Invasive and native plant responses to shrubland fuel reduction: comparing prescribed fire, mastication, and treatment season

2009 ◽  
Vol 142 (8) ◽  
pp. 1657-1664 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jennifer B. Potts ◽  
Scott L. Stephens
Keyword(s):  
Prescribed Fire ◽  
Plant Responses ◽  
Native Plant ◽  
Fuel Reduction

scholarly journals Long-Term Effects of Repeated Prescribed Fire and Fire Surrogate Treatments on Forest Soil Chemistry in the Southern Appalachian Mountains (USA)

Fire ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. 20
Author(s):  
Christopher J. Dukes ◽  
T. Adam Coates ◽  
Donald L. Hagan ◽  
W. Michael Aust ◽  
Thomas A. Waldrop ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Prescribed Fire ◽  
Mineral Soil ◽  
Appalachian Mountains ◽  
Fuel Reduction ◽  
Burn Treatment ◽  
Soil C ◽  
Southern Appalachian Mountains ◽  
Management Objectives ◽  
Southern Appalachian

From 2001–2018, a series of fuel reduction and ecosystem restoration treatments were implemented in the southern Appalachian Mountains near Asheville, North Carolina, USA. Treatments consisted of prescribed fire (four burns), mechanical cutting of understory shrubs and mid-story trees (two cuttings), and a combination of both cutting and prescribed fire (two cuts + four burns). Soils were sampled in 2018 to determine potential treatment impacts for O horizon and mineral soil (0–10 cm depth) carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) and mineral soil calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg), phosphorus (P), potassium (K), and pH. Results suggested that mean changes in O horizon C and N and mineral soil C, N, C:N, Ca, and P from 2001–2018 differed between the treatments, but only mineral soil C, N, C:N, and Ca displayed differences between at least one fuel reduction treatment and the untreated control. One soils-related restoration objective was mineral soil N reduction and the cut + burn treatment best achieved this result. Increased organic matter recalcitrance was another priority, but this was not obtained with any treatment. When paired with previously reported fuels and vegetation results from this site, it appeared that continued use of the cut + burn treatment may best achieve long-term management objectives for this site and other locations being managed for similar long-term restoration and fuels management objectives.

scholarly journals Root pathogen diversity and composition varies with climate in undisturbed grasslands, but less so in anthropogenically disturbed grasslands

2020 ◽  
Vol 15 (1) ◽  
pp. 304-317 ◽  
Author(s):  
Camille S. Delavaux ◽  
Josh L. Schemanski ◽  
Geoffrey L. House ◽  
Alice G. Tipton ◽  
Benjamin Sikes ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Plant Community ◽  
Plant Pathogen ◽  
Fungal Pathogens ◽  
Community Response ◽  
Community Diversity ◽  
Plant Responses ◽  
Native Plant ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Precipitation And Temperature

AbstractSoil-borne pathogens structure plant communities, shaping their diversity, and through these effects may mediate plant responses to climate change and disturbance. Little is known, however, about the environmental determinants of plant pathogen communities. Therefore, we explored the impact of climate gradients and anthropogenic disturbance on root-associated pathogens in grasslands. We examined the community structure of two pathogenic groups—fungal pathogens and oomycetes—in undisturbed and anthropogenically disturbed grasslands across a natural precipitation and temperature gradient in the Midwestern USA. In undisturbed grasslands, precipitation and temperature gradients were important predictors of pathogen community richness and composition. Oomycete richness increased with precipitation, while fungal pathogen richness depended on an interaction of precipitation and temperature, with precipitation increasing richness most with higher temperatures. Disturbance altered plant pathogen composition and precipitation and temperature had a reduced effect on pathogen richness and composition in disturbed grasslands. Because pathogens can mediate plant community diversity and structure, the sensitivity of pathogens to disturbance and climate suggests that degradation of the pathogen community may mediate loss, or limit restoration of, native plant diversity in disturbed grasslands, and may modify plant community response to climate change.

Ecological effects of alternative fuel-reduction treatments: highlights of the National Fire and Fire Surrogate study (FFS)

2013 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
pp. 63 ◽  
Author(s):  
James D. McIver ◽  
Scott L. Stephens ◽  
James K. Agee ◽  
Jamie Barbour ◽  
Ralph E. J. Boerner ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Adaptive Management ◽  
Prescribed Fire ◽  
Bark Beetles ◽  
Alternative Fuel ◽  
Fuel Reduction