explain the small difference. These results suggest that in productive, fire-prone landscapes, the patch mosaic of young regenerating forest created by mixed-severity fire can structure the severity pattern of future wildfires occurring at short intervals and support the previous studies findings that post-fire logging and planting did not reduce fire severity. In Chapter four, I expanded my focus to include the entire region burned by the Biscuit Fire and again used digital aerial photos taken before and after the fire to interpret patterns of crown damage and relate them to several fuel, topographical, weather, and management variables. Ninety-eight percent of plots experienced some level of crown damage, but only 10% experienced complete crown damage. The median level of crown damage on unmanaged plots was 74%. Median conifer damage was 52%. The most important predictors of total crown damage were the percentage of pre-fire shrub-stratum vegetation cover and average daily temperature. The most important predictors of conifer damage were average daily temperature and burn period. Increasing levels of shrub-stratum cover were associated with increasing levels of conifer damage and hardwood damage. Large conifers had 32% median crown damage while small conifers had 62% median crown damage. Owing largely to widespread shrub-stratum cover, low-productivity ultramafic soils had 92% median crown damage compared to 59% on non-ultramafic sites. Patterns of damage were similar within the area that burned previously in the 1987 Silver Fire and edaphically comparable areas without a recently history of fire. Median crown damage in conifer plantations was 89% and plantation age was, by far, the most important predictor of the level of damage. Plantations under 20 years old experienced the highest rates of damage. I conclude that weather and vegetation conditions--not topography--were the primary determinants of Biscuit Fire crown damage. These findings suggest that in productive fire-prone ecosystems, fuel treatments that open tree canopies and stimulate shrub-stratum development may be counterproductive. Close

• 9. [Article] Managing fire-prone forests in the western United States

  The management of fire-prone forests is one of the most controversial natural resource issues in the US today, particularly in the west of the country. Although vegetation and wildlife in these forests ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Managing fire-prone forests in the western United States Author: Schoennagel, Tania, Baker, William L., Moyle, Peter B., Noss, Reed F., Franklin, Jerry F. The management of fire-prone forests is one of the most controversial natural resource issues in the US today, particularly in the west of the country. Although vegetation and wildlife in these forests are adapted to fire, the historical range of fire frequency and severity was huge. When fire regimes are altered by human activity, major effects on biodiversity and ecosystem function are unavoidable. We review the ecological science relevant to developing and implementing fire and fuel management policies for forests before, during, and after wildfires. Fire exclusion led to major deviations from historical variability in many dry, low-elevation forests, but not in other forests, such as those characterized by high severity fires recurring at intervals longer than the period of active fire exclusion. Restoration and management of fire-prone forests should be precautionary, allow or mimic natural fire regimes as much as possible, and generally avoid intensive practices such as post-fire logging and planting. Title: Managing fire-prone forests in the western United States Author: Schoennagel, Tania, Baker, William L., Moyle, Peter B., Noss, Reed F., Franklin, Jerry F. The management of fire-prone forests is one of the most controversial natural resource issues in the US today, particularly in the west of the country. Although vegetation and wildlife in these forests are adapted to fire, the historical range of fire frequency and severity was huge. When fire regimes are altered by human activity, major effects on biodiversity and ecosystem function are unavoidable. We review the ecological science relevant to developing and implementing fire and fuel management policies for forests before, during, and after wildfires. Fire exclusion led to major deviations from historical variability in many dry, low-elevation forests, but not in other forests, such as those characterized by high severity fires recurring at intervals longer than the period of active fire exclusion. Restoration and management of fire-prone forests should be precautionary, allow or mimic natural fire regimes as much as possible, and generally avoid intensive practices such as post-fire logging and planting. Close

• 10. [Article] Social science research related to wildfire management: an overview of recent findings and future research needs

  To the best of our knowledge, one or more authors of this paper were federal employees when contributing to this work. This is the publisher’s final pdf. The published article is copyrighted by CSIRO Publishing ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Social science research related to wildfire management: an overview of recent findings and future research needs Author: Stidham, Melanie, Shindler, Bruce, Toman, Eric, McCaffrey, Sarah To the best of our knowledge, one or more authors of this paper were federal employees when contributing to this work. This is the publisher’s final pdf. The published article is copyrighted by CSIRO Publishing and can be found at: http://www.publish.csiro.au/. Title: Social science research related to wildfire management: an overview of recent findings and future research needs Author: Stidham, Melanie, Shindler, Bruce, Toman, Eric, McCaffrey, Sarah To the best of our knowledge, one or more authors of this paper were federal employees when contributing to this work. This is the publisher’s final pdf. The published article is copyrighted by CSIRO Publishing and can be found at: http://www.publish.csiro.au/. Close

• 11. [Article] Disturbance and dynamics of riparian forests in southwestern Oregon

  Fire exclusion has been associated with structural and compositional changes in many upland forests of the western United States, but little is known about the impacts on riparian forests, portions of ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Disturbance and dynamics of riparian forests in southwestern Oregon Author: Messier, Michael S. Fire exclusion has been associated with structural and compositional changes in many upland forests of the western United States, but little is known about the impacts on riparian forests, portions of the landscape protected for habitat and water quality. For this study, I characterized the historic disturbance and tree recruitment processes of riparian forests in southwestern Oregon. I identified the ways in which riparian forest structure and composition have changed over the past 100 to 150 years, with a particular focus on the effects of fire exclusion. I used dendro-ecological methods to analyze tree ring data collected in riparian forest stands of two vegetation types in the Rogue River basin of southwestern Oregon: the mesic 'Mixed Conifer' zone (Pinus-Pseudotsuga-Calocedrus-Abies) and the more xeric 'Interior Valley' zone (Pinus-Quercus-Pseudotsuga). My results suggest riparian forests in both vegetation zones developed with frequent disturbance by fire and that, since fire has been excluded, these forests have entered a new successional trajectory. In the Mixed Conifer zone, tree recruitment in the pre-settlement period appears to have been driven by the interaction between climatic fluctuations and mixed-severity fires, which historically maintained multi-aged stands of shade-intolerant species. Patches of highseverity fire within the mixed-severity matrix created large canopy gaps (>30 m in diameter) in which new cohorts of Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii) could establish within existing stands and perpetuate Douglas-fir overstory dominance. Tree recruitment appears to have been closely linked Since fire exclusion became effective, there has been an increase in tree density and a shift toward the establishment of white fir (Abies concolor), a fire-sensitive, shade-tolerant species. In the Interior Valley zone, riparian forests were most likely shaped by a low-severity fire regime. Frequent fires likely killed most tree seedlings and maintained open savannas or woodlands with shade-intolerant hardwoods and scattered, open-grown conifers. Fire exclusion in the Interior Valley zone has resulted in exceptionally high survival rates in Douglas-fir recruited during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. This led to the establishment of a closed-canopy conifer forest with fewer shade-intolerant hardwoods, which are an important source of food and habitat for wildlife. My findings suggest future management guidelines for riparian forests in fire-prone forests of the Pacific Northwest should consider the substantial and potentially undesirable ecological effects of the current hands-off management policy in riparian forests. Future proposals to attempt restoration of pre-settlement forest structure and composition in upland forests should also consider including restoration treatments within adjoining riparian forests. Title: Disturbance and dynamics of riparian forests in southwestern Oregon Author: Messier, Michael S. Fire exclusion has been associated with structural and compositional changes in many upland forests of the western United States, but little is known about the impacts on riparian forests, portions of the landscape protected for habitat and water quality. For this study, I characterized the historic disturbance and tree recruitment processes of riparian forests in southwestern Oregon. I identified the ways in which riparian forest structure and composition have changed over the past 100 to 150 years, with a particular focus on the effects of fire exclusion. I used dendro-ecological methods to analyze tree ring data collected in riparian forest stands of two vegetation types in the Rogue River basin of southwestern Oregon: the mesic 'Mixed Conifer' zone (Pinus-Pseudotsuga-Calocedrus-Abies) and the more xeric 'Interior Valley' zone (Pinus-Quercus-Pseudotsuga). My results suggest riparian forests in both vegetation zones developed with frequent disturbance by fire and that, since fire has been excluded, these forests have entered a new successional trajectory. In the Mixed Conifer zone, tree recruitment in the pre-settlement period appears to have been driven by the interaction between climatic fluctuations and mixed-severity fires, which historically maintained multi-aged stands of shade-intolerant species. Patches of highseverity fire within the mixed-severity matrix created large canopy gaps (>30 m in diameter) in which new cohorts of Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii) could establish within existing stands and perpetuate Douglas-fir overstory dominance. Tree recruitment appears to have been closely linked Since fire exclusion became effective, there has been an increase in tree density and a shift toward the establishment of white fir (Abies concolor), a fire-sensitive, shade-tolerant species. In the Interior Valley zone, riparian forests were most likely shaped by a low-severity fire regime. Frequent fires likely killed most tree seedlings and maintained open savannas or woodlands with shade-intolerant hardwoods and scattered, open-grown conifers. Fire exclusion in the Interior Valley zone has resulted in exceptionally high survival rates in Douglas-fir recruited during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. This led to the establishment of a closed-canopy conifer forest with fewer shade-intolerant hardwoods, which are an important source of food and habitat for wildlife. My findings suggest future management guidelines for riparian forests in fire-prone forests of the Pacific Northwest should consider the substantial and potentially undesirable ecological effects of the current hands-off management policy in riparian forests. Future proposals to attempt restoration of pre-settlement forest structure and composition in upland forests should also consider including restoration treatments within adjoining riparian forests. Close

• 12. [Article] Building on Two Decades of Ecosystem Management and Biodiversity Conservation under the Northwest Forest Plan, USA

  Correction: We discovered two typos and a change in a sentence needed in our published manuscript. Regarding the typos: timber estimates in Section 2 of the NWFP’s Long-Term Objectives should have been ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Building on Two Decades of Ecosystem Management and Biodiversity Conservation under the Northwest Forest Plan, USA Author: DellaSala, Dominick A., Baker, Rowan, Heiken, Doug, Nelson, S. Kim, et al. Correction: We discovered two typos and a change in a sentence needed in our published manuscript. Regarding the typos: timber estimates in Section 2 of the NWFP’s Long-Term Objectives should have been 2.34 million cubic meters annually instead of 234 million cubic meters annually and ~1.78 million cubic meters instead of 178 million cubic meters annually. The statement regarding murrelet populations—“Trends were downward (but not significant) in other NWFP states” should be deleted in this paper [1]. The authors would like to apologize for any inconvenience caused to the readers by these changes. Title: Building on Two Decades of Ecosystem Management and Biodiversity Conservation under the Northwest Forest Plan, USA Author: DellaSala, Dominick A., Baker, Rowan, Heiken, Doug, Nelson, S. Kim, et al. Correction: We discovered two typos and a change in a sentence needed in our published manuscript. Regarding the typos: timber estimates in Section 2 of the NWFP’s Long-Term Objectives should have been 2.34 million cubic meters annually instead of 234 million cubic meters annually and ~1.78 million cubic meters instead of 178 million cubic meters annually. The statement regarding murrelet populations—“Trends were downward (but not significant) in other NWFP states” should be deleted in this paper [1]. The authors would like to apologize for any inconvenience caused to the readers by these changes. Close

• 13. [Article] Fuel moisture influences on fire-altered carbon in masticated fuels: An experimental study

  This is the publisher’s final pdf. The published article is copyrighted by the American Geophysical Union and can be found at: http://www.agu.org/journals/jgr/.

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Fuel moisture influences on fire-altered carbon in masticated fuels: An experimental study Author: Smith, Alistair M. S., Higuera, Philip E., Ottmar, Roger D., Tinkham, Wade T., Hatten, Jeffery A., Hudak, Andrew T., Brewer, Nolan W. This is the publisher’s final pdf. The published article is copyrighted by the American Geophysical Union and can be found at: http://www.agu.org/journals/jgr/. Title: Fuel moisture influences on fire-altered carbon in masticated fuels: An experimental study Author: Smith, Alistair M. S., Higuera, Philip E., Ottmar, Roger D., Tinkham, Wade T., Hatten, Jeffery A., Hudak, Andrew T., Brewer, Nolan W. This is the publisher’s final pdf. The published article is copyrighted by the American Geophysical Union and can be found at: http://www.agu.org/journals/jgr/. Close

• 14. [Article] Forest wildfire, fuel reduction treatments, and landscape carbon stocks: A sensitivity analysis

  To the best of our knowledge, one or more authors of this paper were federal employees when contributing to this work. This is the publisher’s final pdf. The published article is copyrighted by Elsevier ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Forest wildfire, fuel reduction treatments, and landscape carbon stocks: A sensitivity analysis Author: Ager, Alan A., Campbell, John L. To the best of our knowledge, one or more authors of this paper were federal employees when contributing to this work. This is the publisher’s final pdf. The published article is copyrighted by Elsevier and can be found at: http://www.elsevier.com/. Title: Forest wildfire, fuel reduction treatments, and landscape carbon stocks: A sensitivity analysis Author: Ager, Alan A., Campbell, John L. To the best of our knowledge, one or more authors of this paper were federal employees when contributing to this work. This is the publisher’s final pdf. The published article is copyrighted by Elsevier and can be found at: http://www.elsevier.com/. Close

• 15. [Article] Comparative hazard assessment for protected species in a fire-prone landscape

  This is the author's peer-reviewed final manuscript, as accepted by the publisher. The published article is copyrighted by Elsevier and can be found at: http://www.journals.elsevier.com/forest-ecology-...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Comparative hazard assessment for protected species in a fire-prone landscape Author: Mealey, Stephen P., Roloff, Gary J., Bailey, John D. This is the author's peer-reviewed final manuscript, as accepted by the publisher. The published article is copyrighted by Elsevier and can be found at: http://www.journals.elsevier.com/forest-ecology-and-management/. Title: Comparative hazard assessment for protected species in a fire-prone landscape Author: Mealey, Stephen P., Roloff, Gary J., Bailey, John D. This is the author's peer-reviewed final manuscript, as accepted by the publisher. The published article is copyrighted by Elsevier and can be found at: http://www.journals.elsevier.com/forest-ecology-and-management/. Close

• 16. [Article] Examining fire-prone forest landscapes as coupled human and natural systems

  To the best of our knowledge, one or more authors of this paper were federal employees when contributing to this work. This is the publisher’s final pdf. The published article is copyrighted by the author(s) ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Examining fire-prone forest landscapes as coupled human and natural systems Author: Bolte, John, White, Eric M., Jacobs, Derric, Shindler, Bruce, Spies, Thomas A., Platt, Emily, Bailey, John, Kline, Jeffrey D., et al., Olsen, Christine S., Hammer, Roger To the best of our knowledge, one or more authors of this paper were federal employees when contributing to this work. This is the publisher’s final pdf. The published article is copyrighted by the author(s) and published by the Resilience Alliance. The published article can be found at: http://www.ecologyandsociety.org/. Title: Examining fire-prone forest landscapes as coupled human and natural systems Author: Bolte, John, White, Eric M., Jacobs, Derric, Shindler, Bruce, Spies, Thomas A., Platt, Emily, Bailey, John, Kline, Jeffrey D., et al., Olsen, Christine S., Hammer, Roger To the best of our knowledge, one or more authors of this paper were federal employees when contributing to this work. This is the publisher’s final pdf. The published article is copyrighted by the author(s) and published by the Resilience Alliance. The published article can be found at: http://www.ecologyandsociety.org/. Close

• 17. [Article] Fish Capture and Culture in Agro-Ecosystems: A New Concept for Old Practice?

  No poster available.

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Fish Capture and Culture in Agro-Ecosystems: A New Concept for Old Practice? Author: Nguyen-Khoa, Sophie, Van Brakel, Martin No poster available. Title: Fish Capture and Culture in Agro-Ecosystems: A New Concept for Old Practice? Author: Nguyen-Khoa, Sophie, Van Brakel, Martin No poster available. Close

• 18. [Article] A land manager's guide for creating fire-resistant forests

  Published September 2013. Please look for up-to-date information in the OSU Extension Catalog: http://extension.oregonstate.edu/catalog

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: A land manager's guide for creating fire-resistant forests Author: Fitzgerald, Stephen Arthur, Bennett, Max, 1963-, Oregon State University. Extension Service Published September 2013. Please look for up-to-date information in the OSU Extension Catalog: http://extension.oregonstate.edu/catalog Title: A land manager's guide for creating fire-resistant forests Author: Fitzgerald, Stephen Arthur, Bennett, Max, 1963-, Oregon State University. Extension Service Published September 2013. Please look for up-to-date information in the OSU Extension Catalog: http://extension.oregonstate.edu/catalog Close

• 19. [Article] CEO 1 ; An Illustrated Guide to Fire in Central Oregon Forests

  This pictorial guide is primarily intended to serve as a backdrop for field tours of central Oregon that involve topics surrounding wildland fire. It also is designed to provide an overview of the role ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: CEO 1 ; An Illustrated Guide to Fire in Central Oregon Forests Author: Tappeiner, J. C. (John C.), Eckert, Bradley E., Walstad, John D., Oregon State University. Forest Research Laboratory This pictorial guide is primarily intended to serve as a backdrop for field tours of central Oregon that involve topics surrounding wildland fire. It also is designed to provide an overview of the role of fire in the major ecosystems characteristic of this region. Topics covered include fire history, fire regimes, current fire conditions, fire behavior, fire threats to natural resources, fuel treatments, interactions with the public, and future challenges and management options. A list of key references and glossary are also included. Title: CEO 1 ; An Illustrated Guide to Fire in Central Oregon Forests Author: Tappeiner, J. C. (John C.), Eckert, Bradley E., Walstad, John D., Oregon State University. Forest Research Laboratory This pictorial guide is primarily intended to serve as a backdrop for field tours of central Oregon that involve topics surrounding wildland fire. It also is designed to provide an overview of the role of fire in the major ecosystems characteristic of this region. Topics covered include fire history, fire regimes, current fire conditions, fire behavior, fire threats to natural resources, fuel treatments, interactions with the public, and future challenges and management options. A list of key references and glossary are also included. Close

• 20. [Article] Observations and assessment of forest carbon dynamics following disturbance in North America

  This is the publisher’s final pdf. The published article is copyrighted by the American Geophysical Union and can be found at: http://www.agu.org/journals/jgr/. To the best of our knowledge, one or more ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Observations and assessment of forest carbon dynamics following disturbance in North America Author: Pfeifer, E. M., Kasischke, E. S., Houghton, R. A., McNulty, S., Law, B. E., Goetz, S. J., Harmon, M., Huang, C., Meddens, A. J. H., Mildrexler, D., Bond-Lamberty, B., O'Halloran, T., Hicke, J. A. This is the publisher’s final pdf. The published article is copyrighted by the American Geophysical Union and can be found at: http://www.agu.org/journals/jgr/. To the best of our knowledge, one or more authors of this paper were federal employees when contributing to this work. Title: Observations and assessment of forest carbon dynamics following disturbance in North America Author: Pfeifer, E. M., Kasischke, E. S., Houghton, R. A., McNulty, S., Law, B. E., Goetz, S. J., Harmon, M., Huang, C., Meddens, A. J. H., Mildrexler, D., Bond-Lamberty, B., O'Halloran, T., Hicke, J. A. This is the publisher’s final pdf. The published article is copyrighted by the American Geophysical Union and can be found at: http://www.agu.org/journals/jgr/. To the best of our knowledge, one or more authors of this paper were federal employees when contributing to this work. Close

• 21. [Article] Data from: Network analysis of wildfire transmission and implications for risk governance

  [Suggested citation: Ager, AA; Evers, CR; Day, MA; Preisler, HK; Barros, AM; Nielsen-Pincus, M (2017): Data from: Network analysis of wildfire transmission and implications for risk governance. OSU Libraries. ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Data from: Network analysis of wildfire transmission and implications for risk governance Author: Barros, AM, Preisler, HK, Ager, AA, Nielsen-Pincus, M, Day, MA, Evers, CR [Suggested citation: Ager, AA; Evers, CR; Day, MA; Preisler, HK; Barros, AM; Nielsen-Pincus, M (2017): Data from: Network analysis of wildfire transmission and implications for risk governance. OSU Libraries. Dataset. https://doi.org/10.7267/N9G15XS6] Title: Data from: Network analysis of wildfire transmission and implications for risk governance Author: Barros, AM, Preisler, HK, Ager, AA, Nielsen-Pincus, M, Day, MA, Evers, CR [Suggested citation: Ager, AA; Evers, CR; Day, MA; Preisler, HK; Barros, AM; Nielsen-Pincus, M (2017): Data from: Network analysis of wildfire transmission and implications for risk governance. OSU Libraries. Dataset. https://doi.org/10.7267/N9G15XS6] Close

• 22. [Article] Essays on the interactions between land use, natural amenity and wildfire risk

  It is essential to study the relationship between environmental features and human land-use activities that can provide a better understanding of human-environment interactions. In a response, this dissertation ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Essays on the interactions between land use, natural amenity and wildfire risk Author: Xu, Wenchao It is essential to study the relationship between environmental features and human land-use activities that can provide a better understanding of human-environment interactions. In a response, this dissertation addresses the human-environment issues from different perspectives in three essays. The first essay conducts an integrated analysis to investigate the impacts of human activities and environmental features on wildfire occurrence at the Wildland-Urban Interface in a changing climate. We focus on the impacts of land use changes as measured by their density, connectivity, and mix. The conceptual model builds on a theoretical framework developed by Woodward (1987) and Neilson (1995) that characterizes the functioning mechanism of ecosystems. The empirical models identify the key factors that influence wildfires. Hypotheses are tested to demonstrate the spatial heterogeneity of human land-use impacts on wildfires. Results can inform the design of policies that aim to identify community vulnerabilities, reduce wildfire uncertainties, strengthen firewise community development, and inform future land-use decision making in response to wildfire threats. The second essay analyzes the impacts of wildfire risk on urban development. It builds on and expands the monocentric-city framework developed by Wu (2006) and Wu (2010) by introducing wildfire risk into this model. We calibrate the model and examine the urban spatial profiles changes under different assumptions of wildfire risks and natural amenities. We find that wildfire risk can take on various aspects of urban spatial profiles at a much broad scale that go beyond the fire-prone areas and affects both households and public decision sectors. Even without inconsistency in fire-zone designation policy, over-development can occur in fire-hazardous area. The third essay models the role of amenity in interregional migration and spatial distribution of economic activities. Extending the new economic geography model of Helpman (1998) by including locational amenities, we present a multi-market equilibrium framework that includes consumption, production, and trade. Results suggest that the effects of amenities are significantly affected by household preferences, trade barriers, and other regional economic characteristics. This study contributes to the amenity-driven migration literatures and informs the debate about the effect of amenities on interregional migrations and regional economic development. Title: Essays on the interactions between land use, natural amenity and wildfire risk Author: Xu, Wenchao It is essential to study the relationship between environmental features and human land-use activities that can provide a better understanding of human-environment interactions. In a response, this dissertation addresses the human-environment issues from different perspectives in three essays. The first essay conducts an integrated analysis to investigate the impacts of human activities and environmental features on wildfire occurrence at the Wildland-Urban Interface in a changing climate. We focus on the impacts of land use changes as measured by their density, connectivity, and mix. The conceptual model builds on a theoretical framework developed by Woodward (1987) and Neilson (1995) that characterizes the functioning mechanism of ecosystems. The empirical models identify the key factors that influence wildfires. Hypotheses are tested to demonstrate the spatial heterogeneity of human land-use impacts on wildfires. Results can inform the design of policies that aim to identify community vulnerabilities, reduce wildfire uncertainties, strengthen firewise community development, and inform future land-use decision making in response to wildfire threats. The second essay analyzes the impacts of wildfire risk on urban development. It builds on and expands the monocentric-city framework developed by Wu (2006) and Wu (2010) by introducing wildfire risk into this model. We calibrate the model and examine the urban spatial profiles changes under different assumptions of wildfire risks and natural amenities. We find that wildfire risk can take on various aspects of urban spatial profiles at a much broad scale that go beyond the fire-prone areas and affects both households and public decision sectors. Even without inconsistency in fire-zone designation policy, over-development can occur in fire-hazardous area. The third essay models the role of amenity in interregional migration and spatial distribution of economic activities. Extending the new economic geography model of Helpman (1998) by including locational amenities, we present a multi-market equilibrium framework that includes consumption, production, and trade. Results suggest that the effects of amenities are significantly affected by household preferences, trade barriers, and other regional economic characteristics. This study contributes to the amenity-driven migration literatures and informs the debate about the effect of amenities on interregional migrations and regional economic development. Close

• 23. [Article] Wildland fire in ecosystems : effects of fire on fauna

  Fires affect animals mainly through effects on their habitat. Fires often cause short-term increases in wildlife foods that contribute to increases in populations of some animals. These increases are moderated ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Wildland fire in ecosystems : effects of fire on fauna Author: Schreiner, David Scott, Smith, Jane Kapler, Telfer, Edmund S., Huff, Mark H., Lyon, L. Jack, Hooper, Robert G. Fires affect animals mainly through effects on their habitat. Fires often cause short-term increases in wildlife foods that contribute to increases in populations of some animals. These increases are moderated by the animals’ ability to thrive in the altered, often simplified, structure of the postfire environment. The extent of fire effects on animal communities generally depends on the extent of change in habitat structure and species composition caused by fire. Stand-replacement fires usually cause greater changes in the faunal communities of forests than in those of grasslands. Within forests, standreplacement fires usually alter the animal community more dramatically than understory fires. Animal species are adapted to survive the pattern of fire frequency, season, size, severity, and uniformity that characterized their habitat in presettlement times. When fire frequency increases or decreases substantially or fire severity changes from presettlement patterns, habitat for many animal species declines. Title: Wildland fire in ecosystems : effects of fire on fauna Author: Schreiner, David Scott, Smith, Jane Kapler, Telfer, Edmund S., Huff, Mark H., Lyon, L. Jack, Hooper, Robert G. Fires affect animals mainly through effects on their habitat. Fires often cause short-term increases in wildlife foods that contribute to increases in populations of some animals. These increases are moderated by the animals’ ability to thrive in the altered, often simplified, structure of the postfire environment. The extent of fire effects on animal communities generally depends on the extent of change in habitat structure and species composition caused by fire. Stand-replacement fires usually cause greater changes in the faunal communities of forests than in those of grasslands. Within forests, standreplacement fires usually alter the animal community more dramatically than understory fires. Animal species are adapted to survive the pattern of fire frequency, season, size, severity, and uniformity that characterized their habitat in presettlement times. When fire frequency increases or decreases substantially or fire severity changes from presettlement patterns, habitat for many animal species declines. Close

• 24. [Article] The Schultz Fire : an interdisciplinary perspective on its history, management, and ecological effects

  This thesis examines the Schultz Fire as a case study to explain the complex history of fire suppression management in America’s forests, and to gain further understanding of how management practices have ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: The Schultz Fire : an interdisciplinary perspective on its history, management, and ecological effects Author: Ranseen, Susanne N. This thesis examines the Schultz Fire as a case study to explain the complex history of fire suppression management in America’s forests, and to gain further understanding of how management practices have affected the increase in fire severity levels and how forests respond to such a disturbance. The thesis objectives were: (1) to analyze the causes of the fire severity of the Schultz Fire, especially: topography, fuels, or weather; (2); to examine the possible correlation between fire severity and tree density; (3) to investigate whether post-fire species richness was related to fire severity two years after the Schultz Fire; (4) to investigate whether post-fire plant species richness, plant cover, and tree regeneration was related to fire severity two years after the Schultz Fire; and (5) to interlink and convey how these factors relate to the history of fire management and policy and public perception. The history of fire related policy and management has significantly changed the dynamics of America's national parks and forests. Understanding the larger context of this history, both of national fire management and of the effects of language and perception on policy and public reaction, is part of understanding the Schultz Fire as a whole. Based on modeling, high winds combined with the presence of high surface fuel load were the main causes of the Schultz Fire's high fire severity levels. As fire severity increased there was a statistically significant increase in species richness. Severity level had little variation on percentage of cover by plants. No statistically significant relationship between tree density and fire severity levels was found. These findings underline the need for fuel treatments in southwest Ponderosa Pine forests, and effective cooperation between communities, managers, and ecologists. The Schultz Fire serves as an example in understanding the intricacies of how history affects the present and future of fire management. How fire has been managed and portrayed in the past has left an indelible mark on how fire is presently viewed. Without a clear understanding of the history of fire management and the role of fire in the ecology, future policies towards fire will be unable to account for and manage for the diversity of ecosystems and fires effects on those ecosystems across the United States. Title: The Schultz Fire : an interdisciplinary perspective on its history, management, and ecological effects Author: Ranseen, Susanne N. This thesis examines the Schultz Fire as a case study to explain the complex history of fire suppression management in America’s forests, and to gain further understanding of how management practices have affected the increase in fire severity levels and how forests respond to such a disturbance. The thesis objectives were: (1) to analyze the causes of the fire severity of the Schultz Fire, especially: topography, fuels, or weather; (2); to examine the possible correlation between fire severity and tree density; (3) to investigate whether post-fire species richness was related to fire severity two years after the Schultz Fire; (4) to investigate whether post-fire plant species richness, plant cover, and tree regeneration was related to fire severity two years after the Schultz Fire; and (5) to interlink and convey how these factors relate to the history of fire management and policy and public perception. The history of fire related policy and management has significantly changed the dynamics of America's national parks and forests. Understanding the larger context of this history, both of national fire management and of the effects of language and perception on policy and public reaction, is part of understanding the Schultz Fire as a whole. Based on modeling, high winds combined with the presence of high surface fuel load were the main causes of the Schultz Fire's high fire severity levels. As fire severity increased there was a statistically significant increase in species richness. Severity level had little variation on percentage of cover by plants. No statistically significant relationship between tree density and fire severity levels was found. These findings underline the need for fuel treatments in southwest Ponderosa Pine forests, and effective cooperation between communities, managers, and ecologists. The Schultz Fire serves as an example in understanding the intricacies of how history affects the present and future of fire management. How fire has been managed and portrayed in the past has left an indelible mark on how fire is presently viewed. Without a clear understanding of the history of fire management and the role of fire in the ecology, future policies towards fire will be unable to account for and manage for the diversity of ecosystems and fires effects on those ecosystems across the United States. Close

• 25. [Article] Historical fire regime in the Little River watershed, southwestern Oregon

  Disturbances are a prevalent and important part of ecosystems. Many landscape patterns that we find today were created, maintained, and changed by natural disturbance regimes. This is especially true for ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Historical fire regime in the Little River watershed, southwestern Oregon Author: Van Norman, Kelli J. Disturbances are a prevalent and important part of ecosystems. Many landscape patterns that we find today were created, maintained, and changed by natural disturbance regimes. This is especially true for fire, which has historically been a common, natural disturbance in the western U.S forests and grasslands and many other parts of the globe. I reconstructed fire history and interpreted fire regime in 117 clearcuts distributed throughout a 45,000 ha study area within the Little River watershed, an Adaptive Management Area in southwestern Oregon. Tree rings were counted on over 3,000 stumps and provided a 683-year record of fire. The study area fire regime can be characterized by its variability. The composite median fire return interval for the study area was approximately 123 years. Fire extents were not estimated, but historical fires tended to be relatively small, usually occurring within less than 2.5 km. Low and moderate severity surface fires appeared to have been more common than stand-replacement fires indicating a moderate severity fire regime with much spatial variability in severity. The fire regime has changed temporally and spatially over the fire history record. Five distinct changes in the rate of fire occurrence were identified (1490-1569, 1570- 1844, 1845-1899, 1900-1925, and 1926-1996) and associated with changes in climate and human fire ignition and fire suppression. Fires were dispersed throughout the study area, probably due to dispersed lightning ignitions and small fire extents. As a result, fire frequency was wealdy correlated with topography. However, during the 1845-1899 time period, more fires occurred at low elevations, suggesting an influence of Euro-American settler fire ignitions. Title: Historical fire regime in the Little River watershed, southwestern Oregon Author: Van Norman, Kelli J. Disturbances are a prevalent and important part of ecosystems. Many landscape patterns that we find today were created, maintained, and changed by natural disturbance regimes. This is especially true for fire, which has historically been a common, natural disturbance in the western U.S forests and grasslands and many other parts of the globe. I reconstructed fire history and interpreted fire regime in 117 clearcuts distributed throughout a 45,000 ha study area within the Little River watershed, an Adaptive Management Area in southwestern Oregon. Tree rings were counted on over 3,000 stumps and provided a 683-year record of fire. The study area fire regime can be characterized by its variability. The composite median fire return interval for the study area was approximately 123 years. Fire extents were not estimated, but historical fires tended to be relatively small, usually occurring within less than 2.5 km. Low and moderate severity surface fires appeared to have been more common than stand-replacement fires indicating a moderate severity fire regime with much spatial variability in severity. The fire regime has changed temporally and spatially over the fire history record. Five distinct changes in the rate of fire occurrence were identified (1490-1569, 1570- 1844, 1845-1899, 1900-1925, and 1926-1996) and associated with changes in climate and human fire ignition and fire suppression. Fires were dispersed throughout the study area, probably due to dispersed lightning ignitions and small fire extents. As a result, fire frequency was wealdy correlated with topography. However, during the 1845-1899 time period, more fires occurred at low elevations, suggesting an influence of Euro-American settler fire ignitions. Close

• 26. [Article] Fire exclusion effects on riparian forest dynamics in southwestern Oregon

  This is the authors' peer-reviewed final manuscript. The published version is copyrighted by Elsevier and can be found here: http://www.journals.elsevier.com/forest-ecology-and-management/#description

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Fire exclusion effects on riparian forest dynamics in southwestern Oregon Author: Shatford, Jeff P.A., Messier, Michael S., Hibbs, David E. This is the authors' peer-reviewed final manuscript. The published version is copyrighted by Elsevier and can be found here: http://www.journals.elsevier.com/forest-ecology-and-management/#description Title: Fire exclusion effects on riparian forest dynamics in southwestern Oregon Author: Shatford, Jeff P.A., Messier, Michael S., Hibbs, David E. This is the authors' peer-reviewed final manuscript. The published version is copyrighted by Elsevier and can be found here: http://www.journals.elsevier.com/forest-ecology-and-management/#description Close

• 27. [Article] Assessing the effect of a fuel break network to reduce burnt area and wildfire risk transmission

  To the best of our knowledge, one or more authors of this paper were federal employees when contributing to this work. This is the publisher’s final pdf. The article is copyrighted by the International ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Assessing the effect of a fuel break network to reduce burnt area and wildfire risk transmission Author: Ager, Alan A., Barros, Ana M. G., Oliveira, Tiago M., Fernandes, Paulo M. To the best of our knowledge, one or more authors of this paper were federal employees when contributing to this work. This is the publisher’s final pdf. The article is copyrighted by the International Association of Wildland Fire and published by CSIRO Publishing. It can be found at: http://www.publish.csiro.au/nid/114.htm Title: Assessing the effect of a fuel break network to reduce burnt area and wildfire risk transmission Author: Ager, Alan A., Barros, Ana M. G., Oliveira, Tiago M., Fernandes, Paulo M. To the best of our knowledge, one or more authors of this paper were federal employees when contributing to this work. This is the publisher’s final pdf. The article is copyrighted by the International Association of Wildland Fire and published by CSIRO Publishing. It can be found at: http://www.publish.csiro.au/nid/114.htm Close

