Agee 1993 fire ecology pdf

Fire ecology in pacific northwest forests by james k. Fire effects on plants fire ecology of pacific northwest forests j. Introduction to fire science rausser college of natural. Since the first article on fire ecology appeared inscientific americanin 1961 cooper 1961, several books have been published on the subject kozlowski and ahlgren 1974, wright and bailey 1982, agee 1993, whalen 1995, arno and allisonbunnel 2002. Pdf on jan 1, 1996, james k agee and others published fire ecology of pacific northwest forests find, read. Agee university of washington seattle, wa usa abstract mixed severity fire regimes are the most complex fire regimes in the western united states. Set fires in the forests of the northeastern united states. To date, most information regarding forest fire regimes and their effects comes from the two ends of the severity spectrum, with much attention given to humaninduced shifts from low to highseverity fire regimes e. Agee 1993 climate, especially longterm drought and warm springs are very important in influencing fire occurrence morgan et. Their landscape ecology is not intermediate between that of low and high severity fire regimes.

In many cases, historic firereturn intervals for subalpine forests are longer than the period of time in which the current fire exclusion practices have been in effect. Fire severity and fire intensity in discussing fire regimes it is important to recognize that there has been an evolution in the use of the terms intensity and severity in the fire effects and fire ecology literature. As with the highseverity patches in the moderateseverity fire regime, post fire tree re generation depends on seed source availability or vegetative regeneration. A common fire scenario is that a fire ignites from a lightning strike in the upper portion of a slope, burns to the ridge in a heading fire but does not necessarily back. Rarely, dry forest landscapes were relatively more synchronized in their vegetation and fuels conditions and affected by climatedriven, highseverity. Fire ecology of ponderosa pine and the rebuilding of fire. Often the goal of prescribed fire is simply to reduce fuels and understory density, but prescribed fires affect other components of forest communities in. Frost plant conservation program, north carolina department of agriculture and consumer services, raleigh, nc 27611 abstract it is now apparent that fire once played a role in shaping all but the wettest, the most arid, or the most fire sheltered plant communities of the united states. In the klamath region of oregon and california, a global hotspot of botanical biodiversity. The landscape ecology of western forest fire regimes j. The seminal importance of fire in ecosystem management impetus for this publication. Fire resilience in moist mixed conifer forests penelope morgan dept. The historical highseverity fire regimes were those in which the effect of a fire was usually a stand.

Contrasting the landscape ecology of the presettlement and modern eras paul f. The firerotation interval is the average number of years required to burn an area under consideration, with the understanding that some areas may not burn while other areas may burn more than once during a cycle van wagner 1978, agee 1993, cochrane et al. Ecology and conservation of lynx in the united states. Basic principles of forest fuel reduction treatments. A fire regime describes the characteristics of fire and its role in a particular ecosystem. The dynamics of fire ecology has emerged as a central feature of the new understanding as scientists and land managers redefine traditional assumptions about the growth and development of ecosystems. Ecology and management of arundo donax, and approaches to riparian habitat restoration in southern california. Heading fires typically ave a h higher intensity and a higher rate of spread than backing fires. In many cases, historic fire return intervals for subalpine forests are longer than the period of time in which the current fire exclusion practices have been in effect. Ponderosa pine has long needles with high moisture content that surround terminal buds. Agee, an expert in the emergent field of fire ecology, analyzes the ecological role of fire in the creation and maintenance of natural western forests, focusing primarily on forest stand development patterns.

For example, the 2006 bybee fire burned over 1100 ha of lodgepole pine, red fir, and mountain hemlock forests within the study area. Weakley and wildlife service and biological rep, title references a agee, j. Forest ecology and management oregon state university. Forest ecology and management 257 2009 14961504 article info article history.

