Forest stand and site characteristics influence fuel consumption in repeat prescribed burns
Jacob I. Levine A C , Brandon M. Collins B , Robert A. York A , Daniel E. Foster A , Danny L. Fry A and Scott L. Stephens A
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations
A Department of Environmental Science Policy and Management, University of California, 130 Mulford Hall #3114, Berkeley, CA 94720-3114, USA.
B Center for Fire Research and Outreach, College of Natural Resources, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720-3114, USA.
C Corresponding author. Email: jsilevine@berkeley.edu
International Journal of Wildland Fire 29(2) 148-159 https://doi.org/10.1071/WF19043
Submitted: 27 March 2019 Accepted: 26 November 2019 Published: 14 January 2020
Abstract
Prescribed fire is a vital tool for mitigating wildfire hazard and restoring ecosystems in many western North American forest types. However, there can be considerable variability in fuel consumption from prescribed burns, which affects both hazard mitigation and emissions. In the present study, data from replicated, repeat-entry burns following a period of 100+ years of fire exclusion were used to provide a detailed quantification of fuel consumption as it varies by fuel type, size class, stand and prescribed burn number (first, second or third). Using model selection on a series of linear mixed-effects models, it was determined that total fuel load, proportion of overstorey pine, slope, canopy cover, basal area of live trees, burn number and stand influenced fuel consumption at a 0.04-ha scale. Specifically, overstorey pine composition had a positive effect on fuel consumption. Overall fuel consumption across the three burns averaged 45% of pre-burn fuel loads. Overall consumption was highest for the first burn at 65%, decreasing by 15–20% with each successive burn number. Fuel consumption was highly variable by fuel type, stand and tree species composition. This variability may be advantageous for managers seeking to foster structural diversity and resilience in forest stands.
Additional keywords: fire behaviour, fuel modelling, fuel reduction.
References
Albini FA (1978) Estimating wildfire behavior and effects. USDA Forest Service, Intermountain Forest and Range Experiment Station, General Technical Report INT-30. (Ogden, UT)Biswell HH (1989) Prescribed burning in California wildland vegetation management. (University of California Press: Berkeley, CA)
Brown JK (1971) A planar intersect method for sampling fuel volume and surface area. Forest Science 17, 96–102.
| A planar intersect method for sampling fuel volume and surface area.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Brown JK (1974) Handbook for inventorying downed woody material. USDA Forest Service, General Technical Report INT-16. (Ogden, UT)
Brown PM, Wienk CL, Symstad AJ (2008) Fire and forest history at Mount Rushmore. Ecological Applications 18, 1984–1999.
| Fire and forest history at Mount Rushmore.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 19263892PubMed |
Burrows N, McCaw L (2013) Prescribed burning in southwestern Australian forests. Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment 11, e25–e34.
| Prescribed burning in southwestern Australian forests.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Cal Fire (2018) CAL FIRE jurisdiction fires, acres, dollar damage, and structures destroyed. California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. (Sacramento, CA)
Cal Fire (2019) 45 day report: community wildfire prevention & mitigation. California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. (Sacramento, CA)
Collins BM, Fry DL, Lydersen JM, Everett R, Stephens SL (2017) Impacts of different land management histories on forest change. Ecological Applications 27, 2475–2486.
| Impacts of different land management histories on forest change.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 28873261PubMed |
Collins BM, Lydersen JM, Everett RG, Stephens SL (2018) How does forest recovery following moderate-severity fire influence effects of subsequent wildfire in mixed-conifer forests? Fire Ecology 14, 3
| How does forest recovery following moderate-severity fire influence effects of subsequent wildfire in mixed-conifer forests?Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Dupuy JL (1995) Slope and fuel load effects on fire behaviour: laboratory experiments in pine needles fuel beds. International Journal of Wildland Fire 5, 153–164.
| Slope and fuel load effects on fire behaviour: laboratory experiments in pine needles fuel beds.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Fernandes PM, Botelho HS (2003) A review of prescribed burning effectiveness in fire hazard reduction. International Journal of Wildland Fire 12, 117–128.
| A review of prescribed burning effectiveness in fire hazard reduction.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Fonda RW (2001) Burning characteristics of needles from eight pine species. Forest Science 47, 390–396.
Fonda RW, Bellanger LA, Burley LL (1998) Burning characteristics of western conifer needles. Northwest Science 72, 1–9.