• 28. [Article] Vegetation response to prescribed fire in mountain big sagebrush ecosystems at Lava Beds National Monument, California

  Anthropogenic land use alterations such as livestock grazing and fire suppression have greatly altered sagebrush grasslands of the Great Basin, facilitating invasion of exotic annuals, increases in woody ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Vegetation response to prescribed fire in mountain big sagebrush ecosystems at Lava Beds National Monument, California Author: Ellsworth, Lisa M. Anthropogenic land use alterations such as livestock grazing and fire suppression have greatly altered sagebrush grasslands of the Great Basin, facilitating invasion of exotic annuals, increases in woody species, and losses of native species. Much of the current research surrounding wildland and prescribed fire in sagebrush dominated ecosystems has focused on a persistent belief that fire in sagebrush systems results in a loss of native flora and a trend toward dominance by exotic annuals. Fire was historically the dominant disturbance throughout the sagebrush steppe and the plant species that comprised these communities possess a variety of adaptations facilitating survival to the fire regime. In order to restore ecosystems, land managers will need to reintroduce natural ecosystem processes, including natural disturbance processes. To describe the response of these plant communities to fire, I examined the plant community response, seedbank response, and reproductive and density responses of three native bunchgrasses (Pseudoroegneria spicata, Achnatherum therberianum, and Elymus elymoides) as well as one native forb (Calochortus macrocarpus) following spring and fall prescribed fires at Lava Beds National Monument. Fires were applied to three Artemisia tridentata ssp. vaseyana (Mountain Big Sagebrush) plant communities with different land use and fire histories. These communities were different in composition ranging from a dominance of exotic annuals to dominance by native grasses, shrubs, and trees. Little is known about how prescribed fire affects the soil seed bank in sagebrush-dominated ecosystems. To address this, we quantified the emergence of Bromus tectorum (cheatgrass) seedlings as well as emergence of seedlings of functional groups (native forbs, bunchgrasses, and shrubs) in a seedbank germination study. At the invasive dominated site (Gillems Camp), we found 91% fewer B. tectorum seedlings germinated in spring burned sites than in controls immediately following spring prescribed burns. However, soils collected one-year following fire had 40% more B. tectorum germinants (8017 germinants/m [superscript 2]) than unburned controls (5132 germinants/m [superscript 2]). Following fall burns at this site there was a similar response, with a 56% immediate reduction in B. tectorum (as compared to unburned control) and a 59% increase in B. tectorum and 58% increase in exotic forb germinants one year following fires. There was an increase in native forb germination following spring burns (94%) and fall burns (45%) at a site dominated by native plants (Fleener Chimneys). Native bunchgrass seed germination declined following spring fire in sites dominated by sagebrush and native understory vegetation (79%), and in sites where Juniperus occidentalis (western juniper) and other woody species dominated (Merrill Caves) (71%). In invasive-dominated sites (Gillems Camp), there was a decrease in B. tectorum cover following both spring (81% decrease) and fall fires (82% decrease), and little native vegetation composition change. Shrub cover, made up predominantly of Chrysothamnus nauseosus, decreased following spring (95% decrease) and fall (93% decrease) fires. At the sagebrush, native understory site (Fleener Chimneys), there was a reduction in native bunchgrass cover (64% decrease), and an increase in native forbs (168% increase) following spring burns, with no changes following fall fires. At the juniper- woody dominated site (Merrill Caves), fire treatments resulted in a decrease in woody plant cover, with no immediate postfire differences seen in the herbaceous plant community. Density of bunchgrass species (Pseudoroegneria spicata, Achnatherum therberianum, Elymus elymoides) did not change following either spring or fall prescribed fire treatments. Fire enhanced flowering was not seen in C. macrocarpus following spring or fall burns at the native or juniper dominated sites. There was increased reproductive effort in native bunchgrass species following fires in all communities studied. Following spring fires at invasive dominated sites, there was a 245% increase in reproductive culms of P. spicata. Following fall fires in native dominated sites, we saw a 974% increase in reproductive culms of P. spicata and a 184% increase in reproductive culms of A. therberianum. Following fall fires at juniper-dominated sites, we saw in an increase in reproductive culms of P. spicata (678% increase), A. thurberianum (356% increase), and Elymus elymoides (209% increase). These results suggest that implementing prescribed fire in order to restore the natural disturbance regime in these fire-adapted ecosystems is beneficial to restoration and preservation of the native biota. Title: Vegetation response to prescribed fire in mountain big sagebrush ecosystems at Lava Beds National Monument, California Author: Ellsworth, Lisa M. Anthropogenic land use alterations such as livestock grazing and fire suppression have greatly altered sagebrush grasslands of the Great Basin, facilitating invasion of exotic annuals, increases in woody species, and losses of native species. Much of the current research surrounding wildland and prescribed fire in sagebrush dominated ecosystems has focused on a persistent belief that fire in sagebrush systems results in a loss of native flora and a trend toward dominance by exotic annuals. Fire was historically the dominant disturbance throughout the sagebrush steppe and the plant species that comprised these communities possess a variety of adaptations facilitating survival to the fire regime. In order to restore ecosystems, land managers will need to reintroduce natural ecosystem processes, including natural disturbance processes. To describe the response of these plant communities to fire, I examined the plant community response, seedbank response, and reproductive and density responses of three native bunchgrasses (Pseudoroegneria spicata, Achnatherum therberianum, and Elymus elymoides) as well as one native forb (Calochortus macrocarpus) following spring and fall prescribed fires at Lava Beds National Monument. Fires were applied to three Artemisia tridentata ssp. vaseyana (Mountain Big Sagebrush) plant communities with different land use and fire histories. These communities were different in composition ranging from a dominance of exotic annuals to dominance by native grasses, shrubs, and trees. Little is known about how prescribed fire affects the soil seed bank in sagebrush-dominated ecosystems. To address this, we quantified the emergence of Bromus tectorum (cheatgrass) seedlings as well as emergence of seedlings of functional groups (native forbs, bunchgrasses, and shrubs) in a seedbank germination study. At the invasive dominated site (Gillems Camp), we found 91% fewer B. tectorum seedlings germinated in spring burned sites than in controls immediately following spring prescribed burns. However, soils collected one-year following fire had 40% more B. tectorum germinants (8017 germinants/m [superscript 2]) than unburned controls (5132 germinants/m [superscript 2]). Following fall burns at this site there was a similar response, with a 56% immediate reduction in B. tectorum (as compared to unburned control) and a 59% increase in B. tectorum and 58% increase in exotic forb germinants one year following fires. There was an increase in native forb germination following spring burns (94%) and fall burns (45%) at a site dominated by native plants (Fleener Chimneys). Native bunchgrass seed germination declined following spring fire in sites dominated by sagebrush and native understory vegetation (79%), and in sites where Juniperus occidentalis (western juniper) and other woody species dominated (Merrill Caves) (71%). In invasive-dominated sites (Gillems Camp), there was a decrease in B. tectorum cover following both spring (81% decrease) and fall fires (82% decrease), and little native vegetation composition change. Shrub cover, made up predominantly of Chrysothamnus nauseosus, decreased following spring (95% decrease) and fall (93% decrease) fires. At the sagebrush, native understory site (Fleener Chimneys), there was a reduction in native bunchgrass cover (64% decrease), and an increase in native forbs (168% increase) following spring burns, with no changes following fall fires. At the juniper- woody dominated site (Merrill Caves), fire treatments resulted in a decrease in woody plant cover, with no immediate postfire differences seen in the herbaceous plant community. Density of bunchgrass species (Pseudoroegneria spicata, Achnatherum therberianum, Elymus elymoides) did not change following either spring or fall prescribed fire treatments. Fire enhanced flowering was not seen in C. macrocarpus following spring or fall burns at the native or juniper dominated sites. There was increased reproductive effort in native bunchgrass species following fires in all communities studied. Following spring fires at invasive dominated sites, there was a 245% increase in reproductive culms of P. spicata. Following fall fires in native dominated sites, we saw a 974% increase in reproductive culms of P. spicata and a 184% increase in reproductive culms of A. therberianum. Following fall fires at juniper-dominated sites, we saw in an increase in reproductive culms of P. spicata (678% increase), A. thurberianum (356% increase), and Elymus elymoides (209% increase). These results suggest that implementing prescribed fire in order to restore the natural disturbance regime in these fire-adapted ecosystems is beneficial to restoration and preservation of the native biota. Close

• 29. [Article] Beyond smoke and mirrors: a synthesis of fire policy and science

  Fire performs many beneficial ecosystem functions in dry forests and rangelands across much of North America. In the last century, however, the role of fire has been dramatically altered by numerous anthropogenic ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Beyond smoke and mirrors: a synthesis of fire policy and science Author: Deacon Williams, Cindy, Williams, Jack E., Franklin, Jerry F., Dellasala, Dominick A. Fire performs many beneficial ecosystem functions in dry forests and rangelands across much of North America. In the last century, however, the role of fire has been dramatically altered by numerous anthropogenic factors acting as root causes of the current fire crisis, including widespread logging, road building, fire suppression, habitat fragmentation, urban development, livestock grazing, and, more recently, climate change. The intensity and extent of fires in the western United States, specifically, have dramatically increased over the past several decades. Such shifts in fire behavior have triggered sweeping policy changes that were intended to prevent or contain fires but that pose significant risks to the integrity of ecosystems and the role fire historically played in shaping them. Here, we provide a social and ecological context for summarizing this special issue on fires, including general guidelines and principles for managers concerned about balancing the risks of inaction against the risks of action over extensive areas. Fundamental to our understanding of fire is the notion that it is extremely variable, has multiple causes, and requires ecological solutions that are sensitive to spatial scale and context. Therefore, forest managers must recognize that different forest types have different fire regimes and require fundamentally different fire- management policies. Furthermore, to restore or maintain ecological integrity, including the role of fire, treatments need to be tailored to site-specific conditions with an adaptive approach. We provide a conceptual framework for prioritizing fuel treatments and restoration activities in the wildlands-urban intermix versus those in wildland areas farther from human settlement. In general, the science of conservation biology has much to offer in helping to shape wildfire policy direction; however, conservation biologists must become more engaged to better ensure that policy decisions are based on sound science and that ecological risks are incorporated. Title: Beyond smoke and mirrors: a synthesis of fire policy and science Author: Deacon Williams, Cindy, Williams, Jack E., Franklin, Jerry F., Dellasala, Dominick A. Fire performs many beneficial ecosystem functions in dry forests and rangelands across much of North America. In the last century, however, the role of fire has been dramatically altered by numerous anthropogenic factors acting as root causes of the current fire crisis, including widespread logging, road building, fire suppression, habitat fragmentation, urban development, livestock grazing, and, more recently, climate change. The intensity and extent of fires in the western United States, specifically, have dramatically increased over the past several decades. Such shifts in fire behavior have triggered sweeping policy changes that were intended to prevent or contain fires but that pose significant risks to the integrity of ecosystems and the role fire historically played in shaping them. Here, we provide a social and ecological context for summarizing this special issue on fires, including general guidelines and principles for managers concerned about balancing the risks of inaction against the risks of action over extensive areas. Fundamental to our understanding of fire is the notion that it is extremely variable, has multiple causes, and requires ecological solutions that are sensitive to spatial scale and context. Therefore, forest managers must recognize that different forest types have different fire regimes and require fundamentally different fire- management policies. Furthermore, to restore or maintain ecological integrity, including the role of fire, treatments need to be tailored to site-specific conditions with an adaptive approach. We provide a conceptual framework for prioritizing fuel treatments and restoration activities in the wildlands-urban intermix versus those in wildland areas farther from human settlement. In general, the science of conservation biology has much to offer in helping to shape wildfire policy direction; however, conservation biologists must become more engaged to better ensure that policy decisions are based on sound science and that ecological risks are incorporated. Close

• 30. [Article] Fire effects on vegetation diversity, structure, and successional dynamics in shrub-steppe and mixed conifer environments of the Hells Canyon, Idaho

  The effects of fire severity on post-fire succession and shrub demography were quantified in shrub-steppe grasslands and subalpine forests in the Hells Canyon of the Payette National Forest, Idaho. Following ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Fire effects on vegetation diversity, structure, and successional dynamics in shrub-steppe and mixed conifer environments of the Hells Canyon, Idaho Author: Havlina, Douglas William The effects of fire severity on post-fire succession and shrub demography were quantified in shrub-steppe grasslands and subalpine forests in the Hells Canyon of the Payette National Forest, Idaho. Following the 1988 Eagle Bar Fire, species frequency, community diversity, fire adaptations, and stand ages were quantified at 12 plots in burned and unburned forests. Pre-fire composition was dominated by Pseudotsuga menziesii, Pinus contorta, Abies grandis, and Abies lasiocarpa in the overstory. Prefire basal area ranged from 41 to 80 m 2 ha-1 . Pre-fire stand ages ranged from 71 years in Abies lasiocarpa forests to > 200 years in Pseudotsuga menziesii stands. Fire scenarios which were sampled consisted of: (1) complete stand-replacement fires; (2) partial standreplacement fires; and (3) unburned forests (control). Partial stand-replacement forests were characterized by significantly higher mean species diversity and richness (H'=3.16, S=36) than complete stand-replacement (H'=2.78, S=27) or unburned forests (H=2.26, S=15). Vegetation preferentially established in burned areas along a gradient of fire severity according to adapted fire guilds. Single-storied forests dominated by Pinus contorta and Abies lasiocarpa typified stand-replacement fire scenarios, with mean ages ranging from 99 to 159 years corresponding to fire return intervals common in this type. Multi-storied forests of Pseudotsuga menziesii in the overstory and Abies spp. in the mid-story comprised partial stand-replacement forests. Overstory stand ages ranged from 165 to 209 years, while mid-story ages ranged from 77 to 99 years, corresponding to fire-return intervals which characterize the intermediate, partial stand-replacement fire regime. In the Hells Canyon forests, fire is a dominant ecosystem process in the creation of landscape mosaics, in governing species distribution, and in the maintenance of biological diversity. Forests experiencing complete stand-replacement (n=4) were dominated by Salix scouleriana, a classic off-site colonizer. At the fourth post-fire year, Salix scouleriana density ranged from 252,000 shrubs ha' to 569,333 shrubs ha-1 . From the fourth to the fifth post-fire year, mean shrub density showed a significant decrease from 336,667 to 246,000 shrubs ha.4 . During this same period, mean shrub biomass significantly increased from 10.2 g shrub-1 to 33.1 g shrub"', mean aboveground biomass significantly increased from 2.95 to 7.05 Mg ha-1, and mean shrub height significantly increased from 62 to 100 cm shrub-1. Without competing conifers, Salix scouleriana may maintain site dominance for several decades. The 1992 Windy Ridge Fire burned approximately 2,000 ha of the Purshia tridentatal Agropyron spicatum plant association at elevations < 1460 m. Because Purshia tridentata survivorship appeared to be associated with plant age and ecotype, a multiple regression model was developed to partition burned and unburned shrubs into age class segments at n=10 sites. Pre-fire shrub density ranged from 400 to 1700 shrubs ha-1. Concomitant with Purshia tridentata decadence and stagnation following a lengthened fire-free interval were increases in post-fire mortality. Post-fire mortality of Purshia tridentata was closely associated with plant age (R2=0.91). Plants in age classes < 25 years of age exhibited 66% sprouting, while shrubs > 25 years of age had only 20% survival. Shrub mortality in burned communities ranged from 37% to 100%, while mortality among unburned communities averaged 5%. The reintroduction of fire appears to be a necessity for restoring certain Purshia tridentata ecotypes which have not entered stagnation. Continued fire exclusion may well result in the loss of many at risk Purshia tridentata communities. As an influence on ecosystem function, genetic variation, and landscape mosaics, fire represents a pervasive disturbance in the Hells Canyon ecosystems. Unique successional pathways result from fires which vary in dimension, severity, and periodicity, thereby contributing to diversity at all scales. Intrinsic adaptations to fire testify to the coevolution between flora and fire in the Hells Canyon, and illustrate the resiliency of biota in fire-dominated environments. Title: Fire effects on vegetation diversity, structure, and successional dynamics in shrub-steppe and mixed conifer environments of the Hells Canyon, Idaho Author: Havlina, Douglas William The effects of fire severity on post-fire succession and shrub demography were quantified in shrub-steppe grasslands and subalpine forests in the Hells Canyon of the Payette National Forest, Idaho. Following the 1988 Eagle Bar Fire, species frequency, community diversity, fire adaptations, and stand ages were quantified at 12 plots in burned and unburned forests. Pre-fire composition was dominated by Pseudotsuga menziesii, Pinus contorta, Abies grandis, and Abies lasiocarpa in the overstory. Prefire basal area ranged from 41 to 80 m 2 ha-1 . Pre-fire stand ages ranged from 71 years in Abies lasiocarpa forests to > 200 years in Pseudotsuga menziesii stands. Fire scenarios which were sampled consisted of: (1) complete stand-replacement fires; (2) partial standreplacement fires; and (3) unburned forests (control). Partial stand-replacement forests were characterized by significantly higher mean species diversity and richness (H'=3.16, S=36) than complete stand-replacement (H'=2.78, S=27) or unburned forests (H=2.26, S=15). Vegetation preferentially established in burned areas along a gradient of fire severity according to adapted fire guilds. Single-storied forests dominated by Pinus contorta and Abies lasiocarpa typified stand-replacement fire scenarios, with mean ages ranging from 99 to 159 years corresponding to fire return intervals common in this type. Multi-storied forests of Pseudotsuga menziesii in the overstory and Abies spp. in the mid-story comprised partial stand-replacement forests. Overstory stand ages ranged from 165 to 209 years, while mid-story ages ranged from 77 to 99 years, corresponding to fire-return intervals which characterize the intermediate, partial stand-replacement fire regime. In the Hells Canyon forests, fire is a dominant ecosystem process in the creation of landscape mosaics, in governing species distribution, and in the maintenance of biological diversity. Forests experiencing complete stand-replacement (n=4) were dominated by Salix scouleriana, a classic off-site colonizer. At the fourth post-fire year, Salix scouleriana density ranged from 252,000 shrubs ha' to 569,333 shrubs ha-1 . From the fourth to the fifth post-fire year, mean shrub density showed a significant decrease from 336,667 to 246,000 shrubs ha.4 . During this same period, mean shrub biomass significantly increased from 10.2 g shrub-1 to 33.1 g shrub"', mean aboveground biomass significantly increased from 2.95 to 7.05 Mg ha-1, and mean shrub height significantly increased from 62 to 100 cm shrub-1. Without competing conifers, Salix scouleriana may maintain site dominance for several decades. The 1992 Windy Ridge Fire burned approximately 2,000 ha of the Purshia tridentatal Agropyron spicatum plant association at elevations < 1460 m. Because Purshia tridentata survivorship appeared to be associated with plant age and ecotype, a multiple regression model was developed to partition burned and unburned shrubs into age class segments at n=10 sites. Pre-fire shrub density ranged from 400 to 1700 shrubs ha-1. Concomitant with Purshia tridentata decadence and stagnation following a lengthened fire-free interval were increases in post-fire mortality. Post-fire mortality of Purshia tridentata was closely associated with plant age (R2=0.91). Plants in age classes < 25 years of age exhibited 66% sprouting, while shrubs > 25 years of age had only 20% survival. Shrub mortality in burned communities ranged from 37% to 100%, while mortality among unburned communities averaged 5%. The reintroduction of fire appears to be a necessity for restoring certain Purshia tridentata ecotypes which have not entered stagnation. Continued fire exclusion may well result in the loss of many at risk Purshia tridentata communities. As an influence on ecosystem function, genetic variation, and landscape mosaics, fire represents a pervasive disturbance in the Hells Canyon ecosystems. Unique successional pathways result from fires which vary in dimension, severity, and periodicity, thereby contributing to diversity at all scales. Intrinsic adaptations to fire testify to the coevolution between flora and fire in the Hells Canyon, and illustrate the resiliency of biota in fire-dominated environments. Close

• 31. [Article] Climate change and vulnerability of bull trout (Salvelinus confluentus) in a fire-prone landscape

  To the best of our knowledge, one or more authors of this paper were federal employees when contributing to this work. This is the publisher’s final pdf. The published article is copyrighted by NRC Research ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Climate change and vulnerability of bull trout (Salvelinus confluentus) in a fire-prone landscape Author: Falke, Jeffrey A., Reeves, Gordon H., Hessburg, Paul F., Flitcroft, Rebecca L., Dunham, Jason B., McNyset, Kristina M. To the best of our knowledge, one or more authors of this paper were federal employees when contributing to this work. This is the publisher’s final pdf. The published article is copyrighted by NRC Research Press and can be found at: http://www.nrcresearchpress.com/journal/cjfas. Title: Climate change and vulnerability of bull trout (Salvelinus confluentus) in a fire-prone landscape Author: Falke, Jeffrey A., Reeves, Gordon H., Hessburg, Paul F., Flitcroft, Rebecca L., Dunham, Jason B., McNyset, Kristina M. To the best of our knowledge, one or more authors of this paper were federal employees when contributing to this work. This is the publisher’s final pdf. The published article is copyrighted by NRC Research Press and can be found at: http://www.nrcresearchpress.com/journal/cjfas. Close

• 32. [Article] The role of strategic planning in the management of fire-prone western Oregon forests for maximizing terrestrial carbon stocks over a 100-year horizon

  Current frameworks for analyzing forest carbon offset projects in disturbance-prone western forests often fail to address the dynamic nature of carbon pathways through time. They do not account for the ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: The role of strategic planning in the management of fire-prone western Oregon forests for maximizing terrestrial carbon stocks over a 100-year horizon Author: Vanderberg, Michael R. Current frameworks for analyzing forest carbon offset projects in disturbance-prone western forests often fail to address the dynamic nature of carbon pathways through time. They do not account for the probability of loss due to wildfire, which can influence the prediction of carbon storage at the end of a planning horizon. In such an environment, optimal treatment regimes over time are dependent on the decisions that affect carbon storage during the analysis period. Silvicultural regimes that include both pyrogenic and biogenic emissions from forests, as well as the storage in wood products, were modeled to demonstrate a method to maximize carbon storage. Stand-level optimization is suggested as a method for demonstrating the development of treatment regimes to enable a full range of carbon storage benefits. These include a reduction in the risk of catastrophic wildfire, increased terrestrial carbon density, and the offset of treatment costs. This methodology may also provide a baseline for a full accounting of forestry carbon offset projects. A model was developed to determine optimal management regimes that maximize the expected value of terrestrial carbon storage for three Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziessi) dominant forests in western Oregon. Carbon storage values for treatment combinations were weighted by the probability of fire occurrence and the loss of carbon due to fire. The model employs probabilistic dynamic programming to determine the optimal timing and intensity of silvicultural treatments by way of thinning-from-below. Also determined are location-dependent management regimes that maximize aboveground carbon storage with fire-suppression efforts. The stand location in respect to roads is examined, specifically in terms of the effect that access distance and slope position have on the optimal timing and intensity of fuel treatments and silvicultural activities. Optimal regimes are determined for a range of forest stands, varying by stand distance-to-road and the slope location of the road above or below the stand. Results suggest that a combination of let-grow and low-level density-reduction thinnings can store more aboveground terrestrial carbon in forests and long-lived wood products than grow-only control scenarios when fire is also present and fire-related emissions are accounted for. Additional expected carbon storage of optimal solutions compared to the 100-year gain for control scenarios ranged from 0 to 46%. This suggests that strategic planning by the optimization model can compete with the hedge method of the Voluntary Carbon Standard risk management, which employs carbon buffer pools to compensate for the risk associated with disturbance and can require the size of the buffer deposit to range from 10 to 60% of the generated carbon credits, depending on the risk class determined for a given project. Results also suggest that both stand location and fire suppression efforts did not impact the maximization of aboveground terrestrial carbon storage in forests and long-lived wood products under moderate fire conditions (21 km hr⁻¹ 6-meter wind speed, 31° C air temperature, 40% herbaceous and 70% woody fuel moisture). However, it was shown that stand slope position relative to access roads did impact fire suppression efforts by affecting the response time and the type of suppression effort (e.g., head attack or rear attack). It is hypothesized that both stand location and fire suppression efforts would impact the maximization of aboveground terrestrial carbon in forests and wood products under more severe weather conditions, on steeper slopes, and over larger stand areas. Title: The role of strategic planning in the management of fire-prone western Oregon forests for maximizing terrestrial carbon stocks over a 100-year horizon Author: Vanderberg, Michael R. Current frameworks for analyzing forest carbon offset projects in disturbance-prone western forests often fail to address the dynamic nature of carbon pathways through time. They do not account for the probability of loss due to wildfire, which can influence the prediction of carbon storage at the end of a planning horizon. In such an environment, optimal treatment regimes over time are dependent on the decisions that affect carbon storage during the analysis period. Silvicultural regimes that include both pyrogenic and biogenic emissions from forests, as well as the storage in wood products, were modeled to demonstrate a method to maximize carbon storage. Stand-level optimization is suggested as a method for demonstrating the development of treatment regimes to enable a full range of carbon storage benefits. These include a reduction in the risk of catastrophic wildfire, increased terrestrial carbon density, and the offset of treatment costs. This methodology may also provide a baseline for a full accounting of forestry carbon offset projects. A model was developed to determine optimal management regimes that maximize the expected value of terrestrial carbon storage for three Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziessi) dominant forests in western Oregon. Carbon storage values for treatment combinations were weighted by the probability of fire occurrence and the loss of carbon due to fire. The model employs probabilistic dynamic programming to determine the optimal timing and intensity of silvicultural treatments by way of thinning-from-below. Also determined are location-dependent management regimes that maximize aboveground carbon storage with fire-suppression efforts. The stand location in respect to roads is examined, specifically in terms of the effect that access distance and slope position have on the optimal timing and intensity of fuel treatments and silvicultural activities. Optimal regimes are determined for a range of forest stands, varying by stand distance-to-road and the slope location of the road above or below the stand. Results suggest that a combination of let-grow and low-level density-reduction thinnings can store more aboveground terrestrial carbon in forests and long-lived wood products than grow-only control scenarios when fire is also present and fire-related emissions are accounted for. Additional expected carbon storage of optimal solutions compared to the 100-year gain for control scenarios ranged from 0 to 46%. This suggests that strategic planning by the optimization model can compete with the hedge method of the Voluntary Carbon Standard risk management, which employs carbon buffer pools to compensate for the risk associated with disturbance and can require the size of the buffer deposit to range from 10 to 60% of the generated carbon credits, depending on the risk class determined for a given project. Results also suggest that both stand location and fire suppression efforts did not impact the maximization of aboveground terrestrial carbon storage in forests and long-lived wood products under moderate fire conditions (21 km hr⁻¹ 6-meter wind speed, 31° C air temperature, 40% herbaceous and 70% woody fuel moisture). However, it was shown that stand slope position relative to access roads did impact fire suppression efforts by affecting the response time and the type of suppression effort (e.g., head attack or rear attack). It is hypothesized that both stand location and fire suppression efforts would impact the maximization of aboveground terrestrial carbon in forests and wood products under more severe weather conditions, on steeper slopes, and over larger stand areas. Close

• 33. [Article] A contingent valuation study of the value of reducing fire hazards to old-growth forests in the Pacific Northwest

  A contingent valuation methodology was applied to old-growth forests and critical habitat units for the Northern Spotted Owl in Oregon to esimate the economic value to the public in knowing that rare and ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: A contingent valuation study of the value of reducing fire hazards to old-growth forests in the Pacific Northwest Author: Gregory, Robin (Robin Scott), Gonzalez-Caban, Armando, Loomis, John B. A contingent valuation methodology was applied to old-growth forests and critical habitat units for the Northern Spotted Owl in Oregon to esimate the economic value to the public in knowing that rare and unique ecosystems will be protected from fire for current and future generations. Generalizing to the whole state, the total annual willingness-to-pay of Oregon residents ranges from $49.6 to $99 million. In terms of old-growth forests protected from fire, the value is $28 per acre. Title: A contingent valuation study of the value of reducing fire hazards to old-growth forests in the Pacific Northwest Author: Gregory, Robin (Robin Scott), Gonzalez-Caban, Armando, Loomis, John B. A contingent valuation methodology was applied to old-growth forests and critical habitat units for the Northern Spotted Owl in Oregon to esimate the economic value to the public in knowing that rare and unique ecosystems will be protected from fire for current and future generations. Generalizing to the whole state, the total annual willingness-to-pay of Oregon residents ranges from $49.6 to $99 million. In terms of old-growth forests protected from fire, the value is $28 per acre. Close

• 34. [Article] Restoring forest health: Fire and thinning effects on mixed-conifer forests

  Even after 140 years without a fire, mixed-conifer forest such as Teakettle’s Experimental Forest has a distinct patch pattern and complex structure. Researcher Malcolm North and colleagues examined the structure ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Restoring forest health: Fire and thinning effects on mixed-conifer forests Author: North, Malcolm P. Even after 140 years without a fire, mixed-conifer forest such as Teakettle’s Experimental Forest has a distinct patch pattern and complex structure. Researcher Malcolm North and colleagues examined the structure and function of these ecosystems and their response to widely used restoration treatments. Collectively the studies found fire was essential to restoring many ecosystem processes and that thinning could be best used as a tool to influence burn intensity and extent. Title: Restoring forest health: Fire and thinning effects on mixed-conifer forests Author: North, Malcolm P. Even after 140 years without a fire, mixed-conifer forest such as Teakettle’s Experimental Forest has a distinct patch pattern and complex structure. Researcher Malcolm North and colleagues examined the structure and function of these ecosystems and their response to widely used restoration treatments. Collectively the studies found fire was essential to restoring many ecosystem processes and that thinning could be best used as a tool to influence burn intensity and extent. Close

• 35. [Article] Restoring forest health : fire and thinning effects on mixed-conifer forests

  Even after 140 years without a fire, mixed-conifer forest such as Teakettle’s Experimental Forest has a distinct patch pattern and complex structure. Researcher Malcolm North and colleagues examined the ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Restoring forest health : fire and thinning effects on mixed-conifer forests Even after 140 years without a fire, mixed-conifer forest such as Teakettle’s Experimental Forest has a distinct patch pattern and complex structure. Researcher Malcolm North and colleagues examined the structure and function of these ecosystems and their response to widely used restoration treatments. Collectively the studies found fire was essential to restoring many ecosystem processes and that thinning could be best used as a tool to influence burn intensity and extent. Includes interview with Malcolm P. North and suggested readings. Early draft of this issue of Science Perspectives by Anne M. Rosenthal, is a science writer based in the San Francisco Bay Area. Title: Restoring forest health : fire and thinning effects on mixed-conifer forests Even after 140 years without a fire, mixed-conifer forest such as Teakettle’s Experimental Forest has a distinct patch pattern and complex structure. Researcher Malcolm North and colleagues examined the structure and function of these ecosystems and their response to widely used restoration treatments. Collectively the studies found fire was essential to restoring many ecosystem processes and that thinning could be best used as a tool to influence burn intensity and extent. Includes interview with Malcolm P. North and suggested readings. Early draft of this issue of Science Perspectives by Anne M. Rosenthal, is a science writer based in the San Francisco Bay Area. Close

• 36. [Article] Fire ecology of ponderosa pine and the rebuilding of fire-resilient ponderosa pine ecoystems

  The ponderosa pine ecosystem of the West have changed dramatically since Euro-American settlement 140 years ago due to past land uses and the curtailment of natural fire. Today, ponderosa pine forests ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Fire ecology of ponderosa pine and the rebuilding of fire-resilient ponderosa pine ecoystems Author: Fitzgerald, Stephen Arthur The ponderosa pine ecosystem of the West have changed dramatically since Euro-American settlement 140 years ago due to past land uses and the curtailment of natural fire. Today, ponderosa pine forests contain over abundance of fuel, and stand densities have increased from a grange of 49-124 trees per ha (20-50 trees pper acre) to a range of 1235-2470 trees per ha (500 to 100 stems per acre). As a result, long-term stand and landscape health has been compromised and stand and landscape conditions now promote large, uncharacteristic wildfires. Reversing this trend is paramount. Improving the fire-resiliency of ponderosa pine forests requires understanding the connection between fire behavior and severity and the forest structure and fuels. Restoration treatments (thinning, prescribed fire, mowing, and other mechanical treatments) that reduce surface, ladder, and crown fuels can reduce fire severity and the potential for high-intensity crown fires. Understanding the historical role of fire in shaping ponderosa pine ecosystems is important for designing restoration treatments. Without intelligent, ecosystem-based restoration treatments in the near term, forest health and wildfire conditions will continue to deteriorate in the long term and the situation is not likely to rectify itself. Title: Fire ecology of ponderosa pine and the rebuilding of fire-resilient ponderosa pine ecoystems Author: Fitzgerald, Stephen Arthur The ponderosa pine ecosystem of the West have changed dramatically since Euro-American settlement 140 years ago due to past land uses and the curtailment of natural fire. Today, ponderosa pine forests contain over abundance of fuel, and stand densities have increased from a grange of 49-124 trees per ha (20-50 trees pper acre) to a range of 1235-2470 trees per ha (500 to 100 stems per acre). As a result, long-term stand and landscape health has been compromised and stand and landscape conditions now promote large, uncharacteristic wildfires. Reversing this trend is paramount. Improving the fire-resiliency of ponderosa pine forests requires understanding the connection between fire behavior and severity and the forest structure and fuels. Restoration treatments (thinning, prescribed fire, mowing, and other mechanical treatments) that reduce surface, ladder, and crown fuels can reduce fire severity and the potential for high-intensity crown fires. Understanding the historical role of fire in shaping ponderosa pine ecosystems is important for designing restoration treatments. Without intelligent, ecosystem-based restoration treatments in the near term, forest health and wildfire conditions will continue to deteriorate in the long term and the situation is not likely to rectify itself. Close

• 37. [Article] Synthesis of knowledge on the effects of fire and fire surrogates on wildlife in U.S. dry forests

  Published September 2009. Reviewed December 2013. Facts and recommendations in this publication may no longer be valid. Please look for up-to-date information in the OSU Extension Catalog: http://exten...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Synthesis of knowledge on the effects of fire and fire surrogates on wildlife in U.S. dry forests Author: Kennedy, Patricia L., Oregon State University. Agricultural Experiment Station, Fontaine, Joseph B. Published September 2009. Reviewed December 2013. Facts and recommendations in this publication may no longer be valid. Please look for up-to-date information in the OSU Extension Catalog: http://extension.oregonstate.edu/catalog Title: Synthesis of knowledge on the effects of fire and fire surrogates on wildlife in U.S. dry forests Author: Kennedy, Patricia L., Oregon State University. Agricultural Experiment Station, Fontaine, Joseph B. Published September 2009. Reviewed December 2013. Facts and recommendations in this publication may no longer be valid. Please look for up-to-date information in the OSU Extension Catalog: http://extension.oregonstate.edu/catalog Close