Division of ecosystem sciences, college of forest resources, box 352100. I will provide this in pdf form as it is out of print. Ecology and management of fireprone forests of the western. Supplemental texts appropriate sections will be made available on the website or may be available in the library. Fire and weather disturbances in terrestrial ecosystems of the eastern cascades. The fire rotation interval is the average number of years required to burn an area under consideration, with the understanding that some areas may not burn while other areas may burn more than once during a cycle van wagner 1978, agee 1993, cochrane et al. Ponderosa pine forest has a classic lowseverity fire regime. Effects of fire on vegetation steve acker northwest oregon ecology program, us forest service. Fire behavior fire behavior is most often described by intensity and spread. Skinnerforest ecology and management 211 2005 8396 85 fig. Sensitive plant species biological evaluation for walker fuels reduction.

Fire ecology of ponderosa pine fire resilient ponderosa pine ecosystems fitzgerald. Fire regimes in western north america are described in terms of fire frequency, magnitude, fireline intensity, and spatial scale and pattern agee, 1993, baker, 1989, brown, 2000 and reflect characteristics of the vegetation and fuels, fire weather, and other environmental conditions agee, 1993, agee, 1998. Western avenue, wenatchee, wa 988011229, usa b college of forest resources, p. Ecological conditions a report to the pacific northwest research station directors office, september 2000. Data for all years of the two landscapes were then combined to yield the number. Biscuit fire reburn mediterranean mixed severity klamathsiskiyou avian abstract fire is a widespread natural disturbance agent in most coniferdominated forests. Most of the historical trees are ponderosa pine, and most of the trees in the more recent photoare douglas. Prescribed fire is a valuable tool for returning forests of the western united states to their historic fire regimes and fuel levels after more than a century of fire exclusion agee 1993. Agee is the author of fire ecology of pacific northwest forests 4. What made the fires of 1998 so devastating, and what is causing the. Alternative characterization of forest fire regimes. This text analyzes the ecological role of fire in the creation and maintenance of natural western forests, focusing primarily on forest stand development patterns.

Environmental assessment walker fuels reduction project bibliography 1 agee, james k. Published by island press, washington, dc, andcovelo, ca. For 426 fire management and ecology fire ecology and management of subalpine forest ecosystems for 426 fire management and ecology issues landscapescale effects. Historical fires in douglasfir dominated riparian forests. Usda assessing the effects of fire disturbance on ecosystems. Fire severity is an ecological parameter that measures. Fire ecology and fire management in mixed and standreplacing fire regimes. Fire ecology perhaps the image most often associated with wildland fire is one of destruction. Fire and riparian ecosystems in landscapes of the western. Fire regimes based on fire severity agee 1993 are defined by effects on dominant organisms, such as trees, and, although broadly described in three classes, can be disaggregated to the forest type or plant association level if desired. Fire history the hanson harbor homeowners association website.

Fire ecology is a branch of ecology that focuses on the origins of wildland fire and its relationship to the. Draft fire regime condition class frcc interagency. Freezing isoclines, novel climates, and climatic resilience of californias protected areas. Historic firereturn intervals in subalpine forests range from 50 to 300 years arno 1980, smith and fisher 1997, agee 1990, agee 1993. Fire ecology the interaction between fire and the ecosystem. Oregon recreational dungeness crab fishery, 2007 2011. At a minimum, fire regimes may be distinguished by how often fires typically occur frequency, fire interval, fire rotation and some assessment of impact on the ecosystem e. Dendrochronological reconstruction of fire history in. The ecology of mixed severity fire regimes in washington, oregon. The complex nature of mixed severity fire regimes james k. The result is a stunning collection of work that forms a cohesive whole. Sugihara and others published fire as an ecological process find, read and cite all the research you need on researchgate.

Pdf on jan 1, 1996, james k agee and others published fire ecology of pacific northwest forests find, read and cite all the research you need on researchgate. The role of prescribed fire in restoring ecosystem health and diversity in southwest oregon. Typical increase in surface fuels, ladder fuels, and canopy bulk density in a ponderosa pine forest, 19081948, in western montana. Surviving trees are critical sources of seed for tree replacement after fires, thus the. Fire effects on other topics soils, hydrology are discussed in section iii. Although needles may be scorched and killed by heat, they help protect meristematic tissue within the bud. Eleven artists, mostly from the southwestern united states, were tasked with exploring the intersections of wildfire, forest ecology, climate change, and fire management practices of the past century and a half.