Fry DL, Stevens JT, Potter AT, Collins BM, Stephens SL (2018) Surface fuel accumulation and decomposition in old-growth pine-mixed conifer forests, northwestern Mexico. Fire Ecology 14, 6
| Surface fuel accumulation and decomposition in old-growth pine-mixed conifer forests, northwestern Mexico.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Hessburg PF, Agee JK, Franklin JF (2005) Dry forests and wildland fires of the inland northwest USA: contrasting the landscape ecology of the pre-settlement and modern eras. Forest Ecology and Management 211, 117–139.
| Dry forests and wildland fires of the inland northwest USA: contrasting the landscape ecology of the pre-settlement and modern eras.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Hille MG, Stephens SL (2005) Mixed conifer forest duff consumption during prescribed fires: tree crown impacts. Forest Science 51, 417–424.
Hothorn T, Bretz F, Westfall P (2008) Simultaneous inference in general parametric models. Biometrical Journal. Biometrische Zeitschrift 50, 346–363.
| Simultaneous inference in general parametric models.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 18481363PubMed |
Kauffman JB, Martin RE (1988) Fire behavior, fuel consumption, and forest-floor changes following prescribed understory fires in Sierra Nevada mixed conifer forests. Canadian Journal of Forest Research 4, 455–462.
Keane RE (2013) Describing wildland surface fuel loading for fire management: a review of approaches, methods and systems. International Journal of Wildland Fire 22, 51–62.
| Describing wildland surface fuel loading for fire management: a review of approaches, methods and systems.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Keane RE, Gray K (2013) Comparing three sampling techniques for estimating fine woody down dead biomass. International Journal of Wildland Fire 22, 1093–1107.
| Comparing three sampling techniques for estimating fine woody down dead biomass.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Knapp EE, Keeley JE (2006) Heterogeneity in fire severity within early season and late season prescribed burns in a mixed-conifer forest. International Journal of Wildland Fire 15, 37–45.
| Heterogeneity in fire severity within early season and late season prescribed burns in a mixed-conifer forest.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Knapp EE, Keeley JE, Ballenger EA, Brennan TJ (2005) Fuel reduction and coarse woody debris dynamics with early season and late season prescribed fire in a Sierra Nevada mixed conifer forest. Forest Ecology and Management 208, 383–397.
| Fuel reduction and coarse woody debris dynamics with early season and late season prescribed fire in a Sierra Nevada mixed conifer forest.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Knapp EE, Skinner CN, North MP, Estes BL (2013) Long-term overstory and understory change following logging and fire exclusion in a Sierra Nevada mixed-conifer forest. Forest Ecology and Management 310, 903–914.
| Long-term overstory and understory change following logging and fire exclusion in a Sierra Nevada mixed-conifer forest.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Little Hoover Commission (2018) Fire on the mountain: rethinking forest management in the Sierra Nevada. Little Hoover Commission. Report 242. (Sacramento, CA)
Lydersen JM, Collins BM, Ewell CM, Reiner AL, Fites JA, Dow CB, Gonzalez P, Saah DS, Battles JJ (2014) Using field data to assess model predictions of surface and ground fuel consumption by wildfire in coniferous forests of California. Journal of Geophysical Research: Biogeosciences 119, 223–235.
| Using field data to assess model predictions of surface and ground fuel consumption by wildfire in coniferous forests of California.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Lydersen JM, Collins BM, Knapp EE, Roller GB, Stephens SL (2015) Relating fuel loads to overstorey structure and composition in a fire-excluded Sierra Nevada mixed conifer forest. International Journal of Wildland Fire 24, 484–494.
| Relating fuel loads to overstorey structure and composition in a fire-excluded Sierra Nevada mixed conifer forest.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Ma S, Concilio A, Oakley B, North M, Chen J (2010) Spatial variability in microclimate in a mixed-conifer forest before and after thinning and burning treatments. Forest Ecology and Management 259, 904–915.
| Spatial variability in microclimate in a mixed-conifer forest before and after thinning and burning treatments.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
McIver J, Youngblood A, Stephens SL (2009) The national Fire and Fire Surrogate Study: ecological consequences of fuel reduction methods in seasonally. Ecological Applications 19, 283–284.
| The national Fire and Fire Surrogate Study: ecological consequences of fuel reduction methods in seasonally.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 19323190PubMed |
Miller C, Urban DL (2000) Connectivity of forest fuels and surface fire regimes. Landscape Ecology 15, 145–154.
| Connectivity of forest fuels and surface fire regimes.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Miller JD, Safford HD, Crimmins M, Thode AE (2009) Quantitative evidence for increasing forest fire severity in the Sierra Nevada and Southern Cascade Mountains, California and Nevada, USA. Ecosystems 12, 16–32.