• 38. [Article] Mixed-Severity Fire Effects on Biological Legacies and Vegetation Response in Pseudotsuga Forests of Western Oregon's Central Cascades, USA

  Mixed-severity fire occurrence is increasingly recognized in Pseudotsuga forests of the Pacific Northwest, but questions remain about how tree mortality varies, and forest structure is altered, across ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Mixed-Severity Fire Effects on Biological Legacies and Vegetation Response in Pseudotsuga Forests of Western Oregon's Central Cascades, USA Author: Dunn, Christopher J. Mixed-severity fire occurrence is increasingly recognized in Pseudotsuga forests of the Pacific Northwest, but questions remain about how tree mortality varies, and forest structure is altered, across the disturbance gradient observed in these fires. Therefore, we sampled live and dead biological legacies at 45 one ha plots, with four 0.10 ha nested plots, stratified across an unburned, low, moderate and high-severity fire gradient. We used severity estimates based on differenced Normalized Burn Ratio (dNBR), and captured a disturbance gradient, but plots in our low-severity class underestimated fire effects because of misclassification or delayed mortality. We estimated probability of mortality for shade-intolerant (Douglas-fir, incense-cedar, sugar pine) and shade-tolerant (western hemlock, western redcedar, true fir) trees from 5,079 sampled trees and snags. The probability of mortality was higher for shade-tolerant species across all fire-severity classes, and decreased with increasing DBH except for western hemlock. Only large, shade-intolerant trees survived high-severity fire. Post-fire snag fall and fragmentation were estimated from 2,746 sampled snags and logs. The probability of snag fall decreased with increasing DBH for all species, and was positively correlated with fire severity, except for Douglas-fir that had a higher probability following low-severity fire. Snag fragmentation was positively correlated with DBH and fire severity for all species. We also estimated the coefficient of variation within- and among-plots by fire severity class, as well as across all sampled conditions. Structural attributes varied more within- than among-plots, likely a result of increasing sub-hectare patchy mortality as fire intensity increased. Although vertical and horizontal structural diversity increased at sub-hectare scales, the coefficient of variation was highest for all structural attributes when compared across all fire severity classes. Therefore, the range of fire effects observed in mixed-severity fires may be functionally important in creating structural complexity across landscapes, which is an important attribute of old-growth forests in the Pacific Northwest. Understory vegetation response to mixed-severity fires has not been characterized for these forests even though the majority of vegetation diversity is found in these vegetation layers. Therefore, we sampled forest structure (1000 m² circular plots) and understory vegetation (100 m² plots) at 168 collocated plots stratified across unburned, low, moderate and high-severity conditions 10 years (Tiller Complex) and 22 years (Warner Fire) post-fire. We focused on shrub species, but sampled forbs, graminoids, ferns and moss as functional groups. Offsite colonization and fire stimulated soil seedbanks increased the total species richness from 23 to 46. The life-history strategies of residual and colonizing species resulted in three dominant species response-curves to the magnitude of disturbance: 1) 'disturbance-sensitive', when relative abundance was highest in unburned plots and continued to decline with increasing fire severity, 2) 'disturbance-stimulated', when relative abundance was highest following low or moderate-severity fire and 3) 'disturbance-amplified', when relative abundance increased with increasing fire severity. Residual and colonizing species assemblages promoted five or six distinct understory communities, dominantly driven by legacy tree basal area rather than the proportion of basal area killed. Understory communities were rarely associated with one disturbance severity class as fire refugia, variation in overstory and understory fire severity, and compensatory conditions offset fire effects. Early-seral habitats were the most different from unburned forests, but were not the only post-fire conditions important across these burned landscapes. Interactions among live and dead forest structures following low or moderate-severity fire, and the vegetation response to these conditions, are also unique to the post-fire landscape and likely important for various wildlife species. Therefore, if ecological forestry paradigms focus dominantly on creating old-growth structure or early-seral habitats, they might exclude important conditions that contribute to the landscape structural complexity created by mixed-severity fires. Additionally, tree regeneration response to mixed-severity fires has not been characterized for these forests even though they offer insight into one aspect of the resilience of these ecosystems to disturbance. Therefore, we sampled forest structure (1000 m² circular plots) and regeneration dynamics (100 m² plots) at 168 collocated plots stratified across unburned, low, moderate and high-severity conditions 10 years (Tiller Complex) and 22 years (Warner Fire) post-fire. The largest marginal increase in tree mortality (stems ha⁻¹) occurred between unburned and low-severity fires, given preferential mortality of small trees and shade-tolerant species, but basal area mortality had the largest marginal increase moving from moderate to high-severity. Pairwise comparisons of legacy tree basal area between low and moderate-severity weren’t as significant as other comparisons, but did capture a gradient of increasing fire effects. Quadratic mean diameter and canopy base height were positively correlated with fire severity as incrementally larger trees were killed and canopy ascension followed. Regeneration density increased regardless of severity, relative to unburned forests (median density of 1,384 trees ha⁻¹), but the highest median density (16,220 trees ha⁻¹) followed low-severity fire at the Tiller Complex and moderate-severity fire (14,472 trees ha⁻¹) at Warner Fire. Plot-level average species richness was highest following these same fire severity classes, supporting the Intermediate Disturbance Hypothesis. Statistically distinct regeneration communities occurred across the fire severity gradient at both fire sites. The relative abundance of shade-tolerant tree species decreased as fire severity increased, except for a divergent response following stand-initiation at the Warner Fire. While divergent successional pathways were evident within a couple decades following stand-initiation, low or moderate-severity fires also modified successional trajectories and may be the most functionally important disturbance magnitude because it has the greatest potential to increase compositional and structural diversity. Incorporating mixed-severity fire effects into landscape management of Pseudotsuga forests could increase structural complexity at stand and landscape-scales. Title: Mixed-Severity Fire Effects on Biological Legacies and Vegetation Response in Pseudotsuga Forests of Western Oregon's Central Cascades, USA Author: Dunn, Christopher J. Mixed-severity fire occurrence is increasingly recognized in Pseudotsuga forests of the Pacific Northwest, but questions remain about how tree mortality varies, and forest structure is altered, across the disturbance gradient observed in these fires. Therefore, we sampled live and dead biological legacies at 45 one ha plots, with four 0.10 ha nested plots, stratified across an unburned, low, moderate and high-severity fire gradient. We used severity estimates based on differenced Normalized Burn Ratio (dNBR), and captured a disturbance gradient, but plots in our low-severity class underestimated fire effects because of misclassification or delayed mortality. We estimated probability of mortality for shade-intolerant (Douglas-fir, incense-cedar, sugar pine) and shade-tolerant (western hemlock, western redcedar, true fir) trees from 5,079 sampled trees and snags. The probability of mortality was higher for shade-tolerant species across all fire-severity classes, and decreased with increasing DBH except for western hemlock. Only large, shade-intolerant trees survived high-severity fire. Post-fire snag fall and fragmentation were estimated from 2,746 sampled snags and logs. The probability of snag fall decreased with increasing DBH for all species, and was positively correlated with fire severity, except for Douglas-fir that had a higher probability following low-severity fire. Snag fragmentation was positively correlated with DBH and fire severity for all species. We also estimated the coefficient of variation within- and among-plots by fire severity class, as well as across all sampled conditions. Structural attributes varied more within- than among-plots, likely a result of increasing sub-hectare patchy mortality as fire intensity increased. Although vertical and horizontal structural diversity increased at sub-hectare scales, the coefficient of variation was highest for all structural attributes when compared across all fire severity classes. Therefore, the range of fire effects observed in mixed-severity fires may be functionally important in creating structural complexity across landscapes, which is an important attribute of old-growth forests in the Pacific Northwest. Understory vegetation response to mixed-severity fires has not been characterized for these forests even though the majority of vegetation diversity is found in these vegetation layers. Therefore, we sampled forest structure (1000 m² circular plots) and understory vegetation (100 m² plots) at 168 collocated plots stratified across unburned, low, moderate and high-severity conditions 10 years (Tiller Complex) and 22 years (Warner Fire) post-fire. We focused on shrub species, but sampled forbs, graminoids, ferns and moss as functional groups. Offsite colonization and fire stimulated soil seedbanks increased the total species richness from 23 to 46. The life-history strategies of residual and colonizing species resulted in three dominant species response-curves to the magnitude of disturbance: 1) 'disturbance-sensitive', when relative abundance was highest in unburned plots and continued to decline with increasing fire severity, 2) 'disturbance-stimulated', when relative abundance was highest following low or moderate-severity fire and 3) 'disturbance-amplified', when relative abundance increased with increasing fire severity. Residual and colonizing species assemblages promoted five or six distinct understory communities, dominantly driven by legacy tree basal area rather than the proportion of basal area killed. Understory communities were rarely associated with one disturbance severity class as fire refugia, variation in overstory and understory fire severity, and compensatory conditions offset fire effects. Early-seral habitats were the most different from unburned forests, but were not the only post-fire conditions important across these burned landscapes. Interactions among live and dead forest structures following low or moderate-severity fire, and the vegetation response to these conditions, are also unique to the post-fire landscape and likely important for various wildlife species. Therefore, if ecological forestry paradigms focus dominantly on creating old-growth structure or early-seral habitats, they might exclude important conditions that contribute to the landscape structural complexity created by mixed-severity fires. Additionally, tree regeneration response to mixed-severity fires has not been characterized for these forests even though they offer insight into one aspect of the resilience of these ecosystems to disturbance. Therefore, we sampled forest structure (1000 m² circular plots) and regeneration dynamics (100 m² plots) at 168 collocated plots stratified across unburned, low, moderate and high-severity conditions 10 years (Tiller Complex) and 22 years (Warner Fire) post-fire. The largest marginal increase in tree mortality (stems ha⁻¹) occurred between unburned and low-severity fires, given preferential mortality of small trees and shade-tolerant species, but basal area mortality had the largest marginal increase moving from moderate to high-severity. Pairwise comparisons of legacy tree basal area between low and moderate-severity weren’t as significant as other comparisons, but did capture a gradient of increasing fire effects. Quadratic mean diameter and canopy base height were positively correlated with fire severity as incrementally larger trees were killed and canopy ascension followed. Regeneration density increased regardless of severity, relative to unburned forests (median density of 1,384 trees ha⁻¹), but the highest median density (16,220 trees ha⁻¹) followed low-severity fire at the Tiller Complex and moderate-severity fire (14,472 trees ha⁻¹) at Warner Fire. Plot-level average species richness was highest following these same fire severity classes, supporting the Intermediate Disturbance Hypothesis. Statistically distinct regeneration communities occurred across the fire severity gradient at both fire sites. The relative abundance of shade-tolerant tree species decreased as fire severity increased, except for a divergent response following stand-initiation at the Warner Fire. While divergent successional pathways were evident within a couple decades following stand-initiation, low or moderate-severity fires also modified successional trajectories and may be the most functionally important disturbance magnitude because it has the greatest potential to increase compositional and structural diversity. Incorporating mixed-severity fire effects into landscape management of Pseudotsuga forests could increase structural complexity at stand and landscape-scales. Close

• 39. [Article] Resilience to Stress and Disturbance, and Resistance to Bromus tectorum L. Invasion in Cold Desert Shrublands of Western North America

  To the best of our knowledge, one or more authors of this paper were federal employees when contributing to this work. This is the publisher’s final pdf. The published article is copyrighted by Springer ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Resilience to Stress and Disturbance, and Resistance to Bromus tectorum L. Invasion in Cold Desert Shrublands of Western North America Author: Miller, Richard F., Germino, Matthew J., Grace, James B., D'Antonio, Carla, Brown, Cynthia S., Bradley, Bethany A., Hardegree, Stuart P., Pyke, David A., Chambers, Jeanne C. To the best of our knowledge, one or more authors of this paper were federal employees when contributing to this work. This is the publisher’s final pdf. The published article is copyrighted by Springer and can be found at: http://link.springer.com/journal/10021. Title: Resilience to Stress and Disturbance, and Resistance to Bromus tectorum L. Invasion in Cold Desert Shrublands of Western North America Author: Miller, Richard F., Germino, Matthew J., Grace, James B., D'Antonio, Carla, Brown, Cynthia S., Bradley, Bethany A., Hardegree, Stuart P., Pyke, David A., Chambers, Jeanne C. To the best of our knowledge, one or more authors of this paper were federal employees when contributing to this work. This is the publisher’s final pdf. The published article is copyrighted by Springer and can be found at: http://link.springer.com/journal/10021. Close

• 40. [Article] The effects of natural fire and recreational disturbance on montane forest ecosystem composition, structure and nitrogen dynamics, Crater Lake National Park, Oregon

  Disturbance, whether natural or of human origin, modifies to varying degrees many ecosystem attributes. Fire is a natural process in the montane forests of southern Oregon but for much of the 20th century ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: The effects of natural fire and recreational disturbance on montane forest ecosystem composition, structure and nitrogen dynamics, Crater Lake National Park, Oregon Author: Wilson, John K. (John Kevin) Disturbance, whether natural or of human origin, modifies to varying degrees many ecosystem attributes. Fire is a natural process in the montane forests of southern Oregon but for much of the 20th century fire was viewed as an apocalypse and thus fervently suppressed. Effective natural resource management requires an understanding of how ecosystems function, including the ecological response to the natural disturbance regime or anthropogenically altered conditions. To describe the effects of natural fire and ecosystem changes with time following fire, I examined plant composition, structure, biomass and soil nitrogen using a chronosequence of sites ranging in age from 1 to >300 years. The ecological importance of human activity is a function of the magnitude and permanence of its effects which were described at active and abandoned recreation sites. Stand-replacing fires killed virtually 100% of the overstory trees, consumed 87% of the forest floor and resulted in a 27% loss in total aboveground biomass. A pulse of mineralized nitrogen was still apparent 2 years following fire. Two years following fire, little plant colonization was established. The availability of local seed sources, particularly seedbanking species, appears to have been an important determinant of the early-successional community composition. The developing community was dominated by nitrogen-fixing species which may play an important role in the post-fire nitrogen dynamics in these ecosystems. Conifer seedling densities measured 667 individuals/ha 8 years following fire and 1714 individuals/ha 24 years after fire. Extended tree maturation and variation in composition characterized the forest structure and composition during secondary succession. Total aboveground biomass remained high and accumulation followed a general U-shaped curve. Recreational use resulted in a reduction in tree density and biomass at all active sites. The greatest reductions occurred at sites set in late-successional forests. Compositional change was also greatest at sites established in late-successional forest with increased dominance of lodgepole pine and graminoids. Within 40 years the abandoned, mid-successional sites had recovered from most of the recreational impacts; however 40 years was not sufficient for late-successional forest recovery. These results suggest that the stage of succession should be considered when assessing potential recreational impacts. Title: The effects of natural fire and recreational disturbance on montane forest ecosystem composition, structure and nitrogen dynamics, Crater Lake National Park, Oregon Author: Wilson, John K. (John Kevin) Disturbance, whether natural or of human origin, modifies to varying degrees many ecosystem attributes. Fire is a natural process in the montane forests of southern Oregon but for much of the 20th century fire was viewed as an apocalypse and thus fervently suppressed. Effective natural resource management requires an understanding of how ecosystems function, including the ecological response to the natural disturbance regime or anthropogenically altered conditions. To describe the effects of natural fire and ecosystem changes with time following fire, I examined plant composition, structure, biomass and soil nitrogen using a chronosequence of sites ranging in age from 1 to >300 years. The ecological importance of human activity is a function of the magnitude and permanence of its effects which were described at active and abandoned recreation sites. Stand-replacing fires killed virtually 100% of the overstory trees, consumed 87% of the forest floor and resulted in a 27% loss in total aboveground biomass. A pulse of mineralized nitrogen was still apparent 2 years following fire. Two years following fire, little plant colonization was established. The availability of local seed sources, particularly seedbanking species, appears to have been an important determinant of the early-successional community composition. The developing community was dominated by nitrogen-fixing species which may play an important role in the post-fire nitrogen dynamics in these ecosystems. Conifer seedling densities measured 667 individuals/ha 8 years following fire and 1714 individuals/ha 24 years after fire. Extended tree maturation and variation in composition characterized the forest structure and composition during secondary succession. Total aboveground biomass remained high and accumulation followed a general U-shaped curve. Recreational use resulted in a reduction in tree density and biomass at all active sites. The greatest reductions occurred at sites set in late-successional forests. Compositional change was also greatest at sites established in late-successional forest with increased dominance of lodgepole pine and graminoids. Within 40 years the abandoned, mid-successional sites had recovered from most of the recreational impacts; however 40 years was not sufficient for late-successional forest recovery. These results suggest that the stage of succession should be considered when assessing potential recreational impacts. Close

• 41. [Article] Forest vegetation and fuel dynamics following stand-replacing wildfire, re-burn, and postfire management in the Siskiyou Mountains, Oregon

  Following high-severity fire, forest succession may take alternate pathways depending on the pattern of the fire and any secondary disturbances during early stand development, with lasting consequences ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Forest vegetation and fuel dynamics following stand-replacing wildfire, re-burn, and postfire management in the Siskiyou Mountains, Oregon Author: Donato, Daniel C. Following high-severity fire, forest succession may take alternate pathways depending on the pattern of the fire and any secondary disturbances during early stand development, with lasting consequences for ecosystem function. The objectives of this research were to quantify: (1) early postfire regeneration as influenced by the spatial pattern of a landscape-scale wildfire, and (2) the influence of secondary disturbances during early succession, specifically recurrent high-severity fire and postfire logging. Four years after the 200,000-hectare Biscuit Fire, patch-scale conifer seedling density was 80% Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii) and ranged from 127-6494 stems/ha. Median density (1603 stems/ha) was ~12 times the prefire overstory density of 134 stems/ha. Due to the mixed-severity fire mosaic, ~58% of high-severity area was ≤ 200 m from patches of live trees, and ~81% was ≤ 400 m. Median conifer density exceeded 1000 stems/ha out to 400 m distance before declining rapidly at larger distances. Following a short-interval (15-year) repeat fire, vegetation communities contained nearly all species found in mature/old-growth stands and after a single fire, indicating high community persistence through two severe fires. The short-interval burn had the highest species richness and plant cover with additions of disturbance-adapted forbs and low shrubs, likely associated with a propagule bank that developed between fires. Sprouting capacity of hardwoods and shrubs was unaltered by recurrent fire, and conifer regeneration density (median 1495 stems/ha) was similar to single burn stands. Three to four years after fire, high-intensity postfire logging resulted in a greater proportion (28%) of felled biomass left on site as slash compared to moderate-intensity logging (14%), because tree felling was less selective. However, despite bole removal and slash generation, there was no significant difference in surface woody fuels among logged and unlogged treatments at 17-18 years after fire. Fuel profiles and fire modeling both suggested that regenerating vegetation rather than residual dead wood is the main driver of early seral fire hazard, with low fire potentials 3-4 years postfire and very high potentials at 17-18 years. Postfire logging increased fire potentials within this context due to generation of slash, with differences fading in ~15-20 years. The results from this research underscore the importance of the mixed-severity context in which stand-replacing fire often occurs, both for providing seed sources within a fire and for highly variable disturbances that interact with succession and plant adaptation. Title: Forest vegetation and fuel dynamics following stand-replacing wildfire, re-burn, and postfire management in the Siskiyou Mountains, Oregon Author: Donato, Daniel C. Following high-severity fire, forest succession may take alternate pathways depending on the pattern of the fire and any secondary disturbances during early stand development, with lasting consequences for ecosystem function. The objectives of this research were to quantify: (1) early postfire regeneration as influenced by the spatial pattern of a landscape-scale wildfire, and (2) the influence of secondary disturbances during early succession, specifically recurrent high-severity fire and postfire logging. Four years after the 200,000-hectare Biscuit Fire, patch-scale conifer seedling density was 80% Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii) and ranged from 127-6494 stems/ha. Median density (1603 stems/ha) was ~12 times the prefire overstory density of 134 stems/ha. Due to the mixed-severity fire mosaic, ~58% of high-severity area was ≤ 200 m from patches of live trees, and ~81% was ≤ 400 m. Median conifer density exceeded 1000 stems/ha out to 400 m distance before declining rapidly at larger distances. Following a short-interval (15-year) repeat fire, vegetation communities contained nearly all species found in mature/old-growth stands and after a single fire, indicating high community persistence through two severe fires. The short-interval burn had the highest species richness and plant cover with additions of disturbance-adapted forbs and low shrubs, likely associated with a propagule bank that developed between fires. Sprouting capacity of hardwoods and shrubs was unaltered by recurrent fire, and conifer regeneration density (median 1495 stems/ha) was similar to single burn stands. Three to four years after fire, high-intensity postfire logging resulted in a greater proportion (28%) of felled biomass left on site as slash compared to moderate-intensity logging (14%), because tree felling was less selective. However, despite bole removal and slash generation, there was no significant difference in surface woody fuels among logged and unlogged treatments at 17-18 years after fire. Fuel profiles and fire modeling both suggested that regenerating vegetation rather than residual dead wood is the main driver of early seral fire hazard, with low fire potentials 3-4 years postfire and very high potentials at 17-18 years. Postfire logging increased fire potentials within this context due to generation of slash, with differences fading in ~15-20 years. The results from this research underscore the importance of the mixed-severity context in which stand-replacing fire often occurs, both for providing seed sources within a fire and for highly variable disturbances that interact with succession and plant adaptation. Close

• 42. [Article] Science basis for changing forest structure to modify wildfire behavior and severity

  Fire, other disturbances, physical setting, weather, and climate shape the structure and function of forests throughout the Western United States. More than 80 years of fire research have shown that physical ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Science basis for changing forest structure to modify wildfire behavior and severity Author: Graham, Russell T., McCaffrey, Sarah, Jain, Theresa B. Fire, other disturbances, physical setting, weather, and climate shape the structure and function of forests throughout the Western United States. More than 80 years of fire research have shown that physical setting, fuels, and weather combine to determine wildfire intensity (the rate at which it consumes fuel) and severity (the effect fire has on vegetation, soils, buildings, watersheds, and so forth). Millions of acres of forestlands (mainly in dry forests dominated by ponderosa pine and/or Douglas-fir) contain a high accumulation of flammable fuels compared to conditions prior to the 20th century. Forests with high stem density and fuel loading combined with extreme fire weather conditions have led to severe and large wildfires (such as those seen in the summers of 2000, 2002, and 2003) that have put a number of important values at risk. Although homes in the path of a wildfire are perhaps the most immediately recognized value, these wildfires also put numerous other human and ecological values at risk, such as power grids, drinking water supplies, firefighter safety, critical habitat, soil productivity, and air quality. For a given set of weather conditions, fire behavior is strongly influenced by stand and fuel structure. Crown fires in the dry forest types represent an increasing challenge for fire management as well as a general threat to the ecology of these forests and the closely associated human values. Crown fires are dependent on the sequence of available fuels starting from the ground surface to the canopy. Limiting crown fire in these forests can be accomplished by actions that manage in concert the surface, ladder, and crown fuels. Reducing crown fire and wildland fire growth across landscapes decreases the chances of developing large wildfires that affect human values adjacent to forested areas. However, a narrow focus on minimizing crown fire potential will not necessarily reduce the damage to homes and ecosystems when fires do occur. Homes are often ignited by embers flying far from the fire front, and by surface fires. Fire effects on ecosystems can also occur during surface fires where surface and understory fuels and deep organic layers are sufficient to generate high temperatures for long periods. Fuel treatments can help produce forest structures and fuel characteristics that then reduce the likelihood that wildfires will cause large, rapid changes in biophysical conditions. Fuel treatments can also help modify fire behavior sufficiently so that some wildfires can be suppressed more easily. Subsequent, sustained fuel treatments can maintain these conditions. Different fuel reduction methods target different components of the fuel bed. Thinning mainly affects standing vegetation, and other types of fuel treatments such as prescribed fire and pile burning woody fuels are needed to modify the combustion environment of surface fuels. In forests that have not experienced fire for many decades, multiple fuel treatments—that is, thinning and surface fuel reduction—may be required to significantly affect crown fire and surface fire hazard. Fuel treatments cannot guarantee benign fire behavior but can reduce the probability that extreme fire behavior will occur. Fuel treatments can be designed to restore forest conditions to a more resilient and resistant condition than now exists in many forests, and subsequent management could maintain these conditions, particularly in dry forests (ponderosa pine and Douglas-fir) where crown fires were historically infrequent. The degree of risk reduction will depend to some degree on the level of investment, social and economic acceptability of treatments, and concurrent consideration of other resource values (for example, wildlife). This report describes the kinds, quality, amount, and gaps of scientific knowledge for making informed decisions on fuel treatments used to modify wildfire behavior and effects in dry forests of the interior Western United States (especially forests dominated by ponderosa pine and Douglas-fir). A review of scientific principles and applications relevant to fuel treatment primarily for the dry forests is provided for the following topics: fuels, fire hazard, fire behavior, fire effects, forest structure, treatment effects and longevity, landscape fuel patterns, and scientific tools useful for management and planning. Title: Science basis for changing forest structure to modify wildfire behavior and severity Author: Graham, Russell T., McCaffrey, Sarah, Jain, Theresa B. Fire, other disturbances, physical setting, weather, and climate shape the structure and function of forests throughout the Western United States. More than 80 years of fire research have shown that physical setting, fuels, and weather combine to determine wildfire intensity (the rate at which it consumes fuel) and severity (the effect fire has on vegetation, soils, buildings, watersheds, and so forth). Millions of acres of forestlands (mainly in dry forests dominated by ponderosa pine and/or Douglas-fir) contain a high accumulation of flammable fuels compared to conditions prior to the 20th century. Forests with high stem density and fuel loading combined with extreme fire weather conditions have led to severe and large wildfires (such as those seen in the summers of 2000, 2002, and 2003) that have put a number of important values at risk. Although homes in the path of a wildfire are perhaps the most immediately recognized value, these wildfires also put numerous other human and ecological values at risk, such as power grids, drinking water supplies, firefighter safety, critical habitat, soil productivity, and air quality. For a given set of weather conditions, fire behavior is strongly influenced by stand and fuel structure. Crown fires in the dry forest types represent an increasing challenge for fire management as well as a general threat to the ecology of these forests and the closely associated human values. Crown fires are dependent on the sequence of available fuels starting from the ground surface to the canopy. Limiting crown fire in these forests can be accomplished by actions that manage in concert the surface, ladder, and crown fuels. Reducing crown fire and wildland fire growth across landscapes decreases the chances of developing large wildfires that affect human values adjacent to forested areas. However, a narrow focus on minimizing crown fire potential will not necessarily reduce the damage to homes and ecosystems when fires do occur. Homes are often ignited by embers flying far from the fire front, and by surface fires. Fire effects on ecosystems can also occur during surface fires where surface and understory fuels and deep organic layers are sufficient to generate high temperatures for long periods. Fuel treatments can help produce forest structures and fuel characteristics that then reduce the likelihood that wildfires will cause large, rapid changes in biophysical conditions. Fuel treatments can also help modify fire behavior sufficiently so that some wildfires can be suppressed more easily. Subsequent, sustained fuel treatments can maintain these conditions. Different fuel reduction methods target different components of the fuel bed. Thinning mainly affects standing vegetation, and other types of fuel treatments such as prescribed fire and pile burning woody fuels are needed to modify the combustion environment of surface fuels. In forests that have not experienced fire for many decades, multiple fuel treatments—that is, thinning and surface fuel reduction—may be required to significantly affect crown fire and surface fire hazard. Fuel treatments cannot guarantee benign fire behavior but can reduce the probability that extreme fire behavior will occur. Fuel treatments can be designed to restore forest conditions to a more resilient and resistant condition than now exists in many forests, and subsequent management could maintain these conditions, particularly in dry forests (ponderosa pine and Douglas-fir) where crown fires were historically infrequent. The degree of risk reduction will depend to some degree on the level of investment, social and economic acceptability of treatments, and concurrent consideration of other resource values (for example, wildlife). This report describes the kinds, quality, amount, and gaps of scientific knowledge for making informed decisions on fuel treatments used to modify wildfire behavior and effects in dry forests of the interior Western United States (especially forests dominated by ponderosa pine and Douglas-fir). A review of scientific principles and applications relevant to fuel treatment primarily for the dry forests is provided for the following topics: fuels, fire hazard, fire behavior, fire effects, forest structure, treatment effects and longevity, landscape fuel patterns, and scientific tools useful for management and planning. Close

• 43. [Article] Science basis for changing forest structure to modify wildfire behavior and severity

  Fire, other disturbances, physical setting, weather, and climate shape the structure and function of forests throughout the Western United States. More than 80 years of fire research have shown that physical ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Science basis for changing forest structure to modify wildfire behavior and severity Author: Graham, Russell T., McCaffrey, Sarah, Jain, Theresa B. Fire, other disturbances, physical setting, weather, and climate shape the structure and function of forests throughout the Western United States. More than 80 years of fire research have shown that physical setting, fuels, and weather combine to determine wildfire intensity (the rate at which it consumes fuel) and severity (the effect fire has on vegetation, soils, buildings, watersheds, and so forth). Millions of acres of forestlands (mainly in dry forests dominated by ponderosa pine and/or Douglas-fir) contain a high accumulation of flammable fuels compared to conditions prior to the 20th century. Forests with high stem density and fuel loading combined with extreme fire weather conditions have led to severe and large wildfires (such as those seen in the summers of 2000, 2002, and 2003) that have put a number of important values at risk. Although homes in the path of a wildfire are perhaps the most immediately recognized value, these wildfires also put numerous other human and ecological values at risk, such as power grids, drinking water supplies, firefighter safety, critical habitat, soil productivity, and air quality. For a given set of weather conditions, fire behavior is strongly influenced by stand and fuel structure. Crown fires in the dry forest types represent an increasing challenge for fire management as well as a general threat to the ecology of these forests and the closely associated human values. Crown fires are dependent on the sequence of available fuels starting from the ground surface to the canopy. Limiting crown fire in these forests can be accomplished by actions that manage in concert the surface, ladder, and crown fuels. Reducing crown fire and wildland fire growth across landscapes decreases the chances of developing large wildfires that affect human values adjacent to forested areas. However, a narrow focus on minimizing crown fire potential will not necessarily reduce the damage to homes and ecosystems when fires do occur. Homes are often ignited by embers flying far from the fire front, and by surface fires. Fire effects on ecosystems can also occur during surface fires where surface and understory fuels and deep organic layers are sufficient to generate high temperatures for long periods. Fuel treatments can help produce forest structures and fuel characteristics that then reduce the likelihood that wildfires will cause large, rapid changes in biophysical conditions. Fuel treatments can also help modify fire behavior sufficiently so that some wildfires can be suppressed more easily. Subsequent, sustained fuel treatments can maintain these conditions. Different fuel reduction methods target different components of the fuel bed. Thinning mainly affects standing vegetation, and other types of fuel treatments such as prescribed fire and pile burning woody fuels are needed to modify the combustion environment of surface fuels. In forests that have not experienced fire for many decades, multiple fuel treatments—that is, thinning and surface fuel reduction—may be required to significantly affect crown fire and surface fire hazard. Fuel treatments cannot guarantee benign fire behavior but can reduce the probability that extreme fire behavior will occur. Fuel treatments can be designed to restore forest conditions to a more resilient and resistant condition than now exists in many forests, and subsequent management could maintain these conditions, particularly in dry forests (ponderosa pine and Douglas-fir) where crown fires were historically infrequent. The degree of risk reduction will depend to some degree on the level of investment, social and economic acceptability of treatments, and concurrent consideration of other resource values (for example, wildlife). This report describes the kinds, quality, amount, and gaps of scientific knowledge for making informed decisions on fuel treatments used to modify wildfire behavior and effects in dry forests of the interior Western United States (especially forests dominated by ponderosa pine and Douglas-fir). A review of scientific principles and applications relevant to fuel treatment primarily for the dry forests is provided for the following topics: fuels, fire hazard, fire behavior, fire effects, forest structure, treatment effects and longevity, landscape fuel patterns, and scientific tools useful for management and planning. Title: Science basis for changing forest structure to modify wildfire behavior and severity Author: Graham, Russell T., McCaffrey, Sarah, Jain, Theresa B. Fire, other disturbances, physical setting, weather, and climate shape the structure and function of forests throughout the Western United States. More than 80 years of fire research have shown that physical setting, fuels, and weather combine to determine wildfire intensity (the rate at which it consumes fuel) and severity (the effect fire has on vegetation, soils, buildings, watersheds, and so forth). Millions of acres of forestlands (mainly in dry forests dominated by ponderosa pine and/or Douglas-fir) contain a high accumulation of flammable fuels compared to conditions prior to the 20th century. Forests with high stem density and fuel loading combined with extreme fire weather conditions have led to severe and large wildfires (such as those seen in the summers of 2000, 2002, and 2003) that have put a number of important values at risk. Although homes in the path of a wildfire are perhaps the most immediately recognized value, these wildfires also put numerous other human and ecological values at risk, such as power grids, drinking water supplies, firefighter safety, critical habitat, soil productivity, and air quality. For a given set of weather conditions, fire behavior is strongly influenced by stand and fuel structure. Crown fires in the dry forest types represent an increasing challenge for fire management as well as a general threat to the ecology of these forests and the closely associated human values. Crown fires are dependent on the sequence of available fuels starting from the ground surface to the canopy. Limiting crown fire in these forests can be accomplished by actions that manage in concert the surface, ladder, and crown fuels. Reducing crown fire and wildland fire growth across landscapes decreases the chances of developing large wildfires that affect human values adjacent to forested areas. However, a narrow focus on minimizing crown fire potential will not necessarily reduce the damage to homes and ecosystems when fires do occur. Homes are often ignited by embers flying far from the fire front, and by surface fires. Fire effects on ecosystems can also occur during surface fires where surface and understory fuels and deep organic layers are sufficient to generate high temperatures for long periods. Fuel treatments can help produce forest structures and fuel characteristics that then reduce the likelihood that wildfires will cause large, rapid changes in biophysical conditions. Fuel treatments can also help modify fire behavior sufficiently so that some wildfires can be suppressed more easily. Subsequent, sustained fuel treatments can maintain these conditions. Different fuel reduction methods target different components of the fuel bed. Thinning mainly affects standing vegetation, and other types of fuel treatments such as prescribed fire and pile burning woody fuels are needed to modify the combustion environment of surface fuels. In forests that have not experienced fire for many decades, multiple fuel treatments—that is, thinning and surface fuel reduction—may be required to significantly affect crown fire and surface fire hazard. Fuel treatments cannot guarantee benign fire behavior but can reduce the probability that extreme fire behavior will occur. Fuel treatments can be designed to restore forest conditions to a more resilient and resistant condition than now exists in many forests, and subsequent management could maintain these conditions, particularly in dry forests (ponderosa pine and Douglas-fir) where crown fires were historically infrequent. The degree of risk reduction will depend to some degree on the level of investment, social and economic acceptability of treatments, and concurrent consideration of other resource values (for example, wildlife). This report describes the kinds, quality, amount, and gaps of scientific knowledge for making informed decisions on fuel treatments used to modify wildfire behavior and effects in dry forests of the interior Western United States (especially forests dominated by ponderosa pine and Douglas-fir). A review of scientific principles and applications relevant to fuel treatment primarily for the dry forests is provided for the following topics: fuels, fire hazard, fire behavior, fire effects, forest structure, treatment effects and longevity, landscape fuel patterns, and scientific tools useful for management and planning. Close

• 44. [Article] Evaluation of the effects of silvicultural and fuels treatments on potential fire behaviour in Sierra Nevada mixed-conifer forests

  Fire suppression has increased fuel loads and fuel continuity in mixed-conifer ecosystems, resulting in forest structures that are vulnerable to catastrophic fire. This paper models fire behaviour in a ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Evaluation of the effects of silvicultural and fuels treatments on potential fire behaviour in Sierra Nevada mixed-conifer forests Author: Stephens, Scott Lewis Fire suppression has increased fuel loads and fuel continuity in mixed-conifer ecosystems, resulting in forest structures that are vulnerable to catastrophic fire. This paper models fire behaviour in a mixed-conifer forest and investigates how silvicultural and fuels treatments affect potential fire behaviour. The computer program FARSITE was used to spatially and temporally model fire growth and behaviour. Fire modelling was performed in the North Crane Creek watershed of Yosemite National Park. Treatments were simulated by adjusting fuel total load, load-by-size class, depth., height-to-live crown base, tree height, and crown density parameters. Treatments modeled included prescribed burn, pile and burn, cut and scatter, thinning and biomass, thinning and biomass followed by prescribed burn, and salvage or group selection harvest with and without slash and landscape-level fuel treatment. The prescribed burn, thinning and biomassing followed by prescribed burn, and salvage or group selection with slash and landscape fuel treatments resulted in the lowest average fireline intensities, heat per unit area, rate of spread, area burned, and scorch heights. Cut and scatter, salvage or group selection treatments that do not treat slash fuels resulted in fire behaviour that is more extreme than the untreated forest. Restoration of mixed-conifer ecosystems must include an examination of how proposed treatments affect fuel structures. Combinations of prescribed fire andror mechanical treatments can be used to reduce wildfire hazard. Title: Evaluation of the effects of silvicultural and fuels treatments on potential fire behaviour in Sierra Nevada mixed-conifer forests Author: Stephens, Scott Lewis Fire suppression has increased fuel loads and fuel continuity in mixed-conifer ecosystems, resulting in forest structures that are vulnerable to catastrophic fire. This paper models fire behaviour in a mixed-conifer forest and investigates how silvicultural and fuels treatments affect potential fire behaviour. The computer program FARSITE was used to spatially and temporally model fire growth and behaviour. Fire modelling was performed in the North Crane Creek watershed of Yosemite National Park. Treatments were simulated by adjusting fuel total load, load-by-size class, depth., height-to-live crown base, tree height, and crown density parameters. Treatments modeled included prescribed burn, pile and burn, cut and scatter, thinning and biomass, thinning and biomass followed by prescribed burn, and salvage or group selection harvest with and without slash and landscape-level fuel treatment. The prescribed burn, thinning and biomassing followed by prescribed burn, and salvage or group selection with slash and landscape fuel treatments resulted in the lowest average fireline intensities, heat per unit area, rate of spread, area burned, and scorch heights. Cut and scatter, salvage or group selection treatments that do not treat slash fuels resulted in fire behaviour that is more extreme than the untreated forest. Restoration of mixed-conifer ecosystems must include an examination of how proposed treatments affect fuel structures. Combinations of prescribed fire andror mechanical treatments can be used to reduce wildfire hazard. Close

• 45. [Article] Evaluation of the effects of silvicultural and fuels treatments on potential fire behaviour in Sierra Nevada mixed-conifer forests

  Fire suppression has increased fuel loads and fuel continuity in mixed-conifer ecosystems, resulting in forest structures that are vulnerable to catastrophic fire. This paper models fire behaviour in a ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Evaluation of the effects of silvicultural and fuels treatments on potential fire behaviour in Sierra Nevada mixed-conifer forests Author: Stephens, Scott L. Fire suppression has increased fuel loads and fuel continuity in mixed-conifer ecosystems, resulting in forest structures that are vulnerable to catastrophic fire. This paper models fire behaviour in a mixed-conifer forest and investigates how silvicultural and fuels treatments affect potential fire behaviour. The computer program FARSITE was used to spatially and temporally model fire growth and behaviour. Fire modelling was performed in the North Crane Creek watershed of Yosemite National Park. Treatments were simulated by adjusting fuel (total load, load-by-size class, depth.) height-to-live crown base, tree height, and crown density parameters. Treatments modeled included prescribed burn, pile and burn, cut and scatter, thinning and biomass, thinning and biomass followed by prescribed burn, and salvage or group selection harvest with and without slash and landscape-level fuel treatment. The prescribed burn, thinning and biomassing followed by prescribed burn, and salvage or group selection with slash and landscape fuel treatments resulted in the lowest average fireline intensities, heat per unit area, rate of spread, area burned, and scorch heights. Cut and scatter, salvage or group selection treatments that do not treat slash fuels resulted in fire behaviour that is more extreme than the untreated forest. Restoration of mixed-conifer ecosystems must include an examination of how proposed treatments affect fuel structures. Combinations of prescribed fire and/or mechanical treatments can be used to reduce wildfire hazard. Title: Evaluation of the effects of silvicultural and fuels treatments on potential fire behaviour in Sierra Nevada mixed-conifer forests Author: Stephens, Scott L. Fire suppression has increased fuel loads and fuel continuity in mixed-conifer ecosystems, resulting in forest structures that are vulnerable to catastrophic fire. This paper models fire behaviour in a mixed-conifer forest and investigates how silvicultural and fuels treatments affect potential fire behaviour. The computer program FARSITE was used to spatially and temporally model fire growth and behaviour. Fire modelling was performed in the North Crane Creek watershed of Yosemite National Park. Treatments were simulated by adjusting fuel (total load, load-by-size class, depth.) height-to-live crown base, tree height, and crown density parameters. Treatments modeled included prescribed burn, pile and burn, cut and scatter, thinning and biomass, thinning and biomass followed by prescribed burn, and salvage or group selection harvest with and without slash and landscape-level fuel treatment. The prescribed burn, thinning and biomassing followed by prescribed burn, and salvage or group selection with slash and landscape fuel treatments resulted in the lowest average fireline intensities, heat per unit area, rate of spread, area burned, and scorch heights. Cut and scatter, salvage or group selection treatments that do not treat slash fuels resulted in fire behaviour that is more extreme than the untreated forest. Restoration of mixed-conifer ecosystems must include an examination of how proposed treatments affect fuel structures. Combinations of prescribed fire and/or mechanical treatments can be used to reduce wildfire hazard. Close

• 46. [Article] Characterization of fire effects on forest ecosystems in the Tillamook Forest, Oregon

  From the 1920's through 1951 several severe fires occurred in the predominantly conifer forest ecosystems of the northern Oregon Coast Range. Of the 211,151 ha. of mapped area, 57 percent was burned. The ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Characterization of fire effects on forest ecosystems in the Tillamook Forest, Oregon Author: Chen, Shu-Huei From the 1920's through 1951 several severe fires occurred in the predominantly conifer forest ecosystems of the northern Oregon Coast Range. Of the 211,151 ha. of mapped area, 57 percent was burned. The effects of frequent fires with high severity on forest ecosystems over time at the landscape level is not fully understood. A reconstruction of fire history was conducted to help investigate the effects of fire severity, frequency, and area extent on distribution of postfire tree regeneration, species composition, and stand tree size, as well as on current species composition and stand tree size. I hypothesized that: 1) vegetation patterns (1950's and 1988) would vary with time, because the persistence of disturbance effects (fire, logging, reforestation) on forest vegetative responses varied, and 2) environmental controls (topography, soil, climate) would become the primary influences when disturbance events were absent. In this study historical maps, sketches and notes were used to reconstruct spatial and temporal patterns of fires from the 1920's to 1951 and to identify unburned patches on a Geographic Information System. Relationships between fire regime and postfire and current vegetative patterns were tested. Constructing precise spatial data layers from early maps, produced before the availability of aerial photography or satellite image, was difficult. Historical map accuracy and quality were variable and poor by present day standards. Geographic reference points were used to transform inappropriate map scales. The reconstruction of spatial data was used to characterize spatial patterns of historic fires: my estimates of burn areas were similar to estimates in the literature. To reduce questionable data along fire and vegetation patch boundaries for hypothesis testing, an exclusion approach was used. Data within a 100 m width of fire and vegetation type boundary lines were called a fuzzy zone and removed from raw data. The distribution of various attributes in the reduced data was similar to the distribution of the complete data set. Regression analysis examined the effects of fire, logging, reforestation, topography, climate, and soil type on vegetation patterns. Patterns of postfire (1950's) species composition, tree regeneration and tree size (DBH) were associated with the effects of fires, as well as influences of logging and soil type. Indices of fire occurrences (reflecting the time variation and severity of fires) frequently correlated to the 1950's vegetation patterns. The number of fires (frequency) did not cause great differences in vegetation patterns. Current (1988) species composition and tree size (after absence of fire for more than three decades) were correlated more with terrain variables. Plant succession also influenced the current vegetation patterns. Neither the date or number of fires caused marked differences in distribution of species and tree size, except large conifers were found in areas missed by fires. Postfire and current vegetation patterns were correlated with soil types which reflect the influence of topographic and climatic characteristics. However, historic fires occurred frequently on some soil types. Fires have a confounding influence on soil type. This confounding influence of fire on soil type cannot be avoided. Reforestation efforts appeared to have little influence on the postfire and current vegetation patterns. I inferred that the short time period of reforestation effects did not show its importance on the 1950's vegetation landscape. Although regression analysis results did not support my hypothesis, by 1988, reforested area in the northern Coast Range had increased since 1950's. Most of the large fire-open patches became mixed forest in about 3 decades may still relate to the force of reforestation. On private unburned ownerships conifer forests in 1955 were subsequently cut and replaced by mostly mixed forest by 1988. The analysis supported the hypotheses that soil type, aspect and plant succession were dominant influences on current (1988) vegetation patterns, while forest disturbances such as fire and logging were important influences on the immediate postfire (1950's) patterns. The results not only interpret the relationship between historic disturbances and vegetation distribution, but may also serve as a useful background for the management of the future forest landscape. Title: Characterization of fire effects on forest ecosystems in the Tillamook Forest, Oregon Author: Chen, Shu-Huei From the 1920's through 1951 several severe fires occurred in the predominantly conifer forest ecosystems of the northern Oregon Coast Range. Of the 211,151 ha. of mapped area, 57 percent was burned. The effects of frequent fires with high severity on forest ecosystems over time at the landscape level is not fully understood. A reconstruction of fire history was conducted to help investigate the effects of fire severity, frequency, and area extent on distribution of postfire tree regeneration, species composition, and stand tree size, as well as on current species composition and stand tree size. I hypothesized that: 1) vegetation patterns (1950's and 1988) would vary with time, because the persistence of disturbance effects (fire, logging, reforestation) on forest vegetative responses varied, and 2) environmental controls (topography, soil, climate) would become the primary influences when disturbance events were absent. In this study historical maps, sketches and notes were used to reconstruct spatial and temporal patterns of fires from the 1920's to 1951 and to identify unburned patches on a Geographic Information System. Relationships between fire regime and postfire and current vegetative patterns were tested. Constructing precise spatial data layers from early maps, produced before the availability of aerial photography or satellite image, was difficult. Historical map accuracy and quality were variable and poor by present day standards. Geographic reference points were used to transform inappropriate map scales. The reconstruction of spatial data was used to characterize spatial patterns of historic fires: my estimates of burn areas were similar to estimates in the literature. To reduce questionable data along fire and vegetation patch boundaries for hypothesis testing, an exclusion approach was used. Data within a 100 m width of fire and vegetation type boundary lines were called a fuzzy zone and removed from raw data. The distribution of various attributes in the reduced data was similar to the distribution of the complete data set. Regression analysis examined the effects of fire, logging, reforestation, topography, climate, and soil type on vegetation patterns. Patterns of postfire (1950's) species composition, tree regeneration and tree size (DBH) were associated with the effects of fires, as well as influences of logging and soil type. Indices of fire occurrences (reflecting the time variation and severity of fires) frequently correlated to the 1950's vegetation patterns. The number of fires (frequency) did not cause great differences in vegetation patterns. Current (1988) species composition and tree size (after absence of fire for more than three decades) were correlated more with terrain variables. Plant succession also influenced the current vegetation patterns. Neither the date or number of fires caused marked differences in distribution of species and tree size, except large conifers were found in areas missed by fires. Postfire and current vegetation patterns were correlated with soil types which reflect the influence of topographic and climatic characteristics. However, historic fires occurred frequently on some soil types. Fires have a confounding influence on soil type. This confounding influence of fire on soil type cannot be avoided. Reforestation efforts appeared to have little influence on the postfire and current vegetation patterns. I inferred that the short time period of reforestation effects did not show its importance on the 1950's vegetation landscape. Although regression analysis results did not support my hypothesis, by 1988, reforested area in the northern Coast Range had increased since 1950's. Most of the large fire-open patches became mixed forest in about 3 decades may still relate to the force of reforestation. On private unburned ownerships conifer forests in 1955 were subsequently cut and replaced by mostly mixed forest by 1988. The analysis supported the hypotheses that soil type, aspect and plant succession were dominant influences on current (1988) vegetation patterns, while forest disturbances such as fire and logging were important influences on the immediate postfire (1950's) patterns. The results not only interpret the relationship between historic disturbances and vegetation distribution, but may also serve as a useful background for the management of the future forest landscape. Close

• 47. [Article] Age structure, developmental pathways, and fire regime characterization of Douglas-fir/western hemlock forests in the central western Cascades of Oregon

  Descriptions of the fire regime in the Douglas-fir/western hemlock region of the Pacific Northwest traditionally have emphasized infrequent, predominantly stand-replacement fires and an associated linear ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Age structure, developmental pathways, and fire regime characterization of Douglas-fir/western hemlock forests in the central western Cascades of Oregon Author: Tepley, Alan J. Descriptions of the fire regime in the Douglas-fir/western hemlock region of the Pacific Northwest traditionally have emphasized infrequent, predominantly stand-replacement fires and an associated linear pathway of stand development, where all stands proceed along a common pathway until reset by the next fire. Although such a description may apply in wetter parts of the region, recent fire-history research suggests drier parts of the region support a mixed-severity regime, where most fires have substantial representation of all severity classes and most stands experience at least one non-stand-replacing fire between stand-replacement events. This study combines field and modeling approaches to better understand the complex fire regime in the central western Cascades of Oregon. Stand-structure data and ages of more than 3,000 trees were collected at 124 stands throughout two study areas with physiography representative of western and eastern portions of the western Cascade Range. Major objectives were to (1) develop a conceptual model of fire-mediated pathways of stand development, (2) determine the strengths of influences of topography on spatial variation in the fire regime, (3) provide a stronger understanding of modeling approaches commonly used to gain insight into historical landscape structure, and (4) develop methods to predict trajectories of change in landscape age structure under a non-stationary fire regime. In the study area, non-stand-replacing fire interspersed with infrequent, stand-replacement events led to a variety of even-aged and multi-cohort stands. The majority of stands (75%) had two or more age cohorts, where post-fire cohorts were dominated either by shade-intolerant species or shade-tolerant species, depending largely on fire severity. Age structure, used as a proxy for the cumulative effects of fire on stand development, showed a moderately strong relationship to topography overall, but relationships were strongest at both extremes of a continuum of the influences of fire frequency and severity on stand development and relatively weak in the middle. High topographic relief in the eastern part of the western Cascades may amplify variation in microclimate and fuel moisture, leading to a finer-scale spatial variation in fire spread and behavior, and thus a broader range of stand age structures and stronger fidelity of age structure to slope position and terrain shape in the deeply dissected terrain of the eastern part of the western Cascades than in the gentler terrain of the western part. In the modeling component of my research, I was able to use analytical procedures to reproduce much of the output provided by a stochastic, spatial simulation model previously applied to evaluate historical landscape structure of the Oregon Coast Range. The analytical approximation provides an explicit representation of the effects of input parameters and interactions among them. The increased transparency of model function given by such an analysis may facilitate communication of model output and uncertainty among ecologists and forest managers. Analytical modeling approaches were expanded to characterize trajectories of change in forest age structure in response to changes in the fire regime. Following a change in fire frequency, the proportion of the landscape covered by stands of a given age class is expected to change along a non-monotonic trajectory rather than transition directly to its equilibrium abundance under the new regime. Under some scenarios of change in fire frequency, the time for the expected age distribution of a landscape to converge to the equilibrium distribution of the new regime can be determined based only on the magnitude of change in fire frequency, regardless of the initial value or the direction of change. The theoretical modeling exercises provide insight into historical trends in the study area. Compiled across all sample sites, the age distribution of Douglas-fir trees was strongly bimodal. Peaks of establishment dates in the 16th and 19th centuries were synchronous between the two study areas, and each peak of Douglas-fir establishment coincides with one of the two periods of region-wide extensive fire identified in a previous synthesis of fire-history studies. The modeling exercises support the development of such a bimodal age distribution in response to centennial-scale changes in fire frequency, and they illustrate how the relative abundance of different stand-structure types may have varied over the last several centuries. Title: Age structure, developmental pathways, and fire regime characterization of Douglas-fir/western hemlock forests in the central western Cascades of Oregon Author: Tepley, Alan J. Descriptions of the fire regime in the Douglas-fir/western hemlock region of the Pacific Northwest traditionally have emphasized infrequent, predominantly stand-replacement fires and an associated linear pathway of stand development, where all stands proceed along a common pathway until reset by the next fire. Although such a description may apply in wetter parts of the region, recent fire-history research suggests drier parts of the region support a mixed-severity regime, where most fires have substantial representation of all severity classes and most stands experience at least one non-stand-replacing fire between stand-replacement events. This study combines field and modeling approaches to better understand the complex fire regime in the central western Cascades of Oregon. Stand-structure data and ages of more than 3,000 trees were collected at 124 stands throughout two study areas with physiography representative of western and eastern portions of the western Cascade Range. Major objectives were to (1) develop a conceptual model of fire-mediated pathways of stand development, (2) determine the strengths of influences of topography on spatial variation in the fire regime, (3) provide a stronger understanding of modeling approaches commonly used to gain insight into historical landscape structure, and (4) develop methods to predict trajectories of change in landscape age structure under a non-stationary fire regime. In the study area, non-stand-replacing fire interspersed with infrequent, stand-replacement events led to a variety of even-aged and multi-cohort stands. The majority of stands (75%) had two or more age cohorts, where post-fire cohorts were dominated either by shade-intolerant species or shade-tolerant species, depending largely on fire severity. Age structure, used as a proxy for the cumulative effects of fire on stand development, showed a moderately strong relationship to topography overall, but relationships were strongest at both extremes of a continuum of the influences of fire frequency and severity on stand development and relatively weak in the middle. High topographic relief in the eastern part of the western Cascades may amplify variation in microclimate and fuel moisture, leading to a finer-scale spatial variation in fire spread and behavior, and thus a broader range of stand age structures and stronger fidelity of age structure to slope position and terrain shape in the deeply dissected terrain of the eastern part of the western Cascades than in the gentler terrain of the western part. In the modeling component of my research, I was able to use analytical procedures to reproduce much of the output provided by a stochastic, spatial simulation model previously applied to evaluate historical landscape structure of the Oregon Coast Range. The analytical approximation provides an explicit representation of the effects of input parameters and interactions among them. The increased transparency of model function given by such an analysis may facilitate communication of model output and uncertainty among ecologists and forest managers. Analytical modeling approaches were expanded to characterize trajectories of change in forest age structure in response to changes in the fire regime. Following a change in fire frequency, the proportion of the landscape covered by stands of a given age class is expected to change along a non-monotonic trajectory rather than transition directly to its equilibrium abundance under the new regime. Under some scenarios of change in fire frequency, the time for the expected age distribution of a landscape to converge to the equilibrium distribution of the new regime can be determined based only on the magnitude of change in fire frequency, regardless of the initial value or the direction of change. The theoretical modeling exercises provide insight into historical trends in the study area. Compiled across all sample sites, the age distribution of Douglas-fir trees was strongly bimodal. Peaks of establishment dates in the 16th and 19th centuries were synchronous between the two study areas, and each peak of Douglas-fir establishment coincides with one of the two periods of region-wide extensive fire identified in a previous synthesis of fire-history studies. The modeling exercises support the development of such a bimodal age distribution in response to centennial-scale changes in fire frequency, and they illustrate how the relative abundance of different stand-structure types may have varied over the last several centuries. Close

• 48. [Article] Long and Short-Term Effects of Fire on Soil Charcoal of a Conifer Forest in Southwest Oregon

  To the best of our knowledge, one or more authors of this paper were federal employees when contributing to this work. This is the publisher’s final pdf. The published article is copyrighted by Multidisciplinary ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Long and Short-Term Effects of Fire on Soil Charcoal of a Conifer Forest in Southwest Oregon Author: Darbyshire, Robyn, Morrissette, Brett, Pingree, Melissa R. A., Homann, Peter S. To the best of our knowledge, one or more authors of this paper were federal employees when contributing to this work. This is the publisher’s final pdf. The published article is copyrighted by Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute and can be found at: [link to http://www.mdpi.com/. Title: Long and Short-Term Effects of Fire on Soil Charcoal of a Conifer Forest in Southwest Oregon Author: Darbyshire, Robyn, Morrissette, Brett, Pingree, Melissa R. A., Homann, Peter S. To the best of our knowledge, one or more authors of this paper were federal employees when contributing to this work. This is the publisher’s final pdf. The published article is copyrighted by Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute and can be found at: [link to http://www.mdpi.com/. Close

• 49. [Article] Report of the forest fuels and hazard mitigation committee to the Oregon Department of Forestry and Oregon Fire Program Review

  Many Oregon communities face serious and growing risks from wildfires. These fires are increasingly large and severe after many decades of fire suppression and land use changes, flammable fuel buildups ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Report of the forest fuels and hazard mitigation committee to the Oregon Department of Forestry and Oregon Fire Program Review Author: Institute for Natural Resources, Behan, Jeff, Lynn, Kathy Many Oregon communities face serious and growing risks from wildfires. These fires are increasingly large and severe after many decades of fire suppression and land use changes, flammable fuel buildups and interactions with climate. The wildland-urban interface (WUI) continues to expand as people relocate to rural areas where they often expect structural fire protection similar to what they experienced in cities. But conditions are different in rural communities located in fire-prone forests. The risk of severe wildfire is greater and limited resources are available to deal with severe fires when they break out. Fire prevention and suppression without vegetation management to reduce accumulated fuels has and will result in a continuation of uncharacteristically severe, stand-replacing wildfires, particularly in eastern and southwestern Oregon. These fires are difficult and expensive to control. They also place firefighters at high risk. Federal, state and rural fire protection agencies are struggling to cope as wildfire threats, costs, and the scope of protection responsibilities continue to increase. Federal agencies have initiated efforts to reduce hazardous fuels and increase community wildfire readiness as directed by the 2000 National Fire Plan (NFP) and 2003 Healthy Forests Restoration Act (HFRA). These mandates are now being implemented at multiple levels with every effort to coordinate for greater efficiency. As part of the 2004 Oregon Fire Program Review, the Oregon Department of Forestry (ODF) formed the Forest Fuels and Hazard Mitigation (FFHM) Committee to assess hazardous fuel loading issues, and recommend ways to reduce risk, and improve and strengthen the multiple hazard mitigation strategies in Oregon. Title: Report of the forest fuels and hazard mitigation committee to the Oregon Department of Forestry and Oregon Fire Program Review Author: Institute for Natural Resources, Behan, Jeff, Lynn, Kathy Many Oregon communities face serious and growing risks from wildfires. These fires are increasingly large and severe after many decades of fire suppression and land use changes, flammable fuel buildups and interactions with climate. The wildland-urban interface (WUI) continues to expand as people relocate to rural areas where they often expect structural fire protection similar to what they experienced in cities. But conditions are different in rural communities located in fire-prone forests. The risk of severe wildfire is greater and limited resources are available to deal with severe fires when they break out. Fire prevention and suppression without vegetation management to reduce accumulated fuels has and will result in a continuation of uncharacteristically severe, stand-replacing wildfires, particularly in eastern and southwestern Oregon. These fires are difficult and expensive to control. They also place firefighters at high risk. Federal, state and rural fire protection agencies are struggling to cope as wildfire threats, costs, and the scope of protection responsibilities continue to increase. Federal agencies have initiated efforts to reduce hazardous fuels and increase community wildfire readiness as directed by the 2000 National Fire Plan (NFP) and 2003 Healthy Forests Restoration Act (HFRA). These mandates are now being implemented at multiple levels with every effort to coordinate for greater efficiency. As part of the 2004 Oregon Fire Program Review, the Oregon Department of Forestry (ODF) formed the Forest Fuels and Hazard Mitigation (FFHM) Committee to assess hazardous fuel loading issues, and recommend ways to reduce risk, and improve and strengthen the multiple hazard mitigation strategies in Oregon. Close

• 50. [Article] Chaparral history, dynamics, and response to disturbance in southwest Oregon : insights from age structure

  Fuels management on Bureau of Land Management lands in SW Oregon, USA, is motivated by the needs to reduce fire hazard and restore ecosystems thought to be impacted by fire suppression. Chaparral is one ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Chaparral history, dynamics, and response to disturbance in southwest Oregon : insights from age structure Author: Duren, Olivia Fuels management on Bureau of Land Management lands in SW Oregon, USA, is motivated by the needs to reduce fire hazard and restore ecosystems thought to be impacted by fire suppression. Chaparral is one of the most characteristic vegetation communities of SW Oregon's interior valleys, and extensive acreages within this system are targeted annually for fuels treatment. However, this community is also poorly understood. Little is known about its response to fire suppression, and the assumptions justifying the need for fuels reduction and on which treatment prescriptions are based are extrapolations from other ecosystems. I studied patterns in chaparral age structure of two obligate-seeding shrubs, Arctostaphylos viscida C. Parry and Ceanothus cuneatus (Hook.) Nutt., for insights into the influences of environment and the two dominant disturbances in SW Oregon, fire and grazing, on population structure and dynamics. My 31 low to mid-elevation study sites represent four chaparral 'types' and a range in times since fire (22 yr to > 114 yr). My study area is near the northernmost extension of the California chaparral vegetation type, and results indicate that SW Oregon chaparral populations diverge from studied California chaparral populations in several fundamental ways. All stands unburned for > 30 yr were uneven-aged due to prolific recruitment in the absence of fire and appreciable fire survivorship. Relatively high shrub densities were associated with even-aged sites, but these sites were all young (< 30 yr) and density declined the longer stands were unburned. No relationships were detected between site environment or disturbance history and age structure in general, or the relative amount of fire-free recruitment or fire survivorship in particular. Results suggest that most, if not all, chaparral stands would over time develop uneven-aged structure across the range of environments represented in the study area. Current fuels treatment prescriptions in SW Oregon chaparral are predicated on the assumption that fire suppression has replaced naturally high-frequency, low-severity fires with less frequent and higher-severity fires due to an unnatural accumulation of fuels. However, it appears that this model is not appropriate for chaparral vegetation. Chaparral has apparently experienced a fire regime that is distinct from that of adjacent vegetation communities, and fire suppression does not appear to have altered overall chaparral structure or fire severity. Current fuels treatments are unlikely to reproduce stand structures observed in mature chaparral or in post-wildfire stands. Rather, fuels treatments are likely to alter the trajectory of chaparral development that appears to have been in place for the last century. Results clearly illuminate that chaparral encompasses a wide range of structures and responses to environment and disturbance, and imply that precepts of chaparral ecology and management should be tailored on a geographic basis. Results also underscore the need for management objectives to recognize differences among vegetation communities in complex environments. Title: Chaparral history, dynamics, and response to disturbance in southwest Oregon : insights from age structure Author: Duren, Olivia Fuels management on Bureau of Land Management lands in SW Oregon, USA, is motivated by the needs to reduce fire hazard and restore ecosystems thought to be impacted by fire suppression. Chaparral is one of the most characteristic vegetation communities of SW Oregon's interior valleys, and extensive acreages within this system are targeted annually for fuels treatment. However, this community is also poorly understood. Little is known about its response to fire suppression, and the assumptions justifying the need for fuels reduction and on which treatment prescriptions are based are extrapolations from other ecosystems. I studied patterns in chaparral age structure of two obligate-seeding shrubs, Arctostaphylos viscida C. Parry and Ceanothus cuneatus (Hook.) Nutt., for insights into the influences of environment and the two dominant disturbances in SW Oregon, fire and grazing, on population structure and dynamics. My 31 low to mid-elevation study sites represent four chaparral 'types' and a range in times since fire (22 yr to > 114 yr). My study area is near the northernmost extension of the California chaparral vegetation type, and results indicate that SW Oregon chaparral populations diverge from studied California chaparral populations in several fundamental ways. All stands unburned for > 30 yr were uneven-aged due to prolific recruitment in the absence of fire and appreciable fire survivorship. Relatively high shrub densities were associated with even-aged sites, but these sites were all young (< 30 yr) and density declined the longer stands were unburned. No relationships were detected between site environment or disturbance history and age structure in general, or the relative amount of fire-free recruitment or fire survivorship in particular. Results suggest that most, if not all, chaparral stands would over time develop uneven-aged structure across the range of environments represented in the study area. Current fuels treatment prescriptions in SW Oregon chaparral are predicated on the assumption that fire suppression has replaced naturally high-frequency, low-severity fires with less frequent and higher-severity fires due to an unnatural accumulation of fuels. However, it appears that this model is not appropriate for chaparral vegetation. Chaparral has apparently experienced a fire regime that is distinct from that of adjacent vegetation communities, and fire suppression does not appear to have altered overall chaparral structure or fire severity. Current fuels treatments are unlikely to reproduce stand structures observed in mature chaparral or in post-wildfire stands. Rather, fuels treatments are likely to alter the trajectory of chaparral development that appears to have been in place for the last century. Results clearly illuminate that chaparral encompasses a wide range of structures and responses to environment and disturbance, and imply that precepts of chaparral ecology and management should be tailored on a geographic basis. Results also underscore the need for management objectives to recognize differences among vegetation communities in complex environments. Close

• 51. [Article] Post-fire logging produces minimal persistent impacts on understory vegetation in northeastern Oregon, USA

  To the best of our knowledge, one or more authors of this paper were federal employees when contributing to this work. This is the publisher’s final pdf. The article is pbulished by Elsevier and can be ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Post-fire logging produces minimal persistent impacts on understory vegetation in northeastern Oregon, USA Author: Peterson, David W., Dodson, Erich Kyle To the best of our knowledge, one or more authors of this paper were federal employees when contributing to this work. This is the publisher’s final pdf. The article is pbulished by Elsevier and can be found at: http://www.journals.elsevier.com/forest-ecology-and-management/ Title: Post-fire logging produces minimal persistent impacts on understory vegetation in northeastern Oregon, USA Author: Peterson, David W., Dodson, Erich Kyle To the best of our knowledge, one or more authors of this paper were federal employees when contributing to this work. This is the publisher’s final pdf. The article is pbulished by Elsevier and can be found at: http://www.journals.elsevier.com/forest-ecology-and-management/ Close

• 52. [Article] Post-fire tree establishment and early cohort development in conifer forests of the western Cascades of Oregon, USA

  To the best of our knowledge, one or more authors of this paper were federal employees when contributing to this work. This is the publisher’s final pdf. The published article is copyrighted by the author(s) ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Post-fire tree establishment and early cohort development in conifer forests of the western Cascades of Oregon, USA Author: Tepley, Alan J., Swanson, Frederick J., Spies, Thomas A. To the best of our knowledge, one or more authors of this paper were federal employees when contributing to this work. This is the publisher’s final pdf. The published article is copyrighted by the author(s) and published by the Ecological Society of America. The published article can be found at: http://www.esajournals.org/loi/ecsp. Title: Post-fire tree establishment and early cohort development in conifer forests of the western Cascades of Oregon, USA Author: Tepley, Alan J., Swanson, Frederick J., Spies, Thomas A. To the best of our knowledge, one or more authors of this paper were federal employees when contributing to this work. This is the publisher’s final pdf. The published article is copyrighted by the author(s) and published by the Ecological Society of America. The published article can be found at: http://www.esajournals.org/loi/ecsp. Close

• 53. [Article] Dead fuels and understory vegetation six years after a large mixed-severity wildfire in southwest Oregon

  Though the mixed-evergreen forests of the Klamath Siskiyous have a long history of large, mixed-severity fires, most research in this region has concentrated on the impacts of high-severity fire. Knowledge ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Dead fuels and understory vegetation six years after a large mixed-severity wildfire in southwest Oregon Author: Nathanson, Amy Though the mixed-evergreen forests of the Klamath Siskiyous have a long history of large, mixed-severity fires, most research in this region has concentrated on the impacts of high-severity fire. Knowledge of the ecological effects of low- and moderate-severity areas within mixed-severity fires is important because such areas may account for over half the landscape affected by a fire. The purpose of this study was to understand the relationship of fire severity with dead fuels and understory vegetation across a full range of fire severities. Study sites were located within and just outside the boundary of the 2002 Biscuit Fire, which burned 200,000 hectares in a mosaic of burn severities. Six years after the Biscuit Fire, the biomass and depth of litter and duff was lower on burned sites than unburned sites, and lowest on high-severity sites. This relationship was reversed for woody fuels >7.62 cm in diameter, where quantities were highest in high- and extreme-severity areas, though there was no evidence that quantities differed between low-severity and unburned sites. There was no evidence of a relationship between woody fuels 0.64-7.62 cm in diameter and fire severity, 6 years post-fire. There was no evidence that fuel quantities differed between sites that burned only in the Biscuit Fire with sites that also burned 15 years earlier in the 1987 Silver Fire. Fuel quantities and composition differed between burned and unburned sites, but these differences disappeared if litter and duff were not considered. Fuel classes were correlated with each other within three general size classes: small (litter, duff, and fuels <2.54 cm), medium (fuels 2.54-30 cm), and large (fuels >30 cm). There was little correlation between these size classes. Vegetation response also varied by fire severity, species, and height. Generally, density for tree seedlings <0.5 m was highest on low-severity sites and lowest on high-severity sites. For seedlings 0.5-1.37 m the relationship was reversed, with the highest seedling densities in high-severity areas. Specific seedling relationships to burn severity and other explanatory factors (e.g. shrub cover, elevation, precipitation, maxiumun August temperatures) varied by species and seedling height. Average seedling densities were above the minimum acceptable stocking levels of 333 trees per hectare (135 seedlings/acre) as identified in federal plans for the fire area. Shrub species richness and diversity did not vary with burn severity; however, shrub species and ground cover composition did differ with burn severity six years after the Biscuit Fire. The relationship of understory cover composition with burn severity aligned with species life history traits; fire-adapted, nitrogen-fixing species were more prevalent on high- and extreme-severity sites while species associated with low-severity fire or old-growth forests were more prevalent on low-severity or unburned sites. I found no evidence of difference in total graminoid or forb cover based on fire severity, but shrub quantities were lower on low-severity sites than on unburned, high-, and extreme-severity sites. This study reveals how fuel and vegetation vary across the full range of fire severities. It demonstrates that mixed-severity fires create a mix of ecological responses. It also provides a baseline for future studies, as the relationships between fire severity and fuels or vegetation may disappear or change in subsequent decades. Title: Dead fuels and understory vegetation six years after a large mixed-severity wildfire in southwest Oregon Author: Nathanson, Amy Though the mixed-evergreen forests of the Klamath Siskiyous have a long history of large, mixed-severity fires, most research in this region has concentrated on the impacts of high-severity fire. Knowledge of the ecological effects of low- and moderate-severity areas within mixed-severity fires is important because such areas may account for over half the landscape affected by a fire. The purpose of this study was to understand the relationship of fire severity with dead fuels and understory vegetation across a full range of fire severities. Study sites were located within and just outside the boundary of the 2002 Biscuit Fire, which burned 200,000 hectares in a mosaic of burn severities. Six years after the Biscuit Fire, the biomass and depth of litter and duff was lower on burned sites than unburned sites, and lowest on high-severity sites. This relationship was reversed for woody fuels >7.62 cm in diameter, where quantities were highest in high- and extreme-severity areas, though there was no evidence that quantities differed between low-severity and unburned sites. There was no evidence of a relationship between woody fuels 0.64-7.62 cm in diameter and fire severity, 6 years post-fire. There was no evidence that fuel quantities differed between sites that burned only in the Biscuit Fire with sites that also burned 15 years earlier in the 1987 Silver Fire. Fuel quantities and composition differed between burned and unburned sites, but these differences disappeared if litter and duff were not considered. Fuel classes were correlated with each other within three general size classes: small (litter, duff, and fuels <2.54 cm), medium (fuels 2.54-30 cm), and large (fuels >30 cm). There was little correlation between these size classes. Vegetation response also varied by fire severity, species, and height. Generally, density for tree seedlings <0.5 m was highest on low-severity sites and lowest on high-severity sites. For seedlings 0.5-1.37 m the relationship was reversed, with the highest seedling densities in high-severity areas. Specific seedling relationships to burn severity and other explanatory factors (e.g. shrub cover, elevation, precipitation, maxiumun August temperatures) varied by species and seedling height. Average seedling densities were above the minimum acceptable stocking levels of 333 trees per hectare (135 seedlings/acre) as identified in federal plans for the fire area. Shrub species richness and diversity did not vary with burn severity; however, shrub species and ground cover composition did differ with burn severity six years after the Biscuit Fire. The relationship of understory cover composition with burn severity aligned with species life history traits; fire-adapted, nitrogen-fixing species were more prevalent on high- and extreme-severity sites while species associated with low-severity fire or old-growth forests were more prevalent on low-severity or unburned sites. I found no evidence of difference in total graminoid or forb cover based on fire severity, but shrub quantities were lower on low-severity sites than on unburned, high-, and extreme-severity sites. This study reveals how fuel and vegetation vary across the full range of fire severities. It demonstrates that mixed-severity fires create a mix of ecological responses. It also provides a baseline for future studies, as the relationships between fire severity and fuels or vegetation may disappear or change in subsequent decades. Close

• 54. [Article] Deploying initial attack resources for wildfire suppression: spatial coordination, budget constraints, and capacity constraints

  To the best of our knowledge, one or more authors of this paper were federal employees when contributing to this work. This is the publisher’s final pdf. The published article is copyrighted by NRC Research ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Deploying initial attack resources for wildfire suppression: spatial coordination, budget constraints, and capacity constraints Author: Albers, Heidi J., Lee, Yohan, Fried, Jeremy S., Haight, Robert G. To the best of our knowledge, one or more authors of this paper were federal employees when contributing to this work. This is the publisher’s final pdf. The published article is copyrighted by NRC Research Press and can be found at: http://www.nrcresearchpress.com/. Title: Deploying initial attack resources for wildfire suppression: spatial coordination, budget constraints, and capacity constraints Author: Albers, Heidi J., Lee, Yohan, Fried, Jeremy S., Haight, Robert G. To the best of our knowledge, one or more authors of this paper were federal employees when contributing to this work. This is the publisher’s final pdf. The published article is copyrighted by NRC Research Press and can be found at: http://www.nrcresearchpress.com/. Close

• 55. [Article] The Influence of fire on the Radiocarbon Signature and Character of Soil Organic Matter in the Siskiyou National Forest, Oregon, USA

  To the best of our knowledge, one or more authors of this paper were federal employees when contributing to this work. This is the publisher’s final pdf. The published article is copyrighted by Association ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: The Influence of fire on the Radiocarbon Signature and Character of Soil Organic Matter in the Siskiyou National Forest, Oregon, USA Author: Powers, Heath, Swanston, Chris, Law, Beverly, Campbell, John, Heckman, Katherine To the best of our knowledge, one or more authors of this paper were federal employees when contributing to this work. This is the publisher’s final pdf. The published article is copyrighted by Association for Fire Ecology and can be found at: http://fireecology.org/. Title: The Influence of fire on the Radiocarbon Signature and Character of Soil Organic Matter in the Siskiyou National Forest, Oregon, USA Author: Powers, Heath, Swanston, Chris, Law, Beverly, Campbell, John, Heckman, Katherine To the best of our knowledge, one or more authors of this paper were federal employees when contributing to this work. This is the publisher’s final pdf. The published article is copyrighted by Association for Fire Ecology and can be found at: http://fireecology.org/. Close

• 56. [Article] The impact of climate change on California’s ecosystem services

  To the best of our knowledge, one or more authors of this paper were federal employees when contributing to this work. This is the publisher’s final pdf. The published article is copyrighted by Springer ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: The impact of climate change on California’s ecosystem services Author: Lenihan, James, MacKenzie, Jason, Klausmeyer, Kirk, Shaw, M. Rebecca, Cameron, D. Richard, Bratman, Gregrory N., Morris, Belinda, Daly, Christopher, Haunreiter, Erik, Pendleton, Linwood, Bachelet, Dominique, Conklin, David R., Roehrdanz, Patrick R. To the best of our knowledge, one or more authors of this paper were federal employees when contributing to this work. This is the publisher’s final pdf. The published article is copyrighted by Springer and can be found at: http://www.springer.com/?SGWID=0-102-0-0-0 Title: The impact of climate change on California’s ecosystem services Author: Lenihan, James, MacKenzie, Jason, Klausmeyer, Kirk, Shaw, M. Rebecca, Cameron, D. Richard, Bratman, Gregrory N., Morris, Belinda, Daly, Christopher, Haunreiter, Erik, Pendleton, Linwood, Bachelet, Dominique, Conklin, David R., Roehrdanz, Patrick R. To the best of our knowledge, one or more authors of this paper were federal employees when contributing to this work. This is the publisher’s final pdf. The published article is copyrighted by Springer and can be found at: http://www.springer.com/?SGWID=0-102-0-0-0 Close

• 57. [Article] Spatial and temporal patterns of "super-old" Douglas-fir trees of the central western Cascades, Oregon

  Old-growth in the Pacific Northwest is generally defined as trees that are more than 200 years old. A great deal of analysis and discussion about old-growth forests in western Oregon, however, has focused ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Spatial and temporal patterns of "super-old" Douglas-fir trees of the central western Cascades, Oregon Author: Giglia, Sheryl K. Old-growth in the Pacific Northwest is generally defined as trees that are more than 200 years old. A great deal of analysis and discussion about old-growth forests in western Oregon, however, has focused on the relatively widespread 400 to 500 year age class of primarily Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii) trees. The existence of older trees, with establishment dates prior to 1450, though rare, is documented in treering based fire history studies conducted in the central western Cascades of Oregon. These trees, referred to in this study as "super-old growth," embody significant information about forest and climate history extending nearly a millennium into the past. The primary objectives of this study were to assay where and why super-old trees persists on the landscape, and to develop a predictive model for their occurrence. I synthesized spatial and temporal data related to super-old trees from previous treering based fire history studies conducted in the central western Cascades of Oregon. I then created a composite, geographically referenced database, which was used to analyze the synthesized data. Super-old Douglas-fir trees were found at 12% of 874 sample sites, mostly on north-facing aspects and on gentle slope gradients. Even-aged stands of super-old trees were more likely to exist in areas that are prone to long fire intervals and highseverity fires. Single, remnant super-old trees were more likely to exist in areas that are prone to more frequent, lower-severity fires. This study identified landscape positions that provide a refuge where Douglasfir trees can attain maximum longevity. This information may be useful in determining optimal locations for late-successional reserves, as directed by the Northwest Forest Plan. Over 350 hectares of unsampled terrain within the study area were identified where more super-old trees could likely be found. Efforts to locate more super-old trees using these data could facilitate future paleoclimate research and other tree-ring based studies. Title: Spatial and temporal patterns of "super-old" Douglas-fir trees of the central western Cascades, Oregon Author: Giglia, Sheryl K. Old-growth in the Pacific Northwest is generally defined as trees that are more than 200 years old. A great deal of analysis and discussion about old-growth forests in western Oregon, however, has focused on the relatively widespread 400 to 500 year age class of primarily Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii) trees. The existence of older trees, with establishment dates prior to 1450, though rare, is documented in treering based fire history studies conducted in the central western Cascades of Oregon. These trees, referred to in this study as "super-old growth," embody significant information about forest and climate history extending nearly a millennium into the past. The primary objectives of this study were to assay where and why super-old trees persists on the landscape, and to develop a predictive model for their occurrence. I synthesized spatial and temporal data related to super-old trees from previous treering based fire history studies conducted in the central western Cascades of Oregon. I then created a composite, geographically referenced database, which was used to analyze the synthesized data. Super-old Douglas-fir trees were found at 12% of 874 sample sites, mostly on north-facing aspects and on gentle slope gradients. Even-aged stands of super-old trees were more likely to exist in areas that are prone to long fire intervals and highseverity fires. Single, remnant super-old trees were more likely to exist in areas that are prone to more frequent, lower-severity fires. This study identified landscape positions that provide a refuge where Douglasfir trees can attain maximum longevity. This information may be useful in determining optimal locations for late-successional reserves, as directed by the Northwest Forest Plan. Over 350 hectares of unsampled terrain within the study area were identified where more super-old trees could likely be found. Efforts to locate more super-old trees using these data could facilitate future paleoclimate research and other tree-ring based studies. Close

• 58. [Article] The effects of forest fuel reduction on fire severity and long-term carbon storage

  Two forest management objectives being debated in the context of federally managed landscapes in the US Pacific Northwest involve a perceived trade-off between fire restoration and C sequestration. The ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: The effects of forest fuel reduction on fire severity and long-term carbon storage Author: Mitchell, Stephen Richard Two forest management objectives being debated in the context of federally managed landscapes in the US Pacific Northwest involve a perceived trade-off between fire restoration and C sequestration. The former strategy would reduce fuel (and therefore C) that has accumulated through a century of fire suppression and exclusion that has led to extreme fire risk in some areas. The latter strategy would manage forests for enhanced C sequestration as a method of reducing atmospheric CO2 and associated threats from global climate change. We explored the tradeoff between these strategies by modeling their effects at both the stand and landscape-scale. We began with an assessment of the extent to which uncertainties in model parameter values, model structure, and field measurements can influence model performance. We adapted the generalized likelihood uncertainty estimation (GLUE) methodology for Biome-BGC, a widely used terrestrial ecosystem model. We found that the phenomenon of parameter equifinality exerted significant control on model performance, but that issues with model structure in the Biome-BGC model may present an even greater obstacle to model accuracy. We then examined the effects of fuel reduction on fire severity and the resulting long-term stand-level C storage by utilizing the STANDCARB model for three Pacific Northwest ecosystems: the east Cascades Ponderosa Pine forests, the west Cascades Western hemlock–Douglas fir forests, and the Coast Range Western hemlock– Sitka spruce forests. Finally, we then tested the extent to which various landscape-level fuel reduction treatments, when applied at various annual treatment areas, altered pyrogenic C emissions and long-term C storage in the east Cascades Ponderosa pine ecosystems. For this we employed the LANDCARB model, which models forests throughout a landscape on a stand-by-stand basis. Results from both the stand and landscape-level modeling indicate that, for fuel reduction treatments to be effective in reducing wildfire severity, they must be applied at higher frequencies and over larger areas than they are currently. Furthermore, fuel reduction treatments almost always reduce stand and landscape-level C storage, since reducing the fraction by which C is lost in a wildfire requires the removal of a much greater amount of C, since most of the C stored in forest biomass (stem wood, branches, coarse woody debris) remains unconsumed even by high-severity wildfires. Title: The effects of forest fuel reduction on fire severity and long-term carbon storage Author: Mitchell, Stephen Richard Two forest management objectives being debated in the context of federally managed landscapes in the US Pacific Northwest involve a perceived trade-off between fire restoration and C sequestration. The former strategy would reduce fuel (and therefore C) that has accumulated through a century of fire suppression and exclusion that has led to extreme fire risk in some areas. The latter strategy would manage forests for enhanced C sequestration as a method of reducing atmospheric CO2 and associated threats from global climate change. We explored the tradeoff between these strategies by modeling their effects at both the stand and landscape-scale. We began with an assessment of the extent to which uncertainties in model parameter values, model structure, and field measurements can influence model performance. We adapted the generalized likelihood uncertainty estimation (GLUE) methodology for Biome-BGC, a widely used terrestrial ecosystem model. We found that the phenomenon of parameter equifinality exerted significant control on model performance, but that issues with model structure in the Biome-BGC model may present an even greater obstacle to model accuracy. We then examined the effects of fuel reduction on fire severity and the resulting long-term stand-level C storage by utilizing the STANDCARB model for three Pacific Northwest ecosystems: the east Cascades Ponderosa Pine forests, the west Cascades Western hemlock–Douglas fir forests, and the Coast Range Western hemlock– Sitka spruce forests. Finally, we then tested the extent to which various landscape-level fuel reduction treatments, when applied at various annual treatment areas, altered pyrogenic C emissions and long-term C storage in the east Cascades Ponderosa pine ecosystems. For this we employed the LANDCARB model, which models forests throughout a landscape on a stand-by-stand basis. Results from both the stand and landscape-level modeling indicate that, for fuel reduction treatments to be effective in reducing wildfire severity, they must be applied at higher frequencies and over larger areas than they are currently. Furthermore, fuel reduction treatments almost always reduce stand and landscape-level C storage, since reducing the fraction by which C is lost in a wildfire requires the removal of a much greater amount of C, since most of the C stored in forest biomass (stem wood, branches, coarse woody debris) remains unconsumed even by high-severity wildfires. Close

• 59. [Article] Can fuel-reduction treatments really increase forest carbon storage in the western US by reducing future fire emissions?

  NEWS COVERAGE: A news release based on this journal publication, which is written for a lay audience and has been approved by an author of the study, is available online: http://bit.ly/s1SWsO

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Can fuel-reduction treatments really increase forest carbon storage in the western US by reducing future fire emissions? Author: Harmon, Mark E., Campbell, John L., Mitchell, Stephen R. NEWS COVERAGE: A news release based on this journal publication, which is written for a lay audience and has been approved by an author of the study, is available online: http://bit.ly/s1SWsO Title: Can fuel-reduction treatments really increase forest carbon storage in the western US by reducing future fire emissions? Author: Harmon, Mark E., Campbell, John L., Mitchell, Stephen R. NEWS COVERAGE: A news release based on this journal publication, which is written for a lay audience and has been approved by an author of the study, is available online: http://bit.ly/s1SWsO Close

• 60. [Article] Simulated response of ecosystem processes to climate change in northern California and western Nevada

  In order to investigate potential climate impacts on landscape-scale ecosystem processes, I implemented a dynamic general vegetation model (DGVM) over a large domain in northern California and western ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Simulated response of ecosystem processes to climate change in northern California and western Nevada Author: McGlinchy, Maureen C. In order to investigate potential climate impacts on landscape-scale ecosystem processes, I implemented a dynamic general vegetation model (DGVM) over a large domain in northern California and western Nevada on a rectangular grid of ca. 800-meter spatial resolution. I used 100 years of observed, monthly climate and nine future climate projections in an attempt to explore the range of possible climate futures in the region. I selected three general circulation models (MIROC3.2(medres), UKMO-HadCM3 and CSIRO-Mk3.0), incorporating a range of 2xCO₂ temperature sensitivity. Each GCM was run through three carbon dioxide emissions scenarios (SRES A2, A1B and B1). For this analysis, I focused the study on the simulated ecological impacts under the three A2 scenarios. Historical observations and future climate scenarios were interpolated to the 800-meter grid by the PRISM model. MC1, a systems-based DGVM, compared favorably to observed data for simulations of vegetation distribution and annual streamflow. MC1 slightly overestimated annual production in the Sierra Nevada and Klamath Mountains and underestimated it in the Coast Range and Eastern Cascades. MC1 displayed a low bias for annual area burned and high bias for pyrogenic emissions. Validation of simulated model output was complicated because MC1 does not consider the effects of land management on ecosystems and the study region is heavily-impacted by development, logging, fire suppression, grazing and pre-European, indigenous land-use and burning. Under all future climate projections, an increase in growing season length and temperature led to the replacement of tundra and subalpine vegetation types with temperate conifer forest. Increased winter minimum temperatures promoted the expansion of mixed needleleaf-broadleaf forest, particularly in the mid-elevations of the Sierra Nevada and in coastal forests. In the MIROC3.2 and HadCM3 scenarios, ecosystem-level net primary productivity (NPP) did not increase with enhanced CO₂ fertilization because production remained limited by water, even though both NPP and water-use-efficiency were increased at the leaf level in proportion to CO₂ concentration. Increases in NPP were projected in CSIRO-Mk3, but increased precipitation and warmer temperatures also increased rates of heterotrophic respiration for no net gain in net ecosystem productivity (NEP). Fire extent and severity increased in all scenarios, mostly driven by significant decreases in mountainous snowpack and earlier snowmelt. Thus, a relatively constant NEP and increased fire emissions produced decreases in total ecosystem carbon across all future scenarios. Projected annual streamflow varied between future climate scenarios and was highly influenced by projected precipitation. In all future simulations, high-elevation mountainous landscapes were highly sensitive to projected changes in climate, largely attributable to an increased growing season and temperature, decreased snowpack and reduced fire return interval. Coastal forests were also highly susceptible to changes in vegetation type and increases in fire. Several sources contribute to uncertainty in MC1, including input datasets, model assumptions, uncertainties in ecosystem science, and questions of scale. Therefore, these results should be considered preliminary, but useful in suggesting a range of plausible ecological futures as we continue to refine model capabilities. Title: Simulated response of ecosystem processes to climate change in northern California and western Nevada Author: McGlinchy, Maureen C. In order to investigate potential climate impacts on landscape-scale ecosystem processes, I implemented a dynamic general vegetation model (DGVM) over a large domain in northern California and western Nevada on a rectangular grid of ca. 800-meter spatial resolution. I used 100 years of observed, monthly climate and nine future climate projections in an attempt to explore the range of possible climate futures in the region. I selected three general circulation models (MIROC3.2(medres), UKMO-HadCM3 and CSIRO-Mk3.0), incorporating a range of 2xCO₂ temperature sensitivity. Each GCM was run through three carbon dioxide emissions scenarios (SRES A2, A1B and B1). For this analysis, I focused the study on the simulated ecological impacts under the three A2 scenarios. Historical observations and future climate scenarios were interpolated to the 800-meter grid by the PRISM model. MC1, a systems-based DGVM, compared favorably to observed data for simulations of vegetation distribution and annual streamflow. MC1 slightly overestimated annual production in the Sierra Nevada and Klamath Mountains and underestimated it in the Coast Range and Eastern Cascades. MC1 displayed a low bias for annual area burned and high bias for pyrogenic emissions. Validation of simulated model output was complicated because MC1 does not consider the effects of land management on ecosystems and the study region is heavily-impacted by development, logging, fire suppression, grazing and pre-European, indigenous land-use and burning. Under all future climate projections, an increase in growing season length and temperature led to the replacement of tundra and subalpine vegetation types with temperate conifer forest. Increased winter minimum temperatures promoted the expansion of mixed needleleaf-broadleaf forest, particularly in the mid-elevations of the Sierra Nevada and in coastal forests. In the MIROC3.2 and HadCM3 scenarios, ecosystem-level net primary productivity (NPP) did not increase with enhanced CO₂ fertilization because production remained limited by water, even though both NPP and water-use-efficiency were increased at the leaf level in proportion to CO₂ concentration. Increases in NPP were projected in CSIRO-Mk3, but increased precipitation and warmer temperatures also increased rates of heterotrophic respiration for no net gain in net ecosystem productivity (NEP). Fire extent and severity increased in all scenarios, mostly driven by significant decreases in mountainous snowpack and earlier snowmelt. Thus, a relatively constant NEP and increased fire emissions produced decreases in total ecosystem carbon across all future scenarios. Projected annual streamflow varied between future climate scenarios and was highly influenced by projected precipitation. In all future simulations, high-elevation mountainous landscapes were highly sensitive to projected changes in climate, largely attributable to an increased growing season and temperature, decreased snowpack and reduced fire return interval. Coastal forests were also highly susceptible to changes in vegetation type and increases in fire. Several sources contribute to uncertainty in MC1, including input datasets, model assumptions, uncertainties in ecosystem science, and questions of scale. Therefore, these results should be considered preliminary, but useful in suggesting a range of plausible ecological futures as we continue to refine model capabilities. Close

• 61. [Article] A recent disturbance history of forest ecosystems at Mount Rainier National Park

  An analysis was made of the recent catastrophic disturbance history of forests at Mount Rainier National Park. Basic data were tree ages from ring counts of increment cores taken from the early seral cohort, ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: A recent disturbance history of forest ecosystems at Mount Rainier National Park Author: Hemstrom, Miles A. An analysis was made of the recent catastrophic disturbance history of forests at Mount Rainier National Park. Basic data were tree ages from ring counts of increment cores taken from the early seral cohort, field mapping of age class boundaries and aerial photograph interpretation. Maps of present stand ages were constructed as a series of successive approximations after each field season. These maps illustrate the relationship among the major forest disturbers, fires, avalanches, and lahars (volcanic mudflows), and with topography. The forests are dominated by stands over 350 years old. Large stands (690 ha total) are over 1000 years old. South-facing slopes, especially high elevations, burn more frequently than protected north-facing slopes and streamside corridors. Fires are by far the most important major disturber, followed by snow avalanches and lahars. Fire frequency indices proposed by Heinselman (1973), Tande (1977) and Van Wagner (1978) were compared and found to poorly describe fire frequency at Mount Rainier, partly due to the natural regime of infrequent, catastrophic fire. Natural fire rotation was found to be 434 years and 306 years using Heinselman's and Van Wagner's index, respectively. Episodes of major fire also correspond well with major droughts reconstructed for locations east of the Cascade crest by Keen (1937) and Biasing and Fritts (1976). Only two major fires since 1300 AD do not correspond to a major drought reconstructed by either of these investigators. Of the eight major droughts from Keen (1937) only two lack a corresponding large fire at Mount Rainier. Modern man's impacts on the disturbance regime have been relatively slight, perhaps involving an increase in fire frequency during the 1850 to 1900 period followed by a decrease in fire frequency since 1900. No unnatural fire frequency or fuel build-up patterns have occurred, since fires are relatively infrequent and fuel build-ups high. Since fire plays an important natural role in maintaining the forest mosaics at Mount Rainier, it should be included as a basic natural agent in the Park's management. Both fires, especially during prolonged droughts, and lahars are potentially very destructive. Given the long natural interval between major fires, there is some lee-way in a time schedule for fire management. Title: A recent disturbance history of forest ecosystems at Mount Rainier National Park Author: Hemstrom, Miles A. An analysis was made of the recent catastrophic disturbance history of forests at Mount Rainier National Park. Basic data were tree ages from ring counts of increment cores taken from the early seral cohort, field mapping of age class boundaries and aerial photograph interpretation. Maps of present stand ages were constructed as a series of successive approximations after each field season. These maps illustrate the relationship among the major forest disturbers, fires, avalanches, and lahars (volcanic mudflows), and with topography. The forests are dominated by stands over 350 years old. Large stands (690 ha total) are over 1000 years old. South-facing slopes, especially high elevations, burn more frequently than protected north-facing slopes and streamside corridors. Fires are by far the most important major disturber, followed by snow avalanches and lahars. Fire frequency indices proposed by Heinselman (1973), Tande (1977) and Van Wagner (1978) were compared and found to poorly describe fire frequency at Mount Rainier, partly due to the natural regime of infrequent, catastrophic fire. Natural fire rotation was found to be 434 years and 306 years using Heinselman's and Van Wagner's index, respectively. Episodes of major fire also correspond well with major droughts reconstructed for locations east of the Cascade crest by Keen (1937) and Biasing and Fritts (1976). Only two major fires since 1300 AD do not correspond to a major drought reconstructed by either of these investigators. Of the eight major droughts from Keen (1937) only two lack a corresponding large fire at Mount Rainier. Modern man's impacts on the disturbance regime have been relatively slight, perhaps involving an increase in fire frequency during the 1850 to 1900 period followed by a decrease in fire frequency since 1900. No unnatural fire frequency or fuel build-up patterns have occurred, since fires are relatively infrequent and fuel build-ups high. Since fire plays an important natural role in maintaining the forest mosaics at Mount Rainier, it should be included as a basic natural agent in the Park's management. Both fires, especially during prolonged droughts, and lahars are potentially very destructive. Given the long natural interval between major fires, there is some lee-way in a time schedule for fire management. Close

• 62. [Article] Multidisciplinary, Multisite Evaluation of Alternative Sagebrush Steppe Restoration Treatments: The SageSTEP Project

  This is an author's peer-reviewed final manuscript, as accepted by the publisher. The published article is copyrighted by the Society for Range Management and can be found at: http://www.srmjournals.or...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Multidisciplinary, Multisite Evaluation of Alternative Sagebrush Steppe Restoration Treatments: The SageSTEP Project Author: Brunson, Mark, McIver, James This is an author's peer-reviewed final manuscript, as accepted by the publisher. The published article is copyrighted by the Society for Range Management and can be found at: http://www.srmjournals.org/ Title: Multidisciplinary, Multisite Evaluation of Alternative Sagebrush Steppe Restoration Treatments: The SageSTEP Project Author: Brunson, Mark, McIver, James This is an author's peer-reviewed final manuscript, as accepted by the publisher. The published article is copyrighted by the Society for Range Management and can be found at: http://www.srmjournals.org/ Close

• 63. [Article] Carbon dynamics following landscape fire: influence of burn severity, climate, and stand history in the Metolius Watershed, Oregon

  Fire is a fundamental disturbance that drives terrestrial and atmospheric carbon dynamics. Previous studies have quantified fire effects on carbon cycling from local to global scales but have focused ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Carbon dynamics following landscape fire: influence of burn severity, climate, and stand history in the Metolius Watershed, Oregon Author: Meigs, Garrett W. Fire is a fundamental disturbance that drives terrestrial and atmospheric carbon dynamics. Previous studies have quantified fire effects on carbon cycling from local to global scales but have focused nearly exclusively on high-severity, stand-replacement fire. Since 2002, variable-severity wildfires have burned more than 65 000 ha across the east slope of the Oregon Cascades, including 4 large fires that burned ca. 50% of the forested area within the Metolius Watershed in 2002 and 2003. This thesis integrates data from 64 field plots, remote-sensing, and an ecosystem process model to investigate the effects of low-, moderate-, and high-severity fire. The primary research objectives were to: (a) quantify combustion and mortality effects on carbon pools, postfire net ecosystem production (NEP), and potential regeneration trajectories at the stand scale; (b) introduce novel remote-sensing datasets into a modeling framework to assess the importance of low- and moderate-severity fire across the landscape and region. At the stand-scale, the 3 levels of burn severity (overstory tree mortality) resulted in profoundly different impacts on combustion, mortality, postfire carbon balance, and potential regeneration trajectories. Simulated combustion ranged from 16.6 to 32.3 Mg C ha-1, or 13% to 35% of prefire aboveground carbon. C transfers from fire-induced tree mortality were larger in magnitude than combustion, as live aboveground C decreased by >90% from low- to high-severity stands. Despite this decline, total net primary productivity (NPP) was only 40% lower in high- vs. low-severity stands, reflecting a compensatory effect of non-tree NPP. Dead wood respiratory losses were small relative to C uptake (range: 10-35% of total NPP), suggesting important decomposition lags in this seasonally-arid system. Although soil C, soil respiration, and fine root NPP were conserved across severity classes, NEP declined with increasing severity, driven by trends in aboveground NPP. Postfire conifer seedling density was generally abundant and varied over 5 orders of magnitude (study-wide median: 812, range: 0 – 62 134 seedlings ha-1). Seedling density was negatively correlated with overstory mortality, whereas shrub biomass showed the opposite response, indicating a wide range of potential successional trajectories. Despite substantial combustion and mortality effects on carbon pools and fluxes, the rapid response of postfire vegetation, coupled with conservation of belowground processes, may offset long-term declines in carbon storage, indicating a surprising degree of postfire stability. These stand-scale results describe a broad range of fire effects—a high degree of pyrodiversity—but because burn severity was not evenly distributed across space, the landscape-level fire effects depend on the severity mosaic. At the landscape-scale, moderate- and low-severity fire contributed 25% and 11% of total estimated pyrogenic carbon emission, respectively (0.66 Tg C total, or ca. 2.2% of statewide anthropogenic CO2 emissions equivalent from the same 2-year period). Moderate- and low-severity fire accounted for 23% and 5% of landscape-level tree mortality, respectively, which resulted in the transfer of 2.00 Tg C from live to dead pools. This carbon transfer was ca. 3-fold higher than the one-time pulse from pyrogenic emission, but it will likely take decades for this dead wood to decompose via heterotrophic respiration. The inclusion of moderate-severity fire reduced postfire (2004) mean annual NEP by 39% compared to the high-severity only scenario; low-severity fire influence on NEP was small (additional reduction of 11% in mean NEP), likely because of high tree survivorship and the relatively lower areal coverage of low-severity fire. One year postfire, burned areas were a strong C source (net C exchange across 53 000 ha: -0.065 Tg C y-1; mean ± SD: -123 ± 110 g C m-2 y-1) vs. a prefire mean near C neutral (1997-2001 mean NEP ± SD: -5 ± 51 g C m-2 y-1). The model has been known to underestimate carbon uptake in mature and old semi-arid forests, so the prefire value is likely underestimated. Despite the resurgence of wildfire across western North America, including a substantial increase in the proportion of high-severity fire in the ecoregions studied here, low- and moderate-severity wildfire accounts for the majority of burned area in the Pacific Northwest region. This non-stand-replacement fire has important consequences for carbon loss and uptake at landscape- and regional-scales. The results from this thesis suggest that by accounting for the full gradient of fire effects, carbon modelers can substantially reduce uncertainties in key components of regional and global carbon budgets, particularly pyrogenic emissions, mortality, and NEP. Understanding the effects of disturbance variability on terrestrial carbon cycling will become increasingly important in the context of emerging regional and global carbon policies. Title: Carbon dynamics following landscape fire: influence of burn severity, climate, and stand history in the Metolius Watershed, Oregon Author: Meigs, Garrett W. Fire is a fundamental disturbance that drives terrestrial and atmospheric carbon dynamics. Previous studies have quantified fire effects on carbon cycling from local to global scales but have focused nearly exclusively on high-severity, stand-replacement fire. Since 2002, variable-severity wildfires have burned more than 65 000 ha across the east slope of the Oregon Cascades, including 4 large fires that burned ca. 50% of the forested area within the Metolius Watershed in 2002 and 2003. This thesis integrates data from 64 field plots, remote-sensing, and an ecosystem process model to investigate the effects of low-, moderate-, and high-severity fire. The primary research objectives were to: (a) quantify combustion and mortality effects on carbon pools, postfire net ecosystem production (NEP), and potential regeneration trajectories at the stand scale; (b) introduce novel remote-sensing datasets into a modeling framework to assess the importance of low- and moderate-severity fire across the landscape and region. At the stand-scale, the 3 levels of burn severity (overstory tree mortality) resulted in profoundly different impacts on combustion, mortality, postfire carbon balance, and potential regeneration trajectories. Simulated combustion ranged from 16.6 to 32.3 Mg C ha-1, or 13% to 35% of prefire aboveground carbon. C transfers from fire-induced tree mortality were larger in magnitude than combustion, as live aboveground C decreased by >90% from low- to high-severity stands. Despite this decline, total net primary productivity (NPP) was only 40% lower in high- vs. low-severity stands, reflecting a compensatory effect of non-tree NPP. Dead wood respiratory losses were small relative to C uptake (range: 10-35% of total NPP), suggesting important decomposition lags in this seasonally-arid system. Although soil C, soil respiration, and fine root NPP were conserved across severity classes, NEP declined with increasing severity, driven by trends in aboveground NPP. Postfire conifer seedling density was generally abundant and varied over 5 orders of magnitude (study-wide median: 812, range: 0 – 62 134 seedlings ha-1). Seedling density was negatively correlated with overstory mortality, whereas shrub biomass showed the opposite response, indicating a wide range of potential successional trajectories. Despite substantial combustion and mortality effects on carbon pools and fluxes, the rapid response of postfire vegetation, coupled with conservation of belowground processes, may offset long-term declines in carbon storage, indicating a surprising degree of postfire stability. These stand-scale results describe a broad range of fire effects—a high degree of pyrodiversity—but because burn severity was not evenly distributed across space, the landscape-level fire effects depend on the severity mosaic. At the landscape-scale, moderate- and low-severity fire contributed 25% and 11% of total estimated pyrogenic carbon emission, respectively (0.66 Tg C total, or ca. 2.2% of statewide anthropogenic CO2 emissions equivalent from the same 2-year period). Moderate- and low-severity fire accounted for 23% and 5% of landscape-level tree mortality, respectively, which resulted in the transfer of 2.00 Tg C from live to dead pools. This carbon transfer was ca. 3-fold higher than the one-time pulse from pyrogenic emission, but it will likely take decades for this dead wood to decompose via heterotrophic respiration. The inclusion of moderate-severity fire reduced postfire (2004) mean annual NEP by 39% compared to the high-severity only scenario; low-severity fire influence on NEP was small (additional reduction of 11% in mean NEP), likely because of high tree survivorship and the relatively lower areal coverage of low-severity fire. One year postfire, burned areas were a strong C source (net C exchange across 53 000 ha: -0.065 Tg C y-1; mean ± SD: -123 ± 110 g C m-2 y-1) vs. a prefire mean near C neutral (1997-2001 mean NEP ± SD: -5 ± 51 g C m-2 y-1). The model has been known to underestimate carbon uptake in mature and old semi-arid forests, so the prefire value is likely underestimated. Despite the resurgence of wildfire across western North America, including a substantial increase in the proportion of high-severity fire in the ecoregions studied here, low- and moderate-severity wildfire accounts for the majority of burned area in the Pacific Northwest region. This non-stand-replacement fire has important consequences for carbon loss and uptake at landscape- and regional-scales. The results from this thesis suggest that by accounting for the full gradient of fire effects, carbon modelers can substantially reduce uncertainties in key components of regional and global carbon budgets, particularly pyrogenic emissions, mortality, and NEP. Understanding the effects of disturbance variability on terrestrial carbon cycling will become increasingly important in the context of emerging regional and global carbon policies. Close

• 64. [Article] Public perceptions of smoke from wildfire, prescribed fire, and fire use

  Managers and policy-makers across broad disciplines and organizations are calling for a better understanding of public opinion on natural resource issues. One such issue is that of fire and its role in ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Public perceptions of smoke from wildfire, prescribed fire, and fire use Author: Frederick, Stacey Sargent Managers and policy-makers across broad disciplines and organizations are calling for a better understanding of public opinion on natural resource issues. One such issue is that of fire and its role in the management of our forests and rangelands. Public perceptions of fuel reduction techniques, with a particular emphasis on using prescribed fire as a management tool, have been under study for almost a decade. However, limited research on public opinions regarding smoke from these wildfires, fuel reduction fires, and private-use fires has been completed, even though the importance of smoke has been well-observed by managers through the frequent concerns expressed over smoke. This thesis begins to address two of the information gaps about smoke. First, a multi-location case study provides information on factors that may affect acceptance of smoke from various types of fire. Second, a longitudinal panel-study reviews how public perceptions of smoke and agencies change after an active fire season year. Title: Public perceptions of smoke from wildfire, prescribed fire, and fire use Author: Frederick, Stacey Sargent Managers and policy-makers across broad disciplines and organizations are calling for a better understanding of public opinion on natural resource issues. One such issue is that of fire and its role in the management of our forests and rangelands. Public perceptions of fuel reduction techniques, with a particular emphasis on using prescribed fire as a management tool, have been under study for almost a decade. However, limited research on public opinions regarding smoke from these wildfires, fuel reduction fires, and private-use fires has been completed, even though the importance of smoke has been well-observed by managers through the frequent concerns expressed over smoke. This thesis begins to address two of the information gaps about smoke. First, a multi-location case study provides information on factors that may affect acceptance of smoke from various types of fire. Second, a longitudinal panel-study reviews how public perceptions of smoke and agencies change after an active fire season year. Close

• 65. [Article] Can Catch Shares Prevent Fisheries Collapse?