Fire history of douglasfir forests in the pacific northwest. Mixed severity fires formed the catchall bin for what remained, by agees 1990, 1993 definition those where 2070% of the overstory trees or basal area are. Historical fires in douglasfir dominated riparian forests of. Native american use of fire in ecosystems wikipedia. However, no book has been published that focuses specifically on the ecological role of fire in. Huff technical coordinators, wildlife and vegetation in unmanaged douglasfir forests. In many cases, historic firereturn intervals for subalpine forests are longer than the period of time in which the current fireexclusion policies have been in effect. Pdf fire ecology of pacific northwest forests researchgate. Fire ecology of pacific northwest forests ebook, 1993.

Fire severity fire ecology electronic supplementary material the online version of. Inferences of fire occurrence may also be made from charcoal on the bark of currently living trees. For the past 7 years he has worked on projects relating to fire ecology on a community. Despite this, long periods of fire exclusion increase the risk of unintended consequences in oak woodland restoration burns cole 1977. Fire exclusion due to wildfiresuppression activities. Important topics addressed by fire ecology are fire regimes, fire s effect on animals, and fire s effect on vegetation. While it is true that fire has a great potential for the destruction of homes, wildlife, and even human life, fire is just one of many natural forces within ecosystems. Pacific northwest usa oak woodlands and savannas are fire resilient communities dependent on frequent, lowseverity fire to maintain their structure and understory species diversity, and to prevent encroachment by fire sensitive competitors.

Fire scars are formed when there is sufficient duff and litter fuels at the tree base, facilitating a fire that is intense enough to penetrate the bark and damage the cambium, leading to an identifiable scar forming in the tree ring, corresponding to the fire year. Fire ecology of pacific northwest forests island press. A common fire scenario is that a fire ignites from a lightning strike in the upper portion of a slope, burns to the ridge in a heading fire. Washington state university cooperative extension servicethe association for fire ecology, spokane, washington, usa. Usda forest service general technical report pnwgtr285. Fire return intervals are not well defined for sitka spruce agee 1993 and other coastal forest pnv types. Franco, rely on nearby seed trees for wind or gravity dispersal agee 1993. Introduction to fire science 1 what is required for fire to occur. Received 8 may 2008 received in revised form 22 december 2008 accepted 22 december 2008 keywords. Farris, national park service, klamath falls, oregon, usa, personal communication. Fire history and landscape dynamics in a latesuccessional. This is an excellent overview of plant related fire ecology especially for those interested coniferous forests. Fire ecology of pacific northwest forests book, 1993.

Fire and weather disturbances in terrestrial ecosystems of the eastern 24 cascades. A suite of climate, fuel, and landscape variables is required for fire to occur and spread, although their relative importance changes across scales. Fire history and forest structure along an elevational. Definitions for fire and wildfire national park service.

Its discussion of the natural fire environment and the environmental effects of. Due to the fire resistance of the major tree species, large trees in stands with a single canopy layer dominated these landscapes in a classic lowseverity fire regime agee 1993, agee 2003, wright and agee 2004. Condition classes are a function of the degree of departure from historical fire regimes resulting in alterations of key ecosystem. Vegetation in ecosystems with short firereturn intervals have various adapted strategies for persisting during or returning quickly following fire kauffman 1990. Charcoal in thin sections of lake varve can produce a local i. Figure 3fire regimes in the pacific northwest can be defined by fire severity. Proceedings of tall timber s fire ecology conferences usda forest service general technical reports, research notes, and research papers. The structure of most virgin forests in the western united states reflects a past disturbance history that includes forest fire. Agee 1993 climate, especially longterm drought and warm springs are very important in influencing fire occurrence morgan et al. Pdf the landscape ecology of western forest fire regimes. Some typical fire adaptations classify species as fire. Agee, 1993, island press fire effects information system.