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Fire in Restoration Ecology Christie Sampson Fire in ecosystems Fire is an essential disturbance In the context of restoration ecology Restoring fire to a fire-dependent ecosystem Can be a tool in a new area Fire regime = spatial and temporal variations of fires and their effects in a given area over a given time period US Fire Adapted Ecosystems Tallgrass Prairie: Midwest Chaparral: California and Southwest Ponderosa Pine: Interior West Douglas-Fir: Pacific Northwest Loblolly and Shortleaf Pine: The Southeast Jack Pine: Great Lake States http://www.fs.fed.us/r6/okawen/fire/naches/index.shtml Fire in ecosystems Fire contributes to the : • Recycling of nutrients • Regulation of plant succession and wildlife habitat • Controlling insect populations and diseases • Maintenance biological diversity • Reduction of biomass Natural Burning Regime (nature.org) Changes in North American Fires Increases in human-related fire ignitions forest roads, widespread logging, recreational use and development Reduction in biomass of fine fuels livestock grazing and increased tree invasion Increases in fuel accumulation dense tree plantations and a buildup of shadetolerant conifers Changes in North American Fires Modifications/habitat fragmentation agriculture, urban development, and other firebreaks Active fire suppression changed the types of forests found in the US fewer forest that need frequent, low intensity fire Loss of forests with fire-resilient properties community and landscape levels removal of large trees and “legacy” stand components Environmental Effects Environmental Effects -Soil Return nutrients to soil Factors Frequency, duration, and intensity soil characteristics Consequences Loss of duff layer Surface runoff and soil erosion http://www.blm.gov/pgdata/etc/medialib/blm/ut/moab_fo/fire.Par.57697.Image.-1.-1.1.gif Environmental Effects -Water Consequences Erosion Nutrient Loading Environmental Effects -Plants Fire adapted smoke-activated seeds or fire-activated buds Southern pine bark thicker than many hardwoods, needles will survive exposure to 1300°F for about 5 minutes chaparral - plants have oil covered leaves that allows their fireactivated seeds to germinate. The offspring can then flourish can then capitalize on the lack of competition in a burnt landscape. Grasses regenerate quickly, outcompeting trees and shrubs http://www.blm.gov/pgdata/etc/medialib/blm/ Fire Impacts on Succession Environmental Effects Wildlife Primarily indirect Regenerate food sources Creation of habitat Snags Loss of habitat Dead and down wood Temporary loss of grasslands/understory Restoration Challenges What was the temporal variability of the fire regime over multicentury reference periods? History is needed to identify temporal trends that may be related to climatic variation prior to and during intensive European settlement How was the fire regime influenced by Native Americans? How much influence did they have on the ecosystem? How did native and introduced herbivores affect fuels and fire regimes? Fires declined with reduced grass fuels due to the introduction of sheep and cattle Fluctuations in native herbivore populations (Veblen 2003) Restoration Challenges What was the spatial variability of the fire regime within a particular ecosystem type? climatic seasonality topography weather patterns understory species/characteristics site productivity (related to geology, soils, and/or climate) use by Native Americans How have invasive plant species altered fire regimes? Exotic plant species can change fuel continuity- spread and intensity may be significantly altered (Veblen 2003) Invasive Species Nonnative plant abundance was over 200% higher on fuel breaks than in adjacent areas Invasive Species Reduced exotic plant seed production (seed bank) Increased native seedling establishment through litter removal and decreased competition http://www.cas.vanderbilt.edu/bioimages/biohires/ecoregions/h50805burn20011103crv185.jpg (Veblen 2003) Overcoming public dissent Fire = dangerous force to be suppressed and contained at all costs http://www.dosomething.org/files/pictures/fire-road.jpg Overcoming public dissent Walt Disney’s Bambi U.S. Forest Service’s Smokey Bear http://inel.wordpress.com/2007/10/24/bambi-had-wildfires-butnot-as-bad-as-this/ http://harebrainedcreative.files.wordpress.com/2011/03/sm okey_the_bear.jpg?w=453&h=660 Overcoming public dissent Discuss environmental, social and economic benefits and consequences for the community www.nature.org Additional References www.bugwood.org/pfire/ http://isebindia.com/95_99/98-04-1.html http://www.wildlandfire.com/pics/wall/wall.htm http://fireecology.org/education/doc1.htm Brown, James K.; Smith, Jane Kapler (2000). "Wildland fire in ecosystems: effects of fire on flora". Gen. Tech. Rep. RMRS-GTR42-vol. 2 40,56-68. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station. DellaSala, D. A., J. E. Williams, C.D. Williams and J. F. Franklin. 2004. Beyond Smoke and Mirrors: a Synthesis of Fire Policy and Science. Conservation Biology, 18:976–986 Menke, J. W. 1992. GRAZING AND FIRE MANAGEMENT FOR NATIVE PERENNIAL GRASS RESTORATION IN CALIFORNIA GRASSLANDS . Journal of the California Native Plant Society 20:22-25 Merriam, Kyle E., Jon E. Keeley, and Jan L. Beyers. 2006. Fuel Breaks Affect Nonnative Species Abundance In Californian Plant Communities. Ecological Applications 16:515–527 Romme, W.H. 1980. Fire history terminology: report of the Ad Hoc Committee. Pages 135-37 in M.A. Stokes and J.H. Dieterich, editors. Proceedings of the fire history workshop, Oct. 20-24, 1980. Tucson, Arizona. U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service, General Technical Report Veblen, T.T. 2003. Key issues in fire regime research for fuels management and ecological restoration. Pages 259-276 in: P. Omi and L. Joyce (technical eds). Fire, Fuel Treatments and Ecological Restoration: Conference proceedings; 2002 16-18 April; Fort Collins, CO: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station. 475 p.