  Abstract only.

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Can Catch Shares Prevent Fisheries Collapse? Author: Gaines, Steve, Costello, Chris, Lynham, John Abstract only. Title: Can Catch Shares Prevent Fisheries Collapse? Author: Gaines, Steve, Costello, Chris, Lynham, John Abstract only. Close

• 66. [Article] Ecological effects of alternative fuel-reduction treatments: highlights of the National Fire and Fire Surrogate study (FFS)

  To the best of our knowledge, one or more authors of this paper were federal employees when contributing to this work. This is the publisher’s final pdf. The published article is copyrighted by CSIRO Publishing ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Ecological effects of alternative fuel-reduction treatments: highlights of the National Fire and Fire Surrogate study (FFS) Author: Zack, Steve, Agee, James K., Otrosina, William, Skinner, Carl N., Hart, Stephen C., Lehmkuhl, John F., Barbour, Jamie, Youngblood, Andrew, Haase, Sally, Fiedler, Carl E., Edminster, Carl B., Knapp, Eric E., Stephens, Scott L., Keeley, Jon E., Erickson, Karen L., Waldrop, Thomas A., Farris, Kerry L., Moghaddas, Jason J., Schwilk, Dylan W., Fettig, Christopher J., Outcalt, Kenneth W., Boerner, Ralph E. J., Yaussy, Daniel A., McIver, James D., Weatherspoon, C. Phillip To the best of our knowledge, one or more authors of this paper were federal employees when contributing to this work. This is the publisher’s final pdf. The published article is copyrighted by CSIRO Publishing and can be found at: http://www.publish.csiro.au/. Title: Ecological effects of alternative fuel-reduction treatments: highlights of the National Fire and Fire Surrogate study (FFS) Author: Zack, Steve, Agee, James K., Otrosina, William, Skinner, Carl N., Hart, Stephen C., Lehmkuhl, John F., Barbour, Jamie, Youngblood, Andrew, Haase, Sally, Fiedler, Carl E., Edminster, Carl B., Knapp, Eric E., Stephens, Scott L., Keeley, Jon E., Erickson, Karen L., Waldrop, Thomas A., Farris, Kerry L., Moghaddas, Jason J., Schwilk, Dylan W., Fettig, Christopher J., Outcalt, Kenneth W., Boerner, Ralph E. J., Yaussy, Daniel A., McIver, James D., Weatherspoon, C. Phillip To the best of our knowledge, one or more authors of this paper were federal employees when contributing to this work. This is the publisher’s final pdf. The published article is copyrighted by CSIRO Publishing and can be found at: http://www.publish.csiro.au/. Close

• 67. [Article] Information and tools to conserve and restore Great Basin ecosystems

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Information and tools to conserve and restore Great Basin ecosystems Author: Chambers, Jeanne C. Title: Information and tools to conserve and restore Great Basin ecosystems Author: Chambers, Jeanne C. Close

• 68. [Article] Letting wildfires burn : modeling the change in future suppression costs as the result of a suppress versus a let-burn management choice

  Wildfire management policy over the past century, which attempts to exclude fire from fire-adapted ecosystems, has led to a build-up of fuels across the western United States. As a result, current wildfires ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Letting wildfires burn : modeling the change in future suppression costs as the result of a suppress versus a let-burn management choice Author: Houtman, Rachel M. Wildfire management policy over the past century, which attempts to exclude fire from fire-adapted ecosystems, has led to a build-up of fuels across the western United States. As a result, current wildfires contain larger areas of high severity, high intensity burns than seen prior to the policy implementation. There are three leading methods for dealing with this build-up of fuels. The first two, mechanical thinning and prescribed fire, are techniques used to enter an ecosystem and reduce the fuel loads in a specific area. Either can cost anywhere from a few hundred to several thousand dollars per hectare. The third method, wildland fire use, is comparatively cheap, while maintaining the benefit of reduced current and future suppression costs. However, it is commonly over-looked, in part because the fire management officer who allows a wildfire to spread when it could have been suppressed can be held liable for damage to property and loss of life, should such events occur. In this thesis, I describe a method for estimating the future suppression cost savings that result from allowing a fire that occurs in the current year to burn. It was hypothesized that under some known, current conditions, given a random selection of future ignitions and weather, the present value of a landscape would be higher given that a fire in the current year was allowed to burn, rather than suppressed. A computer program was used to simulate 100-year sample pathways, which included fire and growth events, on a study area in the southeastern Deschutes National Forest. Based on avoided suppression costs, and a crude estimate of timber losses, some of these potential futures demonstrated a higher present value of the landscape resulting from the let-burn management choice. Size of the current fire was the most important characteristics of a given sample pathway in determining the magnitude of the change in future suppression costs. As the size of the current fire increased, the benefit from the sample pathway also increased. In the future, this analysis can be used as a framework for exploring questions pertaining to the use of weather, fuel, and ignition characteristics of current fires to determine when an ignition should be suppressed, and when it might be advantageous to let a fire burn. Title: Letting wildfires burn : modeling the change in future suppression costs as the result of a suppress versus a let-burn management choice Author: Houtman, Rachel M. Wildfire management policy over the past century, which attempts to exclude fire from fire-adapted ecosystems, has led to a build-up of fuels across the western United States. As a result, current wildfires contain larger areas of high severity, high intensity burns than seen prior to the policy implementation. There are three leading methods for dealing with this build-up of fuels. The first two, mechanical thinning and prescribed fire, are techniques used to enter an ecosystem and reduce the fuel loads in a specific area. Either can cost anywhere from a few hundred to several thousand dollars per hectare. The third method, wildland fire use, is comparatively cheap, while maintaining the benefit of reduced current and future suppression costs. However, it is commonly over-looked, in part because the fire management officer who allows a wildfire to spread when it could have been suppressed can be held liable for damage to property and loss of life, should such events occur. In this thesis, I describe a method for estimating the future suppression cost savings that result from allowing a fire that occurs in the current year to burn. It was hypothesized that under some known, current conditions, given a random selection of future ignitions and weather, the present value of a landscape would be higher given that a fire in the current year was allowed to burn, rather than suppressed. A computer program was used to simulate 100-year sample pathways, which included fire and growth events, on a study area in the southeastern Deschutes National Forest. Based on avoided suppression costs, and a crude estimate of timber losses, some of these potential futures demonstrated a higher present value of the landscape resulting from the let-burn management choice. Size of the current fire was the most important characteristics of a given sample pathway in determining the magnitude of the change in future suppression costs. As the size of the current fire increased, the benefit from the sample pathway also increased. In the future, this analysis can be used as a framework for exploring questions pertaining to the use of weather, fuel, and ignition characteristics of current fires to determine when an ignition should be suppressed, and when it might be advantageous to let a fire burn. Close

• 69. [Article] Final report: Restoration of Fender’s blue butterfly and its prairie ecosystem: Management applications of fire to Baskett Slough NWR

  We tested the recolonization ability of the Fender’s blue butterfly and monitored the vegetation response to a management-scale prescribed fire at the Baskett Slough National Wildlife Refuge, western Oregon. ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Final report: Restoration of Fender’s blue butterfly and its prairie ecosystem: Management applications of fire to Baskett Slough NWR Author: Wilson, Mark V., Clark, Deborah Louise, 1950- We tested the recolonization ability of the Fender’s blue butterfly and monitored the vegetation response to a management-scale prescribed fire at the Baskett Slough National Wildlife Refuge, western Oregon. The prescribed fire successfully cut shrub cover in half, but also reduced the size of Festuca roemeri, a dominant native grass. Although the fire killed all Fender’s blue butterfly larvae, as expected, adult females were able to recolonize the burned area from a nearby, unburned patch. These results support predictions that the Fender’s blue butterfly can recolonize burned areas for a distance of at least 100 m. Title: Final report: Restoration of Fender’s blue butterfly and its prairie ecosystem: Management applications of fire to Baskett Slough NWR Author: Wilson, Mark V., Clark, Deborah Louise, 1950- We tested the recolonization ability of the Fender’s blue butterfly and monitored the vegetation response to a management-scale prescribed fire at the Baskett Slough National Wildlife Refuge, western Oregon. The prescribed fire successfully cut shrub cover in half, but also reduced the size of Festuca roemeri, a dominant native grass. Although the fire killed all Fender’s blue butterfly larvae, as expected, adult females were able to recolonize the burned area from a nearby, unburned patch. These results support predictions that the Fender’s blue butterfly can recolonize burned areas for a distance of at least 100 m. Close

• 70. [Article] Effects of prescribed fire and silvicultural activities on fuel mass and nitrogen redistribution in Pinus ponderosa ecosystems of central Oregon

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Effects of prescribed fire and silvicultural activities on fuel mass and nitrogen redistribution in Pinus ponderosa ecosystems of central Oregon Author: Shea, Ronald W. Title: Effects of prescribed fire and silvicultural activities on fuel mass and nitrogen redistribution in Pinus ponderosa ecosystems of central Oregon Author: Shea, Ronald W. Close

• 71. [Article] Historical and current forest landscapes in Eastern Oregon and Washington. Part 2. linking vegetation characteristics to potential fire behavior and related smoke production

  We compared the potential fire behavior and smoke production of historical and current periods based on vegetative conditions in 49 5,100- to 13,500-ha watersheds in six river basins of eastern Oregon ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Historical and current forest landscapes in Eastern Oregon and Washington. Part 2. linking vegetation characteristics to potential fire behavior and related smoke production Author: Alvarado, Ernesto, Lehmkuhl, John F., Vinnanek, Robert E., Huff, Mark H., Hessburg, Paul F., Ottmar, Roger D., Everett, Richard L. We compared the potential fire behavior and smoke production of historical and current periods based on vegetative conditions in 49 5,100- to 13,500-ha watersheds in six river basins of eastern Oregon and Washington. Vegetation compositions, structure, and patterns were attributed and mapped from aerial photographs of 1932 to 1959 (historical) and 1981 to 1992 (current). Vegetation with homogeneous composition and structure were delineated as patches. Title: Historical and current forest landscapes in Eastern Oregon and Washington. Part 2. linking vegetation characteristics to potential fire behavior and related smoke production Author: Alvarado, Ernesto, Lehmkuhl, John F., Vinnanek, Robert E., Huff, Mark H., Hessburg, Paul F., Ottmar, Roger D., Everett, Richard L. We compared the potential fire behavior and smoke production of historical and current periods based on vegetative conditions in 49 5,100- to 13,500-ha watersheds in six river basins of eastern Oregon and Washington. Vegetation compositions, structure, and patterns were attributed and mapped from aerial photographs of 1932 to 1959 (historical) and 1981 to 1992 (current). Vegetation with homogeneous composition and structure were delineated as patches. Close

• 72. [Article] Bridging the worlds of fire managers and researchers : lessons and opportunities from the wildland fire workshops

  In March and April of 2003, over 250 managers, researchers, and other participants gathered for a series of workshops at Oregon State University, the University of Arizona, and Colorado State University, ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Bridging the worlds of fire managers and researchers : lessons and opportunities from the wildland fire workshops Author: White, Seth M. In March and April of 2003, over 250 managers, researchers, and other participants gathered for a series of workshops at Oregon State University, the University of Arizona, and Colorado State University, near the largest wildfires of 2002. In response to the need for better understanding of large fires, the Wildland Fire Workshops were designed to create an atmosphere for quality interactions between managers and researchers and to accomplish the following objectives: (1) create a prioritized list of recommendations for future wildland fire research; (2) identify the characteristics of effective partnerships; (3) identify types of effective information, tools, and processes; and (4) evaluate the workshops as a potential blueprint for similar workshops in other regions. Through a series of professionally facilitated workshops, participants worked toward speaking with one voice about many key issues. Although differences emerged among individuals, disciplines, and geographic locations, many common themes emerged. Participants suggested that research should be framed in the larger picture of fire ecology and ecosystem restoration, be interdisciplinary, be attentive to the effects of fire at different scales over the landscape and through time, and be focused on social issues. Effective partnerships occur when direct interaction takes place between people at multiple stages, adequate time is allowed for partnership building, partners are rewarded and held accountable for their roles, and when dedicated individuals are identified and cultivated. Participants identified effective information, tools, and processes as those that are adequately and consistently funded, user-friendly, interactive between people at multiple levels, and often championed by key, dedicated individuals. A survey of participants at the final meeting in Colorado revealed that the workshops did in fact create an atmosphere for positive interactions between managers and researchers, and that with some refinements, similar workshops could be carried out in other regions with productive results. Title: Bridging the worlds of fire managers and researchers : lessons and opportunities from the wildland fire workshops Author: White, Seth M. In March and April of 2003, over 250 managers, researchers, and other participants gathered for a series of workshops at Oregon State University, the University of Arizona, and Colorado State University, near the largest wildfires of 2002. In response to the need for better understanding of large fires, the Wildland Fire Workshops were designed to create an atmosphere for quality interactions between managers and researchers and to accomplish the following objectives: (1) create a prioritized list of recommendations for future wildland fire research; (2) identify the characteristics of effective partnerships; (3) identify types of effective information, tools, and processes; and (4) evaluate the workshops as a potential blueprint for similar workshops in other regions. Through a series of professionally facilitated workshops, participants worked toward speaking with one voice about many key issues. Although differences emerged among individuals, disciplines, and geographic locations, many common themes emerged. Participants suggested that research should be framed in the larger picture of fire ecology and ecosystem restoration, be interdisciplinary, be attentive to the effects of fire at different scales over the landscape and through time, and be focused on social issues. Effective partnerships occur when direct interaction takes place between people at multiple stages, adequate time is allowed for partnership building, partners are rewarded and held accountable for their roles, and when dedicated individuals are identified and cultivated. Participants identified effective information, tools, and processes as those that are adequately and consistently funded, user-friendly, interactive between people at multiple levels, and often championed by key, dedicated individuals. A survey of participants at the final meeting in Colorado revealed that the workshops did in fact create an atmosphere for positive interactions between managers and researchers, and that with some refinements, similar workshops could be carried out in other regions with productive results. Close

• 73. [Article] Bridging the worlds of fire managers and researchers: Lessons and opportunities from the Wildland Fire Workshops

  In March and April of 2003, over 250 managers, researchers, and other participants gathered for a series of workshops at Oregon State University, the University of Arizona, and Colorado State University, ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Bridging the worlds of fire managers and researchers: Lessons and opportunities from the Wildland Fire Workshops Author: White, Seth M. In March and April of 2003, over 250 managers, researchers, and other participants gathered for a series of workshops at Oregon State University, the University of Arizona, and Colorado State University, near the largest wildfires of 2002. In response to the need for better understanding of large fires, the Wildland Fire Workshops were designed to create an atmosphere for quality interactions between managers and researchers and to accomplish the following objectives: (1) create a prioritized list of recommendations for future wildland fire research; (2) identify the characteristics of effective partnerships; (3) identify types of effective information, tools, and processes; and (4) evaluate the workshops as a potential blueprint for similar workshops in other regions. Through a series of professionally facilitated workshops, participants worked toward speaking with one voice about many key issues. Although differences emerged among individuals, disciplines, and geographic locations, many common themes emerged. Participants suggested that research should be framed in the larger picture of fire ecology and ecosystem restoration, be interdisciplinary, be attentive to the effects of fire at different scales over the landscape and through time, and be focused on social issues. Effective partnerships occur when direct interaction takes place between people at multiple stages, adequate time is allowed for partnership building, partners are rewarded and held accountable for their roles, and when dedicated individuals are identified and cultivated. Participants identified effective information, tools, and processes as those that are adequately and consistently funded, user-friendly, interactive between people at multiple levels, and often championed by key, dedicated individuals. A survey of participants at the final meeting in Colorado revealed that the workshops did in fact create an atmosphere for positive interactions between managers and researchers, and that with some refinements, similar workshops could be carried out in other regions with productive results. Title: Bridging the worlds of fire managers and researchers: Lessons and opportunities from the Wildland Fire Workshops Author: White, Seth M. In March and April of 2003, over 250 managers, researchers, and other participants gathered for a series of workshops at Oregon State University, the University of Arizona, and Colorado State University, near the largest wildfires of 2002. In response to the need for better understanding of large fires, the Wildland Fire Workshops were designed to create an atmosphere for quality interactions between managers and researchers and to accomplish the following objectives: (1) create a prioritized list of recommendations for future wildland fire research; (2) identify the characteristics of effective partnerships; (3) identify types of effective information, tools, and processes; and (4) evaluate the workshops as a potential blueprint for similar workshops in other regions. Through a series of professionally facilitated workshops, participants worked toward speaking with one voice about many key issues. Although differences emerged among individuals, disciplines, and geographic locations, many common themes emerged. Participants suggested that research should be framed in the larger picture of fire ecology and ecosystem restoration, be interdisciplinary, be attentive to the effects of fire at different scales over the landscape and through time, and be focused on social issues. Effective partnerships occur when direct interaction takes place between people at multiple stages, adequate time is allowed for partnership building, partners are rewarded and held accountable for their roles, and when dedicated individuals are identified and cultivated. Participants identified effective information, tools, and processes as those that are adequately and consistently funded, user-friendly, interactive between people at multiple levels, and often championed by key, dedicated individuals. A survey of participants at the final meeting in Colorado revealed that the workshops did in fact create an atmosphere for positive interactions between managers and researchers, and that with some refinements, similar workshops could be carried out in other regions with productive results. Close

• 74. [Article] Potential effects of climate change and fire management on fire behavior and vegetation patterns on an east Cascades landscape

  Climate exerts considerable control on wildfire regimes, and climate and wildfire are both major drivers of forest growth and succession in interior Northwest forests. Estimating potential response of ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Potential effects of climate change and fire management on fire behavior and vegetation patterns on an east Cascades landscape Author: Greaves, Heather E. Climate exerts considerable control on wildfire regimes, and climate and wildfire are both major drivers of forest growth and succession in interior Northwest forests. Estimating potential response of these landscapes to anticipated changes in climate helps researchers and land managers understand and mitigate impacts of climate change on important ecological and economic resources. Spatially explicit, mechanistic computer simulation models are powerful tools that permit researchers to incorporate climate and disturbance events along with vegetation physiology and phenology to explore complex potential effects of climate change over wide spatial and temporal scales. In this thesis, I used the simulation model FireBGCv2 to characterize potential response of fire, vegetation, and landscape dynamics to a range of possible future climate and fire management scenarios. The simulation landscape (~43,000 hectares) is part of Deschutes National Forest, which is located at the interface of maritime and continental climates and is known for its beauty and ecological diversity. Simulation scenarios included all combinations of +0°C, +3°C, and +6°C of warming; +10%, ±0%, and -10% historical precipitation; and 10% and 90% fire suppression, and were run for 500 years. To characterize fire dynamics, I investigated how mean fire frequency, intensity, and fuel loadings changed over time in all scenarios, and how fire and tree mortality interacted over time. To explore vegetation and landscape dynamics, I described the distribution and spatial arrangement of vegetation types and forest successional stages on the landscape, and used a nonmetric multidimensional scaling (NMS) ordination to holistically evaluate overall similarity of composition, structure, and landscape pattern among all simulation scenarios over time. Changes in precipitation had little effect on fire characteristics or vegetation and landscape characteristics, indicating that simulated precipitation changes were not sufficient to significantly affect vegetation moisture stress or fire behavior on this landscape. Current heavy fuel loads controlled early fire dynamics, with high mean fire intensities occurring early in all simulations. Increases in fire frequency accompanied all temperature increases, leading to decreasing fuel loads and fire intensities over time in warming scenarios. With no increase in temperature or in fire frequency, high fire intensities and heavier fuel loads were sustained. Over time, more fire associated with warming or less fire suppression increased the percentage of the landscape occupied by non-forest and fire-sensitive early seral forest successional stages, which tended to increase the percentage of fire area burning at high severity (in terms of tree mortality). This fire-vegetation relationship may reflect a return to a more historical range of conditions on this landscape. Higher temperatures and fire frequency led to significant spatial migration of forest types across the landscape, with communities at the highest and lowest elevations particularly affected. Warming led to an upslope shift of warm mixed conifer and ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa) forests, severely contracting (under 3° of warming) or eliminating (under 6° of warming) area dominated by mountain hemlock (Tsuga mertensiana) and cool, wet conifer forest in the high western portion of the landscape. In lower elevations, warming and fire together contributed to significant expansion of open (<10% tree canopy cover) forest and grass- and shrubland. The compositional changes and spatial shifts simulated in the warming scenarios suggest that climate change is likely to significantly affect forests on this landscape. Warming and associated fire also tended to increase heterogeneity of forest structural stages and landscape pattern, resulting in a more diverse distribution of structural stages, especially in lower elevations, and a more divided landscape of smaller forest stands. The NMS ordination emphasized the dissimilarity between the severe +6° scenarios and the other two temperature scenarios. The +0° and +3° scenarios differed from each other in composition (mainly because cool forest was lost in the +3° scenarios), but within a given level of fire suppression they remained remarkably similar in terms of overall composition, structure, and landscape pattern, while the +6° scenarios separated noticeably from them. Such decisive differences suggest that under the simulated ranges of precipitation and fire suppression, the interval between 3 and 6 degrees of warming on this landscape may capture an ecological threshold, or tipping point. Additional simulation research that incorporates (for example) management actions, insects and pathogens, and a wider array of precipitation scenarios could help illuminate more clearly the possible range of future landscape conditions. Still, these results provide a glimpse of potential divergent outcomes on this important landscape under possible future climates, and suggest that these forests will undergo considerable changes from both historical and current conditions in response to higher temperatures expected in this area. Some changes may be inevitable with warming, such as the upslope shift of warm forest types, but careful planning for fire and fuels management might allow land managers to modulate fire behavior and steer vegetation dynamics toward the most desirable outcome possible. Title: Potential effects of climate change and fire management on fire behavior and vegetation patterns on an east Cascades landscape Author: Greaves, Heather E. Climate exerts considerable control on wildfire regimes, and climate and wildfire are both major drivers of forest growth and succession in interior Northwest forests. Estimating potential response of these landscapes to anticipated changes in climate helps researchers and land managers understand and mitigate impacts of climate change on important ecological and economic resources. Spatially explicit, mechanistic computer simulation models are powerful tools that permit researchers to incorporate climate and disturbance events along with vegetation physiology and phenology to explore complex potential effects of climate change over wide spatial and temporal scales. In this thesis, I used the simulation model FireBGCv2 to characterize potential response of fire, vegetation, and landscape dynamics to a range of possible future climate and fire management scenarios. The simulation landscape (~43,000 hectares) is part of Deschutes National Forest, which is located at the interface of maritime and continental climates and is known for its beauty and ecological diversity. Simulation scenarios included all combinations of +0°C, +3°C, and +6°C of warming; +10%, ±0%, and -10% historical precipitation; and 10% and 90% fire suppression, and were run for 500 years. To characterize fire dynamics, I investigated how mean fire frequency, intensity, and fuel loadings changed over time in all scenarios, and how fire and tree mortality interacted over time. To explore vegetation and landscape dynamics, I described the distribution and spatial arrangement of vegetation types and forest successional stages on the landscape, and used a nonmetric multidimensional scaling (NMS) ordination to holistically evaluate overall similarity of composition, structure, and landscape pattern among all simulation scenarios over time. Changes in precipitation had little effect on fire characteristics or vegetation and landscape characteristics, indicating that simulated precipitation changes were not sufficient to significantly affect vegetation moisture stress or fire behavior on this landscape. Current heavy fuel loads controlled early fire dynamics, with high mean fire intensities occurring early in all simulations. Increases in fire frequency accompanied all temperature increases, leading to decreasing fuel loads and fire intensities over time in warming scenarios. With no increase in temperature or in fire frequency, high fire intensities and heavier fuel loads were sustained. Over time, more fire associated with warming or less fire suppression increased the percentage of the landscape occupied by non-forest and fire-sensitive early seral forest successional stages, which tended to increase the percentage of fire area burning at high severity (in terms of tree mortality). This fire-vegetation relationship may reflect a return to a more historical range of conditions on this landscape. Higher temperatures and fire frequency led to significant spatial migration of forest types across the landscape, with communities at the highest and lowest elevations particularly affected. Warming led to an upslope shift of warm mixed conifer and ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa) forests, severely contracting (under 3° of warming) or eliminating (under 6° of warming) area dominated by mountain hemlock (Tsuga mertensiana) and cool, wet conifer forest in the high western portion of the landscape. In lower elevations, warming and fire together contributed to significant expansion of open (<10% tree canopy cover) forest and grass- and shrubland. The compositional changes and spatial shifts simulated in the warming scenarios suggest that climate change is likely to significantly affect forests on this landscape. Warming and associated fire also tended to increase heterogeneity of forest structural stages and landscape pattern, resulting in a more diverse distribution of structural stages, especially in lower elevations, and a more divided landscape of smaller forest stands. The NMS ordination emphasized the dissimilarity between the severe +6° scenarios and the other two temperature scenarios. The +0° and +3° scenarios differed from each other in composition (mainly because cool forest was lost in the +3° scenarios), but within a given level of fire suppression they remained remarkably similar in terms of overall composition, structure, and landscape pattern, while the +6° scenarios separated noticeably from them. Such decisive differences suggest that under the simulated ranges of precipitation and fire suppression, the interval between 3 and 6 degrees of warming on this landscape may capture an ecological threshold, or tipping point. Additional simulation research that incorporates (for example) management actions, insects and pathogens, and a wider array of precipitation scenarios could help illuminate more clearly the possible range of future landscape conditions. Still, these results provide a glimpse of potential divergent outcomes on this important landscape under possible future climates, and suggest that these forests will undergo considerable changes from both historical and current conditions in response to higher temperatures expected in this area. Some changes may be inevitable with warming, such as the upslope shift of warm forest types, but careful planning for fire and fuels management might allow land managers to modulate fire behavior and steer vegetation dynamics toward the most desirable outcome possible. Close

• 75. [Article] Does wildfire likelihood increase following insect outbreaks in conifer forests?

  This is the publisher’s final pdf. The published article is copyrighted by Ecological Society of America and can be found at: http://www.esajournals.org/loi/ecsp

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Does wildfire likelihood increase following insect outbreaks in conifer forests? Author: Shaw, David C., Campbell, John L., Bailey, John D., Kennedy, Robert E., Zald, Harold S. J., Meigs, Garrett W. This is the publisher’s final pdf. The published article is copyrighted by Ecological Society of America and can be found at: http://www.esajournals.org/loi/ecsp Title: Does wildfire likelihood increase following insect outbreaks in conifer forests? Author: Shaw, David C., Campbell, John L., Bailey, John D., Kennedy, Robert E., Zald, Harold S. J., Meigs, Garrett W. This is the publisher’s final pdf. The published article is copyrighted by Ecological Society of America and can be found at: http://www.esajournals.org/loi/ecsp Close

• 76. [Article] Does wildfire likelihood increase following insect outbreaks in conifer forests?

  This is the publisher’s final pdf. The published article is copyrighted by The Author(s) and published by the Ecological Society of America. It can be found at: http://www.esajournals.org/loi/ecsp

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Does wildfire likelihood increase following insect outbreaks in conifer forests? Author: Meigs, Garrett W., Campbell, John L., Bailey, John D., Kennedy, Robert E., Zald, Harold S. J., Shaw, David C. This is the publisher’s final pdf. The published article is copyrighted by The Author(s) and published by the Ecological Society of America. It can be found at: http://www.esajournals.org/loi/ecsp Title: Does wildfire likelihood increase following insect outbreaks in conifer forests? Author: Meigs, Garrett W., Campbell, John L., Bailey, John D., Kennedy, Robert E., Zald, Harold S. J., Shaw, David C. This is the publisher’s final pdf. The published article is copyrighted by The Author(s) and published by the Ecological Society of America. It can be found at: http://www.esajournals.org/loi/ecsp Close

• 77. [Article] Does wildfire likelihood increase following insect outbreaks in conifer forests?