| Quantitative evidence for increasing forest fire severity in the Sierra Nevada and Southern Cascade Mountains, California and Nevada, USA.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Miyanishi K (2001) Duff consumption. In ‘Forest fires: behavior and ecological effects’. (Eds EA Johnson and K Miyanishi) pp. 437–475. (Academic Press: San Diego, CA)
Naficy C, Sala A, Keeling EG, Graham J, DeLuca TH (2010) Interactive effects of historical logging and fire exclusion on ponderosa pine forest structure in the northern Rockies. Ecological Applications 20, 1851–1864.
| Interactive effects of historical logging and fire exclusion on ponderosa pine forest structure in the northern Rockies.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 21049874PubMed |
Nesmith JCB, Caprio AC, Pfaff AH, McGinnis TW, Keeley JE (2011) A comparison of effects from prescribed fires and wildfires managed for resource objectives in Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks. Forest Ecology and Management 261, 1275–1282.
| A comparison of effects from prescribed fires and wildfires managed for resource objectives in Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
North M (2012) Managing Sierra Nevada forests. USDA Forest Service. General Technical Report PSW-GTR-237. (Ogden, UT)
North MP, Stine P, Hara KO, Zielinski WJ, Stephens SL (2009) An ecosystem management strategy for Sierran mixed- conifer forests. USDA Forest Service. General Technical Report PSW-GTR-220. (Ogden, UT)
North M, Brough A, Long JW, Collins BM, Bowden P, Yasuda DA, Miller JD, Sugihara NG (2015) Constraints on mechanized treatment significantly limit mechanical fuels reduction extent in the Sierra Nevada. Journal of Forestry 113, 40–48.
| Constraints on mechanized treatment significantly limit mechanical fuels reduction extent in the Sierra Nevada.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
North MP, Collins BC, Safford HD, Stephenson NL (2016) Montane forests. In ‘Ecosystems of California’. (Eds H Mooney, E Zavaleta) pp. 553–579. (University of California Press: Berkeley, CA)
Olson CM, Helms JH (1996) ‘Forest growth and stand structure at Blodgett Forest Research Station 1933–1995.’ Sierra Nevada Ecosystem Project: Final Report to Congress. Vol. 3. University of California, Centers for Water and Wildland Resources. (Davis, CA)
Parsons DJ, Debenedetti SH (1979) Impact of fire suppression on a mixed‐conifer forest. Forest Ecology and Management 2, 21–33.
| Impact of fire suppression on a mixed‐conifer forest.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Pinheiro J, Bates D, DebRoy S, Sarkar D, R Core Team (2018) nlme: Linear and nonlinear mixed effects models. R package version 3.1–137. Available at https://CRAN.R-project.org/package=nlme [Verified December 2019]
R Core Team (2018) R: a language and environment for statistical computing. R Foundation for Statistical Computing, Vienna. Available at https://www.R-project.org/ [Verified December 2019]
Rambo TR, North MP (2009) Canopy microclimate response to pattern and density of thinning in a Sierra Nevada forest. Forest Ecology and Management 257, 435–442.
| Canopy microclimate response to pattern and density of thinning in a Sierra Nevada forest.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Ryan KC, Knapp EE, Varner JM (2013) Prescribed fire in North American forests and woodlands: history, current practice, and challenges. Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment 11, 15–24.
| Prescribed fire in North American forests and woodlands: history, current practice, and challenges.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Scholl AE, Taylor AH (2010) Fire regimes, forest change, and self-organization in an old-growth mixed-conifer forest, Yosemite National Park, USA. Ecological Applications 20, 362–380.
| Fire regimes, forest change, and self-organization in an old-growth mixed-conifer forest, Yosemite National Park, USA.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 20405793PubMed |
Sikkink PG, Keane RE (2008) A comparison of five sampling techniques to estimate surface fuel loading in montane forests. International Journal of Wildland Fire 17, 363–379.
| A comparison of five sampling techniques to estimate surface fuel loading in montane forests.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Stephens SL (2001) Fire history differences in adjacent Jeffrey pine and upper montane forests in the eastern Sierra Nevada. International Journal of Wildland Fire 10, 161–167.
| Fire history differences in adjacent Jeffrey pine and upper montane forests in the eastern Sierra Nevada.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Stephens SL, Collins BM (2004) Fire regimes of mixed conifer forests in the north–central Sierra Nevada at multiple spatial scales. Northwest Science 78, 12–23.
Stephens SL, Finney MA (2002) Prescribed fire mortality of Sierra Nevada mixed conifer tree species: effects of crown damage and forest floor combustion. Forest Ecology and Management 162, 261–271.
| Prescribed fire mortality of Sierra Nevada mixed conifer tree species: effects of crown damage and forest floor combustion.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Stephens SL, Moghaddas JJ (2005) Experimental fuel treatment impacts on forest structure, potential fire behavior, and predicted tree mortality in a California mixed conifer forest. Forest Ecology and Management 215, 21–36.
| Experimental fuel treatment impacts on forest structure, potential fire behavior, and predicted tree mortality in a California mixed conifer forest.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Stephens SL, Lydersen JM, Collins BM, Fry DL, Meyer MD (2015) Historical and current landscape-scale ponderosa pine and mixed conifer forest structure in the southern Sierra Nevada. Ecosphere 6, 1–63.
| Historical and current landscape-scale ponderosa pine and mixed conifer forest structure in the southern Sierra Nevada.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Stephens SL, Kobziar LN, Collins BM, Davis R, Fulé PZ, Gaines W, Ganey J, Guldin JM, Hessburg P, Hiers K, Hoagland S, Keane JJ, Masters RE, McKellar AE, Montague W, North M, Spies TA (2019) Is fire “for the birds”? How two rare species influence fire management across the United States. Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment 17, 391–399.
| Is fire “for the birds”? How two rare species influence fire management across the United States.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Stephenson NL (1999) Reference conditions for giant sequoia forest restoration: structure, process, and precision. Ecological Applications 9, 1253–1265.
| Reference conditions for giant sequoia forest restoration: structure, process, and precision.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Stevens JT, Collins BM, Miller JD, North MP, Stephens SL (2017) Changing spatial patterns of stand-replacing fire in California conifer forests. Forest Ecology and Management 406, 28–36.
| Changing spatial patterns of stand-replacing fire in California conifer forests.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Taylor AH, Maxwell RS, Beaty RM, Skinner CN, Vandervlugt AM, Airey C (2014) Changes in forest structure, fuels and potential fire behaviour since 1873 in the Lake Tahoe Basin, USA. Applied Vegetation Science 17, 17–31.
| Changes in forest structure, fuels and potential fire behaviour since 1873 in the Lake Tahoe Basin, USA.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Tukey JW (1949) Comparing individual means in the analysis of variance. International Biometric Society 5, 99–114.
| Comparing individual means in the analysis of variance.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Vaillant N, Fites-kaufman JA, Stephens SL (2009) Effectiveness of prescribed fire as a fuel treatment in Californian coniferous forests. International Journal of Wildland Fire 18, 165–175.
| Effectiveness of prescribed fire as a fuel treatment in Californian coniferous forests.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Van de Water KM, Safford HD (2011) A summary of fire frequency estimates for California vegetation before Euro-American settlement. Fire Ecology 7, 26–58.
| A summary of fire frequency estimates for California vegetation before Euro-American settlement.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
van Wagtendonk JW (1996) Use of a deterministic fire growth model to test fuel treatments. Sierra Nevada Ecosystem Project: Final Report to Congress Vol. II. University of California, Centers for Water and Wildland Resources. (Davis, CA)
van Wagtendonk JW, Moore PE (2010) Fuel deposition rates of montane and subalpine conifers in the central Sierra Nevada, California, USA. Forest Ecology and Management 259, 2122–2132.
| Fuel deposition rates of montane and subalpine conifers in the central Sierra Nevada, California, USA.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
van Wagtendonk JW, Benedict JM, Sydoriak WM (1998) Fuel bed characteristics of Sierra Nevada conifers. Journal of Applied Forestry 13, 73–84.
Weatherspoon CP, Skinner CN (2002) An ecological comparison of fire and fire surrogates for reducing wildfire hazard and improving forest health: a research proposal. In ‘Proceedings of the Conference on Fire in California Ecosystems: Integrating Ecology, Prevention and Management’, 17–20 November 1997, San Diego, CA. (Eds NG Sugihara, ME Morales, TJ Morales) pp. 239–245. (Association for Fire Ecology: Eugene, OR)
Webster KM, Halpern CB (2010) Long-term vegetation responses to reintroduction and repeated use of fire in mixed-conifer forests of the Sierra Nevada. Ecosphere 1, 1–27.
| Long-term vegetation responses to reintroduction and repeated use of fire in mixed-conifer forests of the Sierra Nevada.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Zuur AF, Ieno EN, Walker N, Saveliev AA, Smith GM (2009) ‘Mixed effects models and extensions in ecology with R.’ (Springer Science and Business Media: New York)
Zuur AF, Ieno EN, Elphick CS (2010) A protocol for data exploration to avoid common statistical problems. Methods in Ecology and Evolution 1, 3–14.
| A protocol for data exploration to avoid common statistical problems.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