  This is the publisher’s final pdf. The published article is copyrighted by The Author(s) and published by the Ecological Society of America. It can be found at: http://www.esajournals.org/loi/ecsp

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Does wildfire likelihood increase following insect outbreaks in conifer forests? Author: Shaw, David C., Campbell, John L., Bailey, John D., Kennedy, Robert E., Zald, Harold S. J., Meigs, Garrett W. This is the publisher’s final pdf. The published article is copyrighted by The Author(s) and published by the Ecological Society of America. It can be found at: http://www.esajournals.org/loi/ecsp Title: Does wildfire likelihood increase following insect outbreaks in conifer forests? Author: Shaw, David C., Campbell, John L., Bailey, John D., Kennedy, Robert E., Zald, Harold S. J., Meigs, Garrett W. This is the publisher’s final pdf. The published article is copyrighted by The Author(s) and published by the Ecological Society of America. It can be found at: http://www.esajournals.org/loi/ecsp Close

• 78. [Article] The use of burned forest by breeding birds following the Biscuit Fire in southwest Oregon

  Fire severity is hypothesized as an important driver of bird responses to wildfire. For those species that typically respond negatively to increasing severity, Accessibility of high-severity burned forest ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: The use of burned forest by breeding birds following the Biscuit Fire in southwest Oregon Author: Donaghy Cannon, Michelle M. Fire severity is hypothesized as an important driver of bird responses to wildfire. For those species that typically respond negatively to increasing severity, Accessibility of high-severity burned forest may be dependent on the proximity of unburned or low-severity burned forest to meet all of the needs of breeding bird species that typically respond negatively to increasing fire severity. We used dynamic occupancy modeling and intensive surveys to test the hypothesis that the presence of live trees explained distribution of birds in high-severity burned forest in the first three years following the Biscuit Complex Fire in southwest Oregon. Proximity of low-moderate severity burned forest appeared to be important for some foliage- and bark-gleaning species. However, probability of occurrence in high-severity patches for several canopy-associates was not associated with distance from low-moderate severity burned forest. We found strong evidence that large snags (>52-cm) and large live conifers provided important nest substrates for several of these open-cup nesting species. Sprouts from top-killed hardwood species provided primary nesting substrates for early-seral associates and some species that nest in live trees or mature shrubs in unburned forest. Large areas of high-severity burned forest appeared to provide important breeding habitat for edge-sensitive cavity-nesting species. Most cavity nests were in large fire-killed or legacy snags with significant decay. In all, bird species that were likely to nest in high-severity forest also were likely to persist in the early post-fire period. Identifying the structures used for nesting by these species provides a mechanistic understanding of the distributions of many species of breeding birds following wildfire, and underscores the importance of local ecological context in interpretation of the effects of disturbance. We used intensive surveys to evaluate the efficacy of point count surveys to detect breeding birds. Most species had significantly higher detection probabilities at sites with evidence of breeding activity than at sites without such evidence. Among species, however, detection probability did not predict prevalence of breeding. Most species for which detection probabilities during point counts were low or moderate were those predicted to decline following high-severity fire. This finding highlights the importance of evaluating detection probabilities to identify effective sampling methods for species expected to respond negatively to habitat alteration. Title: The use of burned forest by breeding birds following the Biscuit Fire in southwest Oregon Author: Donaghy Cannon, Michelle M. Fire severity is hypothesized as an important driver of bird responses to wildfire. For those species that typically respond negatively to increasing severity, Accessibility of high-severity burned forest may be dependent on the proximity of unburned or low-severity burned forest to meet all of the needs of breeding bird species that typically respond negatively to increasing fire severity. We used dynamic occupancy modeling and intensive surveys to test the hypothesis that the presence of live trees explained distribution of birds in high-severity burned forest in the first three years following the Biscuit Complex Fire in southwest Oregon. Proximity of low-moderate severity burned forest appeared to be important for some foliage- and bark-gleaning species. However, probability of occurrence in high-severity patches for several canopy-associates was not associated with distance from low-moderate severity burned forest. We found strong evidence that large snags (>52-cm) and large live conifers provided important nest substrates for several of these open-cup nesting species. Sprouts from top-killed hardwood species provided primary nesting substrates for early-seral associates and some species that nest in live trees or mature shrubs in unburned forest. Large areas of high-severity burned forest appeared to provide important breeding habitat for edge-sensitive cavity-nesting species. Most cavity nests were in large fire-killed or legacy snags with significant decay. In all, bird species that were likely to nest in high-severity forest also were likely to persist in the early post-fire period. Identifying the structures used for nesting by these species provides a mechanistic understanding of the distributions of many species of breeding birds following wildfire, and underscores the importance of local ecological context in interpretation of the effects of disturbance. We used intensive surveys to evaluate the efficacy of point count surveys to detect breeding birds. Most species had significantly higher detection probabilities at sites with evidence of breeding activity than at sites without such evidence. Among species, however, detection probability did not predict prevalence of breeding. Most species for which detection probabilities during point counts were low or moderate were those predicted to decline following high-severity fire. This finding highlights the importance of evaluating detection probabilities to identify effective sampling methods for species expected to respond negatively to habitat alteration. Close

• 79. [Article] Managing for landscape resilience in the frequent-fire forests of central Oregon

  Wildfire in dry, frequent-fire forests is a pressing issue for natural resource managers, communities and politicians in the western United States. Area affected by wildfire has climbed steadily over the last ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Managing for landscape resilience in the frequent-fire forests of central Oregon Author: Platt, Emily K. Wildfire in dry, frequent-fire forests is a pressing issue for natural resource managers, communities and politicians in the western United States. Area affected by wildfire has climbed steadily over the last twenty years and is expected to increase in the future. Recognition of the importance of both social and biophysical influences on wildfire management has led to calls for integrated social-ecological research and new methods for studying ecosystems that incorporate both social and biophysical science. This project integrates social and biophysical research methods to address research questions related to wildfire, forest dynamics, and management of national forestlands in Oregon's Central Cascades. Qualitative content analysis is paired with landscape modeling to answer research questions related to managing frequent-fire forests for landscape resilience. Collectively, both approaches present a more complete understanding of challenges and opportunities related to managing for landscape resilience than could either approach on its own. One common thread identified in both approaches is the importance of bringing more fire onto the landscape, either through the use of prescribed fire or carefully managed wildfire. Both interview respondents and modeling results demonstrate the importance of using managed fire to reduce the risk of high-severity wildfire. Another compelling result of the analysis stemmed from modeling simulations which showed current levels of management to lead to the same amount of high-severity fire as a no management scenario. Finally, the modeling results demonstrated that not every acre has to be managed to reduce wildfire risk across a larger landscape. Landscape-scale management plans are thus critical to the development of effective management strategies, and forest plans may fulfill this role. Forest Service budgeting based on forest plans could lead to more efficient, effective, and responsive public administration of federal lands. Title: Managing for landscape resilience in the frequent-fire forests of central Oregon Author: Platt, Emily K. Wildfire in dry, frequent-fire forests is a pressing issue for natural resource managers, communities and politicians in the western United States. Area affected by wildfire has climbed steadily over the last twenty years and is expected to increase in the future. Recognition of the importance of both social and biophysical influences on wildfire management has led to calls for integrated social-ecological research and new methods for studying ecosystems that incorporate both social and biophysical science. This project integrates social and biophysical research methods to address research questions related to wildfire, forest dynamics, and management of national forestlands in Oregon's Central Cascades. Qualitative content analysis is paired with landscape modeling to answer research questions related to managing frequent-fire forests for landscape resilience. Collectively, both approaches present a more complete understanding of challenges and opportunities related to managing for landscape resilience than could either approach on its own. One common thread identified in both approaches is the importance of bringing more fire onto the landscape, either through the use of prescribed fire or carefully managed wildfire. Both interview respondents and modeling results demonstrate the importance of using managed fire to reduce the risk of high-severity wildfire. Another compelling result of the analysis stemmed from modeling simulations which showed current levels of management to lead to the same amount of high-severity fire as a no management scenario. Finally, the modeling results demonstrated that not every acre has to be managed to reduce wildfire risk across a larger landscape. Landscape-scale management plans are thus critical to the development of effective management strategies, and forest plans may fulfill this role. Forest Service budgeting based on forest plans could lead to more efficient, effective, and responsive public administration of federal lands. Close

• 80. [Article] Dynamics of coarse woody debris following wildfire in a mountain hemlock (Tsuga mertensiana) forest

  This is the publisher’s final pdf. The published article is copyrighted by Elsevier and can be found at: http://www.journals.elsevier.com/forest-ecology-and-management/. To the best of our knowledge, one ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Dynamics of coarse woody debris following wildfire in a mountain hemlock (Tsuga mertensiana) forest Author: Sexton, Jay, Acker, Steven A., Kertis, Jane, O’Connell, Kari, Bruner, Howard This is the publisher’s final pdf. The published article is copyrighted by Elsevier and can be found at: http://www.journals.elsevier.com/forest-ecology-and-management/. To the best of our knowledge, one or more authors of this paper were federal employees when contributing to this work. Title: Dynamics of coarse woody debris following wildfire in a mountain hemlock (Tsuga mertensiana) forest Author: Sexton, Jay, Acker, Steven A., Kertis, Jane, O’Connell, Kari, Bruner, Howard This is the publisher’s final pdf. The published article is copyrighted by Elsevier and can be found at: http://www.journals.elsevier.com/forest-ecology-and-management/. To the best of our knowledge, one or more authors of this paper were federal employees when contributing to this work. Close

• 81. [Article] Is fire exclusion in mountain big sagebrush communities prudent? Soil nutrient, plant diversity and arthropod response to burning

  To the best of our knowledge, one or more authors of this paper were federal employees when contributing to this work. This is the publisher’s final pdf. The article is copyrighted by the International ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Is fire exclusion in mountain big sagebrush communities prudent? Soil nutrient, plant diversity and arthropod response to burning Author: Nafus, Aleta M., Boyd, Chad S., Bates, Jonathan D., Davies, Kirk W. To the best of our knowledge, one or more authors of this paper were federal employees when contributing to this work. This is the publisher’s final pdf. The article is copyrighted by the International Association of Wildland Fire and published by CSIRO Publishing. It can be found at: http://www.publish.csiro.au/nid/114.htm. Title: Is fire exclusion in mountain big sagebrush communities prudent? Soil nutrient, plant diversity and arthropod response to burning Author: Nafus, Aleta M., Boyd, Chad S., Bates, Jonathan D., Davies, Kirk W. To the best of our knowledge, one or more authors of this paper were federal employees when contributing to this work. This is the publisher’s final pdf. The article is copyrighted by the International Association of Wildland Fire and published by CSIRO Publishing. It can be found at: http://www.publish.csiro.au/nid/114.htm. Close

• 82. [Article] Western forests, fire risk, and climate change

  Climate warming may first show up in forests as increased growth, which occurs as warmer temperatures, increased carbon dioxide, and more precipitation encourage higher rates of photosynthesis. The second ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Western forests, fire risk, and climate change Author: Rapp, Valerie Climate warming may first show up in forests as increased growth, which occurs as warmer temperatures, increased carbon dioxide, and more precipitation encourage higher rates of photosynthesis. The second way that climate change may show up in forests is through changes in disturbance regimes—the long-term patterns of fire, drought, insects, and diseases that are basic to forest development. Advanced computer models are producing the first national-scale simulations of how ecosystems and fire regimes could change in the 21st century. In six of seven future scenarios run through one model, the Western United States gets wetter winters and warmer summers throughout the 21st century (as compared to current climate), with expanded woody growth across the West and thus, increased fire risk. These results have been used in national and global assessments of global climate change. The computer model can now produce 7-month forecasts of possible fire risks for the conterminous United States, made possible by incorporating year-to-year changes in climate, fuel loadings, and moisture into the model. The accuracy of 2002 and 2003 forecasts has validated the model’s approach, suggesting it can eventually be a useful planning tool for fire managers. Research results were produced by scientists from the USDA Forest Service Pacific Northwest (PNW) Research Station, working with others from Oregon State University and from around the world. The team’s research has led to the key insight that fire and fuel load issues in Western forests are linked to global carbon balance issues. The full story is inside. Title: Western forests, fire risk, and climate change Author: Rapp, Valerie Climate warming may first show up in forests as increased growth, which occurs as warmer temperatures, increased carbon dioxide, and more precipitation encourage higher rates of photosynthesis. The second way that climate change may show up in forests is through changes in disturbance regimes—the long-term patterns of fire, drought, insects, and diseases that are basic to forest development. Advanced computer models are producing the first national-scale simulations of how ecosystems and fire regimes could change in the 21st century. In six of seven future scenarios run through one model, the Western United States gets wetter winters and warmer summers throughout the 21st century (as compared to current climate), with expanded woody growth across the West and thus, increased fire risk. These results have been used in national and global assessments of global climate change. The computer model can now produce 7-month forecasts of possible fire risks for the conterminous United States, made possible by incorporating year-to-year changes in climate, fuel loadings, and moisture into the model. The accuracy of 2002 and 2003 forecasts has validated the model’s approach, suggesting it can eventually be a useful planning tool for fire managers. Research results were produced by scientists from the USDA Forest Service Pacific Northwest (PNW) Research Station, working with others from Oregon State University and from around the world. The team’s research has led to the key insight that fire and fuel load issues in Western forests are linked to global carbon balance issues. The full story is inside. Close

• 83. [Article] Snow water equivalent, snowpack surface debris concentrations, and micrometeorological conditions over snow in burned and unburned forest sites for three years following fire

  See the related paper: Gleason, Kelly E; Nolin, Anne W; Roth, Travis R (2013) Charred forests increase snowmelt: Effects of burned woody debris and incoming solar radiation on snow ablation. Geophysical ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Snow water equivalent, snowpack surface debris concentrations, and micrometeorological conditions over snow in burned and unburned forest sites for three years following fire Author: Nolin, Anne W, Gleason, Kelly E See the related paper: Gleason, Kelly E; Nolin, Anne W; Roth, Travis R (2013) Charred forests increase snowmelt: Effects of burned woody debris and incoming solar radiation on snow ablation. Geophysical Research Letters, 40: 4654-4661. DOI: 10.1002/grl.50896. Title: Snow water equivalent, snowpack surface debris concentrations, and micrometeorological conditions over snow in burned and unburned forest sites for three years following fire Author: Nolin, Anne W, Gleason, Kelly E See the related paper: Gleason, Kelly E; Nolin, Anne W; Roth, Travis R (2013) Charred forests increase snowmelt: Effects of burned woody debris and incoming solar radiation on snow ablation. Geophysical Research Letters, 40: 4654-4661. DOI: 10.1002/grl.50896. Close

• 84. [Article] Western forests, fire risk, and climate change

  Climate warming may first show up in forests as increased growth, which occurs as warmer temperatures, increased carbon dioxide, and more precipitation encourage higher rates of photosynthesis. The second ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Western forests, fire risk, and climate change Author: Rapp, Valerie Climate warming may first show up in forests as increased growth, which occurs as warmer temperatures, increased carbon dioxide, and more precipitation encourage higher rates of photosynthesis. The second way that climate change may show up in forests is through changes in disturbance regimes—the long-term patterns of fire, drought, insects, and diseases that are basic to forest development. Advanced computer models are producing the first national-scale simulations of how ecosystems and fire regimes could change in the 21st century. In six of seven future scenarios run through one model, the Western United States gets wetter winters and warmer summers throughout the 21st century (as compared to current climate), with expanded woody growth across the West and thus, increased fire risk. These results have been used in national and global assessments of global climate change. The computer model can now produce 7-month forecasts of possible fire risks for the conterminous United States, made possible by incorporating year-to-year changes in climate, fuel loadings, and moisture into the model. The accuracy of 2002 and 2003 forecasts has validated the model’s approach, suggesting it can eventually be a useful planning tool for fire managers. Research results were produced by scientists from the USDA Forest Service Pacific Northwest (PNW) Research Station, working with others from Oregon State University and from around the world. The team’s research has led to the key insight that fire and fuel load issues in Western forests are linked to global carbon balance issues. The full story is inside. Title: Western forests, fire risk, and climate change Author: Rapp, Valerie Climate warming may first show up in forests as increased growth, which occurs as warmer temperatures, increased carbon dioxide, and more precipitation encourage higher rates of photosynthesis. The second way that climate change may show up in forests is through changes in disturbance regimes—the long-term patterns of fire, drought, insects, and diseases that are basic to forest development. Advanced computer models are producing the first national-scale simulations of how ecosystems and fire regimes could change in the 21st century. In six of seven future scenarios run through one model, the Western United States gets wetter winters and warmer summers throughout the 21st century (as compared to current climate), with expanded woody growth across the West and thus, increased fire risk. These results have been used in national and global assessments of global climate change. The computer model can now produce 7-month forecasts of possible fire risks for the conterminous United States, made possible by incorporating year-to-year changes in climate, fuel loadings, and moisture into the model. The accuracy of 2002 and 2003 forecasts has validated the model’s approach, suggesting it can eventually be a useful planning tool for fire managers. Research results were produced by scientists from the USDA Forest Service Pacific Northwest (PNW) Research Station, working with others from Oregon State University and from around the world. The team’s research has led to the key insight that fire and fuel load issues in Western forests are linked to global carbon balance issues. The full story is inside. Close

• 85. [Article] Fire meets inland water via burned wood: and then what?

  This is the publisher’s final pdf. The article is copyrighted by the Society for Freshwater Science and published by The University of Chicago Press. It can be found at: http://www.freshwater-science.o...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Fire meets inland water via burned wood: and then what? Author: Merten, Eric C., Warren, Dana R., Vaz, Pedro G., et al. This is the publisher’s final pdf. The article is copyrighted by the Society for Freshwater Science and published by The University of Chicago Press. It can be found at: http://www.freshwater-science.org/Journal/Access-FWS.cfm Title: Fire meets inland water via burned wood: and then what? Author: Merten, Eric C., Warren, Dana R., Vaz, Pedro G., et al. This is the publisher’s final pdf. The article is copyrighted by the Society for Freshwater Science and published by The University of Chicago Press. It can be found at: http://www.freshwater-science.org/Journal/Access-FWS.cfm Close

• 86. [Article] Ecological responses to riverine floods and flow alteration

  Floods are major disturbance events for riverine ecosystems, directly and indirectly impacting organisms and their habitat. In this study I investigated the role of riverine floods and flow alteration ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Ecological responses to riverine floods and flow alteration Author: McMullen, Laura E. Floods are major disturbance events for riverine ecosystems, directly and indirectly impacting organisms and their habitat. In this study I investigated the role of riverine floods and flow alteration in regulating aquatic macroinvertebrate population and community structure. I examined this problem using a variety of methods: a meta-analytic review of primary studies from the literature, a mathematical model synthesizing population and flood ecology, a multi-year experimental flood program in an arid-land river, and a field investigation of flood recovery behaviors in a charismatic larval odonate. I found that floods significantly reduced invertebrate abundance in the short term, but had varied effects across particular study sites, microhabitats, and taxonomic groups. I determined that both resistant and resilient capabilities are important to persistence of invertebrate populations after disturbance events, and that these traits may act in a binary fashion. Recovery over time of invertebrate populations may be partially due to "hidden resistance" of spatially displaced individuals in side-channels, benthic substrate, and vegetation or wood. Some invertebrates adapted to flood-prone rivers may possess behavioral adaptations for returning to the main-channel of the river after flood events. This dissertation contributes to riverine disturbance ecology and provides information useful to prediction and management of ecosystem flows in rivers. Title: Ecological responses to riverine floods and flow alteration Author: McMullen, Laura E. Floods are major disturbance events for riverine ecosystems, directly and indirectly impacting organisms and their habitat. In this study I investigated the role of riverine floods and flow alteration in regulating aquatic macroinvertebrate population and community structure. I examined this problem using a variety of methods: a meta-analytic review of primary studies from the literature, a mathematical model synthesizing population and flood ecology, a multi-year experimental flood program in an arid-land river, and a field investigation of flood recovery behaviors in a charismatic larval odonate. I found that floods significantly reduced invertebrate abundance in the short term, but had varied effects across particular study sites, microhabitats, and taxonomic groups. I determined that both resistant and resilient capabilities are important to persistence of invertebrate populations after disturbance events, and that these traits may act in a binary fashion. Recovery over time of invertebrate populations may be partially due to "hidden resistance" of spatially displaced individuals in side-channels, benthic substrate, and vegetation or wood. Some invertebrates adapted to flood-prone rivers may possess behavioral adaptations for returning to the main-channel of the river after flood events. This dissertation contributes to riverine disturbance ecology and provides information useful to prediction and management of ecosystem flows in rivers. Close

• 87. [Article] Influence of dwarf mistletoe (Arceuthobium americanum) on stand structure, canopy fuels, and fire behavior in lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta) forests 21-28 years post-mountain pine beetle (Dendroctonus ponderosae) epidemic in central Oregon

  Lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta) forests are widely distributed throughout western North America. However, the lodgepole pine forests of central Oregon are ecologically unique to the region, with a mixed ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Influence of dwarf mistletoe (Arceuthobium americanum) on stand structure, canopy fuels, and fire behavior in lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta) forests 21-28 years post-mountain pine beetle (Dendroctonus ponderosae) epidemic in central Oregon Author: Agne, Michelle C. Lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta) forests are widely distributed throughout western North America. However, the lodgepole pine forests of central Oregon are ecologically unique to the region, with a mixed severity fire regime, low cone serotiny, and their occasional presence as a climax species. Most of the research conducted regarding the stand structure and disturbance regimes of lodgepole pine has occurred in the intermountain west. Research findings from other geographical locations may not be applicable to central Oregon lodgepole pine forests, given their distinctive ecological attributes. Lodgepole pine forests are subject to three widespread disturbance regimes: mountain pine beetle, dwarf mistletoe, and fire. Although much is known about each of these disturbances in lodgepole pine, little is known about their interactive effects. These disturbances occur pervasively in lodgepole pine and are known to co-occur on the landscape, so their effects must be investigated and interpreted simultaneously. This thesis describes the combined influences of dwarf mistletoe and mountain pine beetle on stand structure, canopy fuels, and fire behavior in central Oregon lodgepole pine forests. We randomly selected and sampled 39 0.075-hectare plots within 13 stands in the Deschutes National Forest in central Oregon. The plots varied from 0 to 4 in average dwarf mistletoe rating (DMR) and all had experienced a mountain pine beetle mortality event 21 to 28 years prior to sampling. In Chapter 2, we compared stand density, stand basal area, canopy volume, proportion of the stand in dominant/codominant, intermediate, and suppressed cohorts, and average height and average diameter of each cohort, across the range of DMR. We found strong evidence of a decrease in canopy volume, suppressed cohort height, and dominant cohort diameter with increasing DMR. There was strong evidence that as DMR increases, proportion of the stand in the dominant/codominant cohort decreases, while proportion of the stand in the suppressed cohort increases. Structural differences associated with dwarf mistletoe create heterogeneity in this forest type and may have a large impact on the productivity, resistance, and resilience of these stands. These findings show that it is imperative to incorporate dwarf mistletoe effects when studying stand productivity and ecosystem recovery processes. In Chapter 3, we compared canopy base height, the fuel parameter that drives passive crown fire, and canopy bulk density, the fuel parameter that drives active crown fire, over the range of DMR to determine the effect of dwarf mistletoe on canopy fuels. We then used BehavePlus to model passive crown fire and active crown fire in our plots. We found strong evidence of a decrease in canopy base height with increasing DMR. There was suggestive evidence of decrease in canopy bulk density with increasing DMR, after accounting for stand density. The results of the fire behavior modeling suggest that at low to moderate wind speeds, likelihood of passive crown fire increases with increased DMR. However, under more extreme weather (wind speeds >20 mph), the effect of dwarf mistletoe on passive crown fire potential was not shown to be important. The potential for active crown fire was extremely low in our plots, regardless of DMR. These findings show that dwarf mistletoe is having a significant effect on the potential for passive crown fire in lodgepole pine forests 21 to 28 years post-mountain pine beetle epidemic, and should be considered in future research regarding post-mountain pine beetle fuels and fire behavior. Title: Influence of dwarf mistletoe (Arceuthobium americanum) on stand structure, canopy fuels, and fire behavior in lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta) forests 21-28 years post-mountain pine beetle (Dendroctonus ponderosae) epidemic in central Oregon Author: Agne, Michelle C. Lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta) forests are widely distributed throughout western North America. However, the lodgepole pine forests of central Oregon are ecologically unique to the region, with a mixed severity fire regime, low cone serotiny, and their occasional presence as a climax species. Most of the research conducted regarding the stand structure and disturbance regimes of lodgepole pine has occurred in the intermountain west. Research findings from other geographical locations may not be applicable to central Oregon lodgepole pine forests, given their distinctive ecological attributes. Lodgepole pine forests are subject to three widespread disturbance regimes: mountain pine beetle, dwarf mistletoe, and fire. Although much is known about each of these disturbances in lodgepole pine, little is known about their interactive effects. These disturbances occur pervasively in lodgepole pine and are known to co-occur on the landscape, so their effects must be investigated and interpreted simultaneously. This thesis describes the combined influences of dwarf mistletoe and mountain pine beetle on stand structure, canopy fuels, and fire behavior in central Oregon lodgepole pine forests. We randomly selected and sampled 39 0.075-hectare plots within 13 stands in the Deschutes National Forest in central Oregon. The plots varied from 0 to 4 in average dwarf mistletoe rating (DMR) and all had experienced a mountain pine beetle mortality event 21 to 28 years prior to sampling. In Chapter 2, we compared stand density, stand basal area, canopy volume, proportion of the stand in dominant/codominant, intermediate, and suppressed cohorts, and average height and average diameter of each cohort, across the range of DMR. We found strong evidence of a decrease in canopy volume, suppressed cohort height, and dominant cohort diameter with increasing DMR. There was strong evidence that as DMR increases, proportion of the stand in the dominant/codominant cohort decreases, while proportion of the stand in the suppressed cohort increases. Structural differences associated with dwarf mistletoe create heterogeneity in this forest type and may have a large impact on the productivity, resistance, and resilience of these stands. These findings show that it is imperative to incorporate dwarf mistletoe effects when studying stand productivity and ecosystem recovery processes. In Chapter 3, we compared canopy base height, the fuel parameter that drives passive crown fire, and canopy bulk density, the fuel parameter that drives active crown fire, over the range of DMR to determine the effect of dwarf mistletoe on canopy fuels. We then used BehavePlus to model passive crown fire and active crown fire in our plots. We found strong evidence of a decrease in canopy base height with increasing DMR. There was suggestive evidence of decrease in canopy bulk density with increasing DMR, after accounting for stand density. The results of the fire behavior modeling suggest that at low to moderate wind speeds, likelihood of passive crown fire increases with increased DMR. However, under more extreme weather (wind speeds >20 mph), the effect of dwarf mistletoe on passive crown fire potential was not shown to be important. The potential for active crown fire was extremely low in our plots, regardless of DMR. These findings show that dwarf mistletoe is having a significant effect on the potential for passive crown fire in lodgepole pine forests 21 to 28 years post-mountain pine beetle epidemic, and should be considered in future research regarding post-mountain pine beetle fuels and fire behavior. Close

• 88. [Article] Using Resilience and Resistance Concepts to Manage Threats to Sagebrush Ecosystems, Gunnison Sage-Grouse, and Greater Sage-Grouse in Their Eastern Range: A Strategic Multi-Scale Approach

  This report provides a strategic approach developed by a Western Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies interagency working group for conservation of sagebrush ecosystems, Greater sage-grouse, and Gunnison ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Using Resilience and Resistance Concepts to Manage Threats to Sagebrush Ecosystems, Gunnison Sage-Grouse, and Greater Sage-Grouse in Their Eastern Range: A Strategic Multi-Scale Approach Author: Chambers, J. C. This report provides a strategic approach developed by a Western Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies interagency working group for conservation of sagebrush ecosystems, Greater sage-grouse, and Gunnison sage-grouse. It uses information on (1) factors that influence sagebrush ecosystem resilience to disturbance and resistance to nonnative invasive annual grasses and (2) distribution and relative abundance of sage-grouse populations to address persistent ecosystem threats, such as invasive annual grasses and wildfire, and land use and development threats, such as oil and gas development and cropland conversion, to develop effective management strategies. A sage-grouse habitat matrix links relative resilience and resistance of sagebrush ecosystems with modeled sage-grouse breeding habitat probabilities to help decisionmakers assess risks and determine appropriate management strategies at both landscape and site scales. Areas for targeted management are assessed by overlaying matrix components with Greater sage-grouse Priority Areas for Conservation and Gunnison sage-grouse critical habitat and linkages, breeding bird concentration areas, and specific habitat threats. Decision tools are discussed for determining the suitability of target areas for management and the most appropriate management actions. A similar approach was developed for the Great Basin that was incorporated into the Federal land use plan amendments and served as the basis of a Bureau of Land Management Fire and Invasives Assessment Tool, which was used to prioritize sage-grouse habitat for targeted management activities. Title: Using Resilience and Resistance Concepts to Manage Threats to Sagebrush Ecosystems, Gunnison Sage-Grouse, and Greater Sage-Grouse in Their Eastern Range: A Strategic Multi-Scale Approach Author: Chambers, J. C. This report provides a strategic approach developed by a Western Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies interagency working group for conservation of sagebrush ecosystems, Greater sage-grouse, and Gunnison sage-grouse. It uses information on (1) factors that influence sagebrush ecosystem resilience to disturbance and resistance to nonnative invasive annual grasses and (2) distribution and relative abundance of sage-grouse populations to address persistent ecosystem threats, such as invasive annual grasses and wildfire, and land use and development threats, such as oil and gas development and cropland conversion, to develop effective management strategies. A sage-grouse habitat matrix links relative resilience and resistance of sagebrush ecosystems with modeled sage-grouse breeding habitat probabilities to help decisionmakers assess risks and determine appropriate management strategies at both landscape and site scales. Areas for targeted management are assessed by overlaying matrix components with Greater sage-grouse Priority Areas for Conservation and Gunnison sage-grouse critical habitat and linkages, breeding bird concentration areas, and specific habitat threats. Decision tools are discussed for determining the suitability of target areas for management and the most appropriate management actions. A similar approach was developed for the Great Basin that was incorporated into the Federal land use plan amendments and served as the basis of a Bureau of Land Management Fire and Invasives Assessment Tool, which was used to prioritize sage-grouse habitat for targeted management activities. Close

• 89. [Article] Carbon Dynamics in Response to Land Cover Change in Tropical Peatlands, Kalimantan, Indonesia

  This study focuses in providing the knowledge on carbon (C) stocks, emission and ecosystem productivity related to land use/land cover change in tropical peatlands. The field research activities were ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Carbon Dynamics in Response to Land Cover Change in Tropical Peatlands, Kalimantan, Indonesia Author: Basuki, Imam This study focuses in providing the knowledge on carbon (C) stocks, emission and ecosystem productivity related to land use/land cover change in tropical peatlands. The field research activities were conducted for about 17 months between August 2013 to December 2015, at Pematang Gadung peat dome (peat depth up to 10.5 m), Ketapang Regency, West Kalimantan, Indonesia. The objectives of this study were: a). to quantify C stocks of tropical coastal peat swamp forest, and the potential impact of forest degradation due to draining and logging activities on the forest’s carbon stocks; b). to examine the change in ecosystem C stocks and the potential C emissions in relation to land conversion from intact peat swamp forest (PSF) to logged peat forest (LPSF), early seral (ES) and oil palm plantation (OP); and c). to estimate net primary production (NPP) and net ecosystem production (NEP) in peat swamp forests, logged peat forest, early seral and smallholder - oil palm plantations. The intact peat forest sites have higher total aboveground C stocks (125 Mg C ha-1) than the logged peat forest sites (77 Mg C ha-1). Mean depths of the LPSF was 725 cm and the PSF was 915 cm (p= 0.06). Mean peat carbon stocks at PSF was 4,243 Mg C ha-1, higher than at LPSF that was 3,675 Mg C ha-1. Logging and draining had reduced the biomass of trees and the peat carbon pools. My study demonstrated that tropical coastal PSF has the largest total carbon stocks among terrestrial ecosystems on earth. The large carbon stocks and high rates of PSF degradation, points to the relevance for inclusion of PSF in nationally appropriate climate change mitigation and adaptation strategies. The mean ecosystem carbon stock for the PSF sites was 4,401 Mg C ha-1. Ecosystem C stocks of LPSF, ES and OP was 3,768, 3,147, and 3,442 Mg C ha-1, respectively. PSF stocks was significantly higher than the degraded land covers. At all sites, soils comprised > 96% of the mean ecosystem carbon stock. Using the estimation based on ecosystem carbon loss to total peat depths, the conversion of PSF to LPSF, ES and OP was estimated to result in a net loss of 1,982, 4,259 and 3,176 Mg C-CO2 ha-1, respectively. My results confirm that land cover change significantly impacted soil properties and reduced ecosystem carbon stocks. The tropical peatlands need urgent and significant efforts in conservation and restoration, to regain its function as a C sink and mitigate climate change. I found that land use/land cover change resulted in large shifts in NPP and NEP. LPSF, ES and OP have significantly lower NPP (11.1 Mg C ha-1 yr-1, 10.8 Mg C ha-1 yr-1 and 3.7 Mg C ha-1 yr-1, respectively) than PSF (13.2 Mg C ha-1 yr-1). ES showed lower heterotrophic respiration (30.7 Mg CO2 ha-1 yr-1) than PSF, LPSF and OP (37.7 Mg CO2 ha-1 yr-1, 40.7 Mg CO2 ha-1 yr-1, 38.7 Mg CO2 ha-1 yr-1, respectively). LPSF and OP were net carbon sources; they have negative mean NEP values (-0.1 Mg CO2-e ha-1 yr-1 and -25.1 Mg CO2-e ha-1 yr-1, respectively). In contrast PSF and ES were net carbon sinks (10.8 Mg CO2-e ha-1 yr-1 and 9.1 CCO2 ha-1 yr-1, respectively). PSF is among the most productive of terrestrial ecosystems, with an NPP exceeding that of many tropical rain forests and similar to the most productive mangrove ecosystems. I found that land use decreases productivity of the LPSF and OP sites. The ES had a similar NEP to the PSF, but frequent fires in this ecosystem likely offset carbon gains during the fire intervals. Land use change and forest degradation have shifted tropical PSFs from net carbon sinks to net carbon sources. My study demonstrated that land conversion in tropical peat swamp forests should be halted and degraded peatlands need to be restored in order to mitigate climate change. Title: Carbon Dynamics in Response to Land Cover Change in Tropical Peatlands, Kalimantan, Indonesia Author: Basuki, Imam This study focuses in providing the knowledge on carbon (C) stocks, emission and ecosystem productivity related to land use/land cover change in tropical peatlands. The field research activities were conducted for about 17 months between August 2013 to December 2015, at Pematang Gadung peat dome (peat depth up to 10.5 m), Ketapang Regency, West Kalimantan, Indonesia. The objectives of this study were: a). to quantify C stocks of tropical coastal peat swamp forest, and the potential impact of forest degradation due to draining and logging activities on the forest’s carbon stocks; b). to examine the change in ecosystem C stocks and the potential C emissions in relation to land conversion from intact peat swamp forest (PSF) to logged peat forest (LPSF), early seral (ES) and oil palm plantation (OP); and c). to estimate net primary production (NPP) and net ecosystem production (NEP) in peat swamp forests, logged peat forest, early seral and smallholder - oil palm plantations. The intact peat forest sites have higher total aboveground C stocks (125 Mg C ha-1) than the logged peat forest sites (77 Mg C ha-1). Mean depths of the LPSF was 725 cm and the PSF was 915 cm (p= 0.06). Mean peat carbon stocks at PSF was 4,243 Mg C ha-1, higher than at LPSF that was 3,675 Mg C ha-1. Logging and draining had reduced the biomass of trees and the peat carbon pools. My study demonstrated that tropical coastal PSF has the largest total carbon stocks among terrestrial ecosystems on earth. The large carbon stocks and high rates of PSF degradation, points to the relevance for inclusion of PSF in nationally appropriate climate change mitigation and adaptation strategies. The mean ecosystem carbon stock for the PSF sites was 4,401 Mg C ha-1. Ecosystem C stocks of LPSF, ES and OP was 3,768, 3,147, and 3,442 Mg C ha-1, respectively. PSF stocks was significantly higher than the degraded land covers. At all sites, soils comprised > 96% of the mean ecosystem carbon stock. Using the estimation based on ecosystem carbon loss to total peat depths, the conversion of PSF to LPSF, ES and OP was estimated to result in a net loss of 1,982, 4,259 and 3,176 Mg C-CO2 ha-1, respectively. My results confirm that land cover change significantly impacted soil properties and reduced ecosystem carbon stocks. The tropical peatlands need urgent and significant efforts in conservation and restoration, to regain its function as a C sink and mitigate climate change. I found that land use/land cover change resulted in large shifts in NPP and NEP. LPSF, ES and OP have significantly lower NPP (11.1 Mg C ha-1 yr-1, 10.8 Mg C ha-1 yr-1 and 3.7 Mg C ha-1 yr-1, respectively) than PSF (13.2 Mg C ha-1 yr-1). ES showed lower heterotrophic respiration (30.7 Mg CO2 ha-1 yr-1) than PSF, LPSF and OP (37.7 Mg CO2 ha-1 yr-1, 40.7 Mg CO2 ha-1 yr-1, 38.7 Mg CO2 ha-1 yr-1, respectively). LPSF and OP were net carbon sources; they have negative mean NEP values (-0.1 Mg CO2-e ha-1 yr-1 and -25.1 Mg CO2-e ha-1 yr-1, respectively). In contrast PSF and ES were net carbon sinks (10.8 Mg CO2-e ha-1 yr-1 and 9.1 CCO2 ha-1 yr-1, respectively). PSF is among the most productive of terrestrial ecosystems, with an NPP exceeding that of many tropical rain forests and similar to the most productive mangrove ecosystems. I found that land use decreases productivity of the LPSF and OP sites. The ES had a similar NEP to the PSF, but frequent fires in this ecosystem likely offset carbon gains during the fire intervals. Land use change and forest degradation have shifted tropical PSFs from net carbon sinks to net carbon sources. My study demonstrated that land conversion in tropical peat swamp forests should be halted and degraded peatlands need to be restored in order to mitigate climate change. Close

• 90. [Article] The Effects of Forest Fuel-Reduction Treatments in the United States

  This is the publisher’s final pdf. The published article is copyrighted by the American Institute of Biological Sciences and can be found at: http://www.aibs.org/bioscience/. To the best of our knowledge, ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: The Effects of Forest Fuel-Reduction Treatments in the United States Author: Schwilk, Dylan W., Fontaine, Joseph B., Fettig, Christopher J., Hartsough, Bruce R., Kennedy, Patricia L., Stephens, Scott L., McIver, James D., Boerner, Ralph E. J. This is the publisher’s final pdf. The published article is copyrighted by the American Institute of Biological Sciences and can be found at: http://www.aibs.org/bioscience/. To the best of our knowledge, one or more authors of this paper were federal employees when contributing to this work. Title: The Effects of Forest Fuel-Reduction Treatments in the United States Author: Schwilk, Dylan W., Fontaine, Joseph B., Fettig, Christopher J., Hartsough, Bruce R., Kennedy, Patricia L., Stephens, Scott L., McIver, James D., Boerner, Ralph E. J. This is the publisher’s final pdf. The published article is copyrighted by the American Institute of Biological Sciences and can be found at: http://www.aibs.org/bioscience/. To the best of our knowledge, one or more authors of this paper were federal employees when contributing to this work. Close

• 91. [Article] Prescribed fire effects on resource selection by cattle in mesic sagebrush steppe. Part 1: Spring grazing

  To the best of our knowledge, one or more authors of this paper were federal employees when contributing to this work. This is the publisher’s final pdf. The published article is copyrighted by Elsevier ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Prescribed fire effects on resource selection by cattle in mesic sagebrush steppe. Part 1: Spring grazing Author: Ganskopp, David C., Chigbrow, Joe, Lee, Jaechoul, Pierson, Fredrick B., Johnson, Douglas E., Nielson, Ryan M., Hardegree, Stuart P., Clark, Patrick E., Ko, Kyungduk To the best of our knowledge, one or more authors of this paper were federal employees when contributing to this work. This is the publisher’s final pdf. The published article is copyrighted by Elsevier and can be found at: http://www.journals.elsevier.com/journal-of-arid-environments/. Title: Prescribed fire effects on resource selection by cattle in mesic sagebrush steppe. Part 1: Spring grazing Author: Ganskopp, David C., Chigbrow, Joe, Lee, Jaechoul, Pierson, Fredrick B., Johnson, Douglas E., Nielson, Ryan M., Hardegree, Stuart P., Clark, Patrick E., Ko, Kyungduk To the best of our knowledge, one or more authors of this paper were federal employees when contributing to this work. This is the publisher’s final pdf. The published article is copyrighted by Elsevier and can be found at: http://www.journals.elsevier.com/journal-of-arid-environments/. Close

• 92. [Article] Impacts of repeated wildfire on long-unburned plant communities of the southern Appalachian Mountains

  Table S1 in the Supplementary Material, available online only.

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Impacts of repeated wildfire on long-unburned plant communities of the southern Appalachian Mountains Author: Hagan, Donald L., Shearman, Timothy M., Reilly, Matthew, Waldrop, Thomas A. Table S1 in the Supplementary Material, available online only. Title: Impacts of repeated wildfire on long-unburned plant communities of the southern Appalachian Mountains Author: Hagan, Donald L., Shearman, Timothy M., Reilly, Matthew, Waldrop, Thomas A. Table S1 in the Supplementary Material, available online only. Close

• 93. [Article] Impacts of post-fire salvage logging on soil chemistry, physical properties and bacterial community composition in a mixed-conifer forest in central Oregon

  Land managers, scientists, and the interested public are confronted with uncertainty about the impacts of salvage logging on soil productivity. In recent years, stand-replacing wildfires in the western ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Impacts of post-fire salvage logging on soil chemistry, physical properties and bacterial community composition in a mixed-conifer forest in central Oregon Author: Jennings, Tara Nicolle Land managers, scientists, and the interested public are confronted with uncertainty about the impacts of salvage logging on soil productivity. In recent years, stand-replacing wildfires in the western United States have increased in frequency, prompting the need to evaluate the effect of post-fire treatments on forest ecosystem recovery. This study examined whether compaction and subsoiling after post-fire salvage logging impacted the structure, metabolism, and function of soil bacterial communities, which were assessed using terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism (T-RFLP) and Biolog Ecoplates. Supporting data for these salvage logging effects included soil biological activities, soil chemistry, and physical soil properties in a mixed conifer forest in central Oregon. Post-fire salvage logging treatments had little effect on soil bacterial community richness, suggesting that soil bacteria in these post-fire landscapes are both tolerant of the occurrence of fires and resilient to disturbance. However, even though a statistically significant difference in bacterial species richness was not detected among treatments, a greater cumulative mean number of species was found across six sampling seasons in the compacted soil treatment compared to the fire-only and subsoiled treatments. This trend may be due to less predation on the soil bacteria by microbivores in the soil pores reduced in size by compaction. Additionally, there was a significant decline in the mean number of species after the spring 2007 sampling. A NMS ordination of the mean number of species suggested that the bacterial community composition changed after spring 2007. Furthermore, the lack of difference in mean number of species among treatments suggests that time since fire had a stronger effect on the structure of the soil bacterial community than did logging disturbance. Plant-available phosphorus and nitrogen concentrations were lower in the mechanically disturbed treatments than in the fire-only treatment. Soil respiration and soil phosphatase rates both were higher in the fire-only treatment. Mechanical disturbance may have long-lasting effects in an already nutrient limited system. No other differences among treatments for soil chemical properties were detected. Soil bulk density was lowest in the subsoiled treatment. Microbial community responses to burning and compaction caused by harvesting can be negative, neutral, or positive. While many factors, in addition to soil chemical and physical properties, affect the microbial community richness and functional diversity, our results support other recent studies showing that soil bacteria are resilient in disturbed environments. Title: Impacts of post-fire salvage logging on soil chemistry, physical properties and bacterial community composition in a mixed-conifer forest in central Oregon Author: Jennings, Tara Nicolle Land managers, scientists, and the interested public are confronted with uncertainty about the impacts of salvage logging on soil productivity. In recent years, stand-replacing wildfires in the western United States have increased in frequency, prompting the need to evaluate the effect of post-fire treatments on forest ecosystem recovery. This study examined whether compaction and subsoiling after post-fire salvage logging impacted the structure, metabolism, and function of soil bacterial communities, which were assessed using terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism (T-RFLP) and Biolog Ecoplates. Supporting data for these salvage logging effects included soil biological activities, soil chemistry, and physical soil properties in a mixed conifer forest in central Oregon. Post-fire salvage logging treatments had little effect on soil bacterial community richness, suggesting that soil bacteria in these post-fire landscapes are both tolerant of the occurrence of fires and resilient to disturbance. However, even though a statistically significant difference in bacterial species richness was not detected among treatments, a greater cumulative mean number of species was found across six sampling seasons in the compacted soil treatment compared to the fire-only and subsoiled treatments. This trend may be due to less predation on the soil bacteria by microbivores in the soil pores reduced in size by compaction. Additionally, there was a significant decline in the mean number of species after the spring 2007 sampling. A NMS ordination of the mean number of species suggested that the bacterial community composition changed after spring 2007. Furthermore, the lack of difference in mean number of species among treatments suggests that time since fire had a stronger effect on the structure of the soil bacterial community than did logging disturbance. Plant-available phosphorus and nitrogen concentrations were lower in the mechanically disturbed treatments than in the fire-only treatment. Soil respiration and soil phosphatase rates both were higher in the fire-only treatment. Mechanical disturbance may have long-lasting effects in an already nutrient limited system. No other differences among treatments for soil chemical properties were detected. Soil bulk density was lowest in the subsoiled treatment. Microbial community responses to burning and compaction caused by harvesting can be negative, neutral, or positive. While many factors, in addition to soil chemical and physical properties, affect the microbial community richness and functional diversity, our results support other recent studies showing that soil bacteria are resilient in disturbed environments. Close

• 94. [Article] Forest Successional and Disturbance Dynamics in the Southern Blue Mountains of Eastern Oregon

  The application of modern land management practices beginning at the turn of the 20th century is widely believed to have dramatically transformed forest landscapes of the inland Pacific Northwest. Restoring ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Forest Successional and Disturbance Dynamics in the Southern Blue Mountains of Eastern Oregon Author: Johnston, James D. (James Daniel) The application of modern land management practices beginning at the turn of the 20th century is widely believed to have dramatically transformed forest landscapes of the inland Pacific Northwest. Restoring historical conditions to make forests resilient to future climate and disturbance regimes is a major goal of federal forest managers. However, information about historical relationships between forest structure, forest composition, topography, climate, and disturbance sufficient to parameterize managers' decision-making is often lacking. This study uses dendroecological methods to reconstruct historical (1650-1900 CE) forest structure, composition, and fire disturbance, and to describe change over time across a wide range of forest types in the southern Blue Mountains of eastern Oregon. Results indicate that both fire frequency and climate controls on fire occurrence were similar across a broad range of forest types. Southern Blue Mountains forests are markedly different with respect to inherent site productivity and species composition, but frequent fire tended to equalize stand densities across the landscape prior to the exclusion of fire in the late 1800s. In the absence of fire, more productive mixed conifer sites have generally experienced the same or greater successional change as drier pine dominated sites. If restoring historical conditions is a goal, treatments appropriate to restore dry ponderosa pine forests are also appropriate for moister mixed conifer forest types. Title: Forest Successional and Disturbance Dynamics in the Southern Blue Mountains of Eastern Oregon Author: Johnston, James D. (James Daniel) The application of modern land management practices beginning at the turn of the 20th century is widely believed to have dramatically transformed forest landscapes of the inland Pacific Northwest. Restoring historical conditions to make forests resilient to future climate and disturbance regimes is a major goal of federal forest managers. However, information about historical relationships between forest structure, forest composition, topography, climate, and disturbance sufficient to parameterize managers' decision-making is often lacking. This study uses dendroecological methods to reconstruct historical (1650-1900 CE) forest structure, composition, and fire disturbance, and to describe change over time across a wide range of forest types in the southern Blue Mountains of eastern Oregon. Results indicate that both fire frequency and climate controls on fire occurrence were similar across a broad range of forest types. Southern Blue Mountains forests are markedly different with respect to inherent site productivity and species composition, but frequent fire tended to equalize stand densities across the landscape prior to the exclusion of fire in the late 1800s. In the absence of fire, more productive mixed conifer sites have generally experienced the same or greater successional change as drier pine dominated sites. If restoring historical conditions is a goal, treatments appropriate to restore dry ponderosa pine forests are also appropriate for moister mixed conifer forest types. Close

• 95. [Article] Understanding Public Perceptions of Post-Wildfire Landscape Recovery

  Forest disturbances, such as wildfires, pine beetle outbreaks, and floods are important features of many landscapes and ecosystems. Many disturbances are increasing in size, frequency, and intensity due ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Understanding Public Perceptions of Post-Wildfire Landscape Recovery Author: Kooistra, Chad Forest disturbances, such as wildfires, pine beetle outbreaks, and floods are important features of many landscapes and ecosystems. Many disturbances are increasing in size, frequency, and intensity due to changing climates and land management decisions. The changing ecological and aesthetic conditions following a disturbance can lead to negative short- and long-term social impacts. This dissertation research examines one aspect of the relationship between people and their environment in the context of forest disturbances and landscape changes. Specifically, it explores how people perceive a changing landscape after a forest disturbance, a trajectory referred to here as landscape recovery. After describing the larger context of forest disturbances in the introductory chapter, with a focus on wildfires, my second dissertation chapter developed a conceptual framework for understanding how people perceive post-disturbance landscape recovery. It examined the social factors that are most likely to influence those perceptions based on literature from various disciplines. These factors included visual cues and aesthetic preferences, landscape values and connections, and beliefs about the ecological role of disturbances. I described how the concepts and methodological approaches from mental models and social representations traditions help depict and explain how perceptions of landscape recovery can be studied in a way that explores the process shaping the perceptions. I explained how these perceptions likely exist along a spectrum from more simple perceptions focused on aesthetic judgments to more complex perceptions based more on ecological knowledge. I then proposed a research agenda to further investigate this framework, along with a summary of management considerations. The third chapter empirically explored the framework from the previous chapter by applying social representations theory (SRT) to qualitative research in Montana about how people perceive post-wildfire landscape recovery. I examined the mechanistic (i.e., anchoring and objectification) and structural (i.e., central core and peripheral elements) aspects of representations by integrating the factors proposed earlier as most influential in affecting perceptions of recovery. Interviews were conducted in 2014 with 30 residents who experienced the 2012 Dahl Fire, near Roundup, MT. Participants were purposively selected to represent a range of the factors described in Chapter 2. The main propositions from Chapter 2 were explored in the data collection and analysis steps. The core of all respondents' representations was centered on the concept of "Mother Nature." The factors identified in Chapter 2 further shaped representations uniquely across the two main groups of residents (rural lifestyle and working landscape residents) through the anchoring and objectification processes. People's representations about recovery were anchored in general beliefs about the past ecological and socio-cultural role of fire in the landscape as influenced by their past experiences and knowledge about ecological disturbances. Interpretations of different aspects of the landscape, including vegetation composition and key ecosystem functions, were filtered through people's values for the landscape and their specific beliefs about how the fire affected the landscape. This led to variation in specific notions of what constitutes a recovered landscape across the two main social groups there. These findings are discussed in the context of SRT and post-wildfire management. My fourth chapter took a broader look at the variables that influence perceptions of landscape recovery across different wildfires. Twenty-five fires that occurred in 2011 or 2012 in WA, OR, MT, and ID were selected to represent a range of fire behavior characteristics and landscape impacts. Then, residents who live near each of the 25 fires were randomly selected to receive survey questionnaires which asked about multiple facets of their experiences with the fire, the perceived social impacts from the fire, and specifically how the landscape had changed/recovered since the fire. Results showed that, overall, perceptions of landscape recovery no more than two years after the fire were positive. Regression analysis suggested that perceptions of recovery can be explained fairly well with several key variables. More negative evaluations of recovery were related to negative impacts to people's attachment to the landscape, negative perceptions of erosion problems, and longer lasting fires. More positive evaluations of recovery were related to more positive beliefs about the beneficial role of fire in terms of landscape health. Hierarchical Linear Modelling (HLM) analysis showed that these relationships were mostly consistent across fires, though there was some variability in the relationships between perceptions of landscape recovery and the variables that measured perceptions of erosion and beliefs about the ecological role of fire. These findings are discussed in terms of the scope of the study as well as their management implications. My fifth and concluding chapter summarized the main findings from each chapter and integrated them into a larger social-ecological context. Key limitations, considerations related to the validity and reliability of my research, and future research needs are discussed. My dissertation furthers the conceptual and empirical understanding of how people perceive landscape changes from natural disturbances and how managers can include these social dimensions into future planning and implementation efforts. Title: Understanding Public Perceptions of Post-Wildfire Landscape Recovery Author: Kooistra, Chad Forest disturbances, such as wildfires, pine beetle outbreaks, and floods are important features of many landscapes and ecosystems. Many disturbances are increasing in size, frequency, and intensity due to changing climates and land management decisions. The changing ecological and aesthetic conditions following a disturbance can lead to negative short- and long-term social impacts. This dissertation research examines one aspect of the relationship between people and their environment in the context of forest disturbances and landscape changes. Specifically, it explores how people perceive a changing landscape after a forest disturbance, a trajectory referred to here as landscape recovery. After describing the larger context of forest disturbances in the introductory chapter, with a focus on wildfires, my second dissertation chapter developed a conceptual framework for understanding how people perceive post-disturbance landscape recovery. It examined the social factors that are most likely to influence those perceptions based on literature from various disciplines. These factors included visual cues and aesthetic preferences, landscape values and connections, and beliefs about the ecological role of disturbances. I described how the concepts and methodological approaches from mental models and social representations traditions help depict and explain how perceptions of landscape recovery can be studied in a way that explores the process shaping the perceptions. I explained how these perceptions likely exist along a spectrum from more simple perceptions focused on aesthetic judgments to more complex perceptions based more on ecological knowledge. I then proposed a research agenda to further investigate this framework, along with a summary of management considerations. The third chapter empirically explored the framework from the previous chapter by applying social representations theory (SRT) to qualitative research in Montana about how people perceive post-wildfire landscape recovery. I examined the mechanistic (i.e., anchoring and objectification) and structural (i.e., central core and peripheral elements) aspects of representations by integrating the factors proposed earlier as most influential in affecting perceptions of recovery. Interviews were conducted in 2014 with 30 residents who experienced the 2012 Dahl Fire, near Roundup, MT. Participants were purposively selected to represent a range of the factors described in Chapter 2. The main propositions from Chapter 2 were explored in the data collection and analysis steps. The core of all respondents' representations was centered on the concept of "Mother Nature." The factors identified in Chapter 2 further shaped representations uniquely across the two main groups of residents (rural lifestyle and working landscape residents) through the anchoring and objectification processes. People's representations about recovery were anchored in general beliefs about the past ecological and socio-cultural role of fire in the landscape as influenced by their past experiences and knowledge about ecological disturbances. Interpretations of different aspects of the landscape, including vegetation composition and key ecosystem functions, were filtered through people's values for the landscape and their specific beliefs about how the fire affected the landscape. This led to variation in specific notions of what constitutes a recovered landscape across the two main social groups there. These findings are discussed in the context of SRT and post-wildfire management. My fourth chapter took a broader look at the variables that influence perceptions of landscape recovery across different wildfires. Twenty-five fires that occurred in 2011 or 2012 in WA, OR, MT, and ID were selected to represent a range of fire behavior characteristics and landscape impacts. Then, residents who live near each of the 25 fires were randomly selected to receive survey questionnaires which asked about multiple facets of their experiences with the fire, the perceived social impacts from the fire, and specifically how the landscape had changed/recovered since the fire. Results showed that, overall, perceptions of landscape recovery no more than two years after the fire were positive. Regression analysis suggested that perceptions of recovery can be explained fairly well with several key variables. More negative evaluations of recovery were related to negative impacts to people's attachment to the landscape, negative perceptions of erosion problems, and longer lasting fires. More positive evaluations of recovery were related to more positive beliefs about the beneficial role of fire in terms of landscape health. Hierarchical Linear Modelling (HLM) analysis showed that these relationships were mostly consistent across fires, though there was some variability in the relationships between perceptions of landscape recovery and the variables that measured perceptions of erosion and beliefs about the ecological role of fire. These findings are discussed in terms of the scope of the study as well as their management implications. My fifth and concluding chapter summarized the main findings from each chapter and integrated them into a larger social-ecological context. Key limitations, considerations related to the validity and reliability of my research, and future research needs are discussed. My dissertation furthers the conceptual and empirical understanding of how people perceive landscape changes from natural disturbances and how managers can include these social dimensions into future planning and implementation efforts. Close

• 96. [Article] Regional carbon dioxide implications of forest bioenergy production

  This is the author's peer-reviewed final manuscript, as accepted by the publisher. The published article is copyrighted by Nature Publishing Group and can be found at: http://www.nature.com/nclimate/jo...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Regional carbon dioxide implications of forest bioenergy production Author: Hudiburg, Tara, Luyssaert, Sebastiaan, Law, Beverly, Wirth, Christian This is the author's peer-reviewed final manuscript, as accepted by the publisher. The published article is copyrighted by Nature Publishing Group and can be found at: http://www.nature.com/nclimate/journal/v1/n8/full/nclimate1264.html. Title: Regional carbon dioxide implications of forest bioenergy production Author: Hudiburg, Tara, Luyssaert, Sebastiaan, Law, Beverly, Wirth, Christian This is the author's peer-reviewed final manuscript, as accepted by the publisher. The published article is copyrighted by Nature Publishing Group and can be found at: http://www.nature.com/nclimate/journal/v1/n8/full/nclimate1264.html. Close

• 97. [Article] Production possibility frontiers and socioecological tradeoffs for restoration of fire adapted forests

  Appendix A. Supplementary data available online at: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0301479716300317

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Production possibility frontiers and socioecological tradeoffs for restoration of fire adapted forests Author: Vogler, Kevin, Ager, Alan A., Day, Michelle A. Appendix A. Supplementary data available online at: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0301479716300317 Title: Production possibility frontiers and socioecological tradeoffs for restoration of fire adapted forests Author: Vogler, Kevin, Ager, Alan A., Day, Michelle A. Appendix A. Supplementary data available online at: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0301479716300317 Close

• 98. [Article] Potential impacts of climate change on vegetation distributions, carbon stocks, and fire regimes in the U.S. Pacific Northwest

  The U.S Pacific Northwest contains a wide variety of ecosystems, all subject to relatively dry summers and wet winters. As has been shown with paleoclimatic and paleoecological data, the region is vulnerable ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Potential impacts of climate change on vegetation distributions, carbon stocks, and fire regimes in the U.S. Pacific Northwest Author: Rogers, Brendan M. The U.S Pacific Northwest contains a wide variety of ecosystems, all subject to relatively dry summers and wet winters. As has been shown with paleoclimatic and paleoecological data, the region is vulnerable to changes in climate. We assessed the sensitivities of vegetation distributions, carbon stocks, and fire regimes to 21st century climate change by running MC1, a dynamic general vegetation model, over a large domain across Oregon and Washington at 800-meter resolution. During the historical period, MC1 generally overestimated carbon stocks in the Western Forests region and underestimated carbon stocks in the Eastern Forests and Columbia Plateau. MC1 displayed a strong bias in the seasonality of NPP towards decreased summer and increased winter production. This suggests the model’s productivity equations may be overly sensitive to low soil moisture and under-sensitive to low temperatures. We downscaled nine future climate projections from three General Circulation Models (CSIRO Mk3, MIROC 3.2 medres, and Hadley CM 3), each run through three CO2 emission scenarios (SRES B1, A1B, and A2). Temperatures increased ubiquitously and concurrently with increasing emission scenario, but precipitation was more varied. CSIRO climates were relatively cool and wet, MIROC climates were hot and wet, and Hadley climates were hot and dry. Precipitation generally increased in winter and decreased in summer, and temperature increases were highest in summer. Previous work showed that CSIRO performed poorly, MIROC moderately well, and Hadley very well in the Pacific Northwest for the historical period. Future climate projections amplified the seasonal trends in climatic variables, water stress, and productivity. MC1 simulated the Pacific Northwest’s western maritime forests as being vulnerable to large increases in fires, subsequent losses in carbon stocks, and encroachment from more southerly and/or easterly forest types. The arid, fire-adapted forests east of the Cascade appeared to be resilient to climate changes under MC1. With increasing precipitation, MC1 simulated vast expanses of shrublands in the Columbia Plateau and Northern Basin converting to grasslands or woodlands. Across the domain, MC1 runs under the CSIRO climate projections averaged 82% increases in biomass combusted and 1.2% (0.1 Pg C) decreases in ecosystem carbon, while those under MIROC averaged 22% increases in biomass combusted and 0.8% (0.07 Pg C) increases in ecosystem carbon. Climate projections from the Hadley model resulted in the most extreme changes, averaging 259% increases in biomass combusted and 15% (1.26 Pg C) decreases in ecosystem carbon. Our study suggests some areas within the Pacific Northwest may be vulnerable, and others resilient, to climate change, although this is highly dependent on model assumptions and uncertainties. Title: Potential impacts of climate change on vegetation distributions, carbon stocks, and fire regimes in the U.S. Pacific Northwest Author: Rogers, Brendan M. The U.S Pacific Northwest contains a wide variety of ecosystems, all subject to relatively dry summers and wet winters. As has been shown with paleoclimatic and paleoecological data, the region is vulnerable to changes in climate. We assessed the sensitivities of vegetation distributions, carbon stocks, and fire regimes to 21st century climate change by running MC1, a dynamic general vegetation model, over a large domain across Oregon and Washington at 800-meter resolution. During the historical period, MC1 generally overestimated carbon stocks in the Western Forests region and underestimated carbon stocks in the Eastern Forests and Columbia Plateau. MC1 displayed a strong bias in the seasonality of NPP towards decreased summer and increased winter production. This suggests the model’s productivity equations may be overly sensitive to low soil moisture and under-sensitive to low temperatures. We downscaled nine future climate projections from three General Circulation Models (CSIRO Mk3, MIROC 3.2 medres, and Hadley CM 3), each run through three CO2 emission scenarios (SRES B1, A1B, and A2). Temperatures increased ubiquitously and concurrently with increasing emission scenario, but precipitation was more varied. CSIRO climates were relatively cool and wet, MIROC climates were hot and wet, and Hadley climates were hot and dry. Precipitation generally increased in winter and decreased in summer, and temperature increases were highest in summer. Previous work showed that CSIRO performed poorly, MIROC moderately well, and Hadley very well in the Pacific Northwest for the historical period. Future climate projections amplified the seasonal trends in climatic variables, water stress, and productivity. MC1 simulated the Pacific Northwest’s western maritime forests as being vulnerable to large increases in fires, subsequent losses in carbon stocks, and encroachment from more southerly and/or easterly forest types. The arid, fire-adapted forests east of the Cascade appeared to be resilient to climate changes under MC1. With increasing precipitation, MC1 simulated vast expanses of shrublands in the Columbia Plateau and Northern Basin converting to grasslands or woodlands. Across the domain, MC1 runs under the CSIRO climate projections averaged 82% increases in biomass combusted and 1.2% (0.1 Pg C) decreases in ecosystem carbon, while those under MIROC averaged 22% increases in biomass combusted and 0.8% (0.07 Pg C) increases in ecosystem carbon. Climate projections from the Hadley model resulted in the most extreme changes, averaging 259% increases in biomass combusted and 15% (1.26 Pg C) decreases in ecosystem carbon. Our study suggests some areas within the Pacific Northwest may be vulnerable, and others resilient, to climate change, although this is highly dependent on model assumptions and uncertainties. Close

• 99. [Article] The ecological legacy of Indian burning practices in southwestern Oregon

  Two research questions are posed: (1) How have ecosystem conditions changed through time in southwestern Oregon? (2) How have culture-driven and climate-driven processes contributed to ecosystem change ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: The ecological legacy of Indian burning practices in southwestern Oregon Author: Carloni, Kenneth R. Two research questions are posed: (1) How have ecosystem conditions changed through time in southwestern Oregon? (2) How have culture-driven and climate-driven processes contributed to ecosystem change in southwestern Oregon? A brief introduction to the Little River study area is followed by a cultural and ecological history of the watershed. Historical, ecological and archaeological data are used to describe shifts in landscape structure, stand structure and fire behavior. Changes in corridor/patch/matrix relationships, increases in stand densities, and changes in stand age and species structure are documented, and changes in fire dynamics from frequent to infrequent, and small to large are corroborated with descriptive statistics from the nearby 2002 Umpqua Fires. Hypotheses are then proposed to test the relative influence of humans vs. climate on landscape change during Aboriginal (<1820) vs. Euroagrarian (1850-1950) cultural phases. While precipitation shows no correlation with fire frequency or tree recruitment before 1820, significant associations are observed from 1850 to 1950. Moreover, a significant correlation exists between fire frequency and subsequent tree recruitment after 1850, but is not observed during aboriginal times. This suggests that indigenous management fires may have obscured precipitation influences that become apparent only after 1850. In order to test spatial hypotheses concerning the associations between indigenous humans and the landscape, archaeological sites were digitized into a GIS, and ergonomic pathways were modeled between them. These maps are then compared to historically fire-maintained upland meadows interpreted from 1946 aerial photos. A significant spatial correlation was found between archaeological sites and historic meadows, and a highly significant spatial correlation was found between modeled travel networks and historic meadows. The close spatial association between cultural features and fire-maintained habitats again suggests active landscape management by local Indians. These associations are corroborated with historical records. After summarizing the shifts in ecological conditions and describing current conditions, I argue that while restoring the landscape to aboriginal conditions is no longer possible, emulating those conditions within the framework of the Little River Adaptive Management Area Plan can improve the resilience and productivity of the Little River watershed. Title: The ecological legacy of Indian burning practices in southwestern Oregon Author: Carloni, Kenneth R. Two research questions are posed: (1) How have ecosystem conditions changed through time in southwestern Oregon? (2) How have culture-driven and climate-driven processes contributed to ecosystem change in southwestern Oregon? A brief introduction to the Little River study area is followed by a cultural and ecological history of the watershed. Historical, ecological and archaeological data are used to describe shifts in landscape structure, stand structure and fire behavior. Changes in corridor/patch/matrix relationships, increases in stand densities, and changes in stand age and species structure are documented, and changes in fire dynamics from frequent to infrequent, and small to large are corroborated with descriptive statistics from the nearby 2002 Umpqua Fires. Hypotheses are then proposed to test the relative influence of humans vs. climate on landscape change during Aboriginal (<1820) vs. Euroagrarian (1850-1950) cultural phases. While precipitation shows no correlation with fire frequency or tree recruitment before 1820, significant associations are observed from 1850 to 1950. Moreover, a significant correlation exists between fire frequency and subsequent tree recruitment after 1850, but is not observed during aboriginal times. This suggests that indigenous management fires may have obscured precipitation influences that become apparent only after 1850. In order to test spatial hypotheses concerning the associations between indigenous humans and the landscape, archaeological sites were digitized into a GIS, and ergonomic pathways were modeled between them. These maps are then compared to historically fire-maintained upland meadows interpreted from 1946 aerial photos. A significant spatial correlation was found between archaeological sites and historic meadows, and a highly significant spatial correlation was found between modeled travel networks and historic meadows. The close spatial association between cultural features and fire-maintained habitats again suggests active landscape management by local Indians. These associations are corroborated with historical records. After summarizing the shifts in ecological conditions and describing current conditions, I argue that while restoring the landscape to aboriginal conditions is no longer possible, emulating those conditions within the framework of the Little River Adaptive Management Area Plan can improve the resilience and productivity of the Little River watershed. Close

• 100. [Article] Overstory composition and stand structure shifts within inter-mixed ponderosa pine and lodgepole pine stands of the south-central Oregon pumice zone

  Ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa) and lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta var. murrayana) forests of south-central Oregon have been extensively researched over the last century. However, little information has ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Overstory composition and stand structure shifts within inter-mixed ponderosa pine and lodgepole pine stands of the south-central Oregon pumice zone Author: Shuffield, Chaylon D. Ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa) and lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta var. murrayana) forests of south-central Oregon have been extensively researched over the last century. However, little information has been reported on overstory composition and stand structure shifts associated with fire exclusion within inter-mixed ponderosa pine and lodgepole pine stands of the south-central Oregon pumice zone. In recent time, the lack of disturbance history and quantitative information needed to reconstruct historic stand conditions has become a growing concern for many ecologists. The need to collect quantitative information from remnant old-growth stands is imperative to improve restoration activities, incorporate stand-level diversity, identify the degree of successional departure, and to ensure valuable data is archived for future reference and ecological analysis. In Chapter 1, an exhaustive search for published information on early land-use practices specific to our study area was performed to: (1) identify the degree of Native American influence on vegetation; (2) identify direct and indirect Euro-American disturbances involving the loss of natural processes; and (3) establish a reference period for appropriate representation of historic conditions. In Chapter 2, remnant old-growth stands were analyzed using dendrochronological techniques and statistical comparisons to quantify: (1) shifts in overstory composition and stand structure; (2) growth and development of ponderosa pine and lodgepole pine across time; and to (3) characterize the influence of climate and fire on species recruitment. Our analysis indicated successional trajectory shifts occurred shortly after the loss of Native American influence beginning around 1850 and associated affects of intensive grazing following 1880. Age reconstruction displayed an exponential pattern of recruitment between 1880 and 1950. Since 1850, our analysis revealed a reduction in average tree basal area growth and height development of understory ponderosa pine and lodgepole pine. Ponderosa pine greater than 150 years old accounted for less than 5.0% of the total contemporary density, but composed 45.0% of the total basal area. Lodgepole pine greater than 100 years old accounted for approximately 3.0% of the total contemporary density and composed 12.8% of the total basal area. Stand density for our study area averaged 25.3 trees per hectare for ponderosa pine greater than 53.3 centimeters diameter at 1.4 meters. We report low levels of lodgepole pine recruitment (2/hectare/decade) prior to 1880 and suggest the long-term development of less fire-resistant lodgepole pine has been favored since fire exclusion. Furthermore, contemporary settings support conditions associated to atypical mountain pine beetle outbreaks and fire behavior known to cause mortality of large diameter ponderosa pine. Restoration of remnant inter-mixed stands requires the aggressive removal of lodgepole pine and re-introduction of fire to provide long-term sustainability of ecosystem health and preservation of large diameter ponderosa pine. Title: Overstory composition and stand structure shifts within inter-mixed ponderosa pine and lodgepole pine stands of the south-central Oregon pumice zone Author: Shuffield, Chaylon D. Ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa) and lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta var. murrayana) forests of south-central Oregon have been extensively researched over the last century. However, little information has been reported on overstory composition and stand structure shifts associated with fire exclusion within inter-mixed ponderosa pine and lodgepole pine stands of the south-central Oregon pumice zone. In recent time, the lack of disturbance history and quantitative information needed to reconstruct historic stand conditions has become a growing concern for many ecologists. The need to collect quantitative information from remnant old-growth stands is imperative to improve restoration activities, incorporate stand-level diversity, identify the degree of successional departure, and to ensure valuable data is archived for future reference and ecological analysis. In Chapter 1, an exhaustive search for published information on early land-use practices specific to our study area was performed to: (1) identify the degree of Native American influence on vegetation; (2) identify direct and indirect Euro-American disturbances involving the loss of natural processes; and (3) establish a reference period for appropriate representation of historic conditions. In Chapter 2, remnant old-growth stands were analyzed using dendrochronological techniques and statistical comparisons to quantify: (1) shifts in overstory composition and stand structure; (2) growth and development of ponderosa pine and lodgepole pine across time; and to (3) characterize the influence of climate and fire on species recruitment. Our analysis indicated successional trajectory shifts occurred shortly after the loss of Native American influence beginning around 1850 and associated affects of intensive grazing following 1880. Age reconstruction displayed an exponential pattern of recruitment between 1880 and 1950. Since 1850, our analysis revealed a reduction in average tree basal area growth and height development of understory ponderosa pine and lodgepole pine. Ponderosa pine greater than 150 years old accounted for less than 5.0% of the total contemporary density, but composed 45.0% of the total basal area. Lodgepole pine greater than 100 years old accounted for approximately 3.0% of the total contemporary density and composed 12.8% of the total basal area. Stand density for our study area averaged 25.3 trees per hectare for ponderosa pine greater than 53.3 centimeters diameter at 1.4 meters. We report low levels of lodgepole pine recruitment (2/hectare/decade) prior to 1880 and suggest the long-term development of less fire-resistant lodgepole pine has been favored since fire exclusion. Furthermore, contemporary settings support conditions associated to atypical mountain pine beetle outbreaks and fire behavior known to cause mortality of large diameter ponderosa pine. Restoration of remnant inter-mixed stands requires the aggressive removal of lodgepole pine and re-introduction of fire to provide long-term sustainability of ecosystem health and preservation of large diameter ponderosa pine. Close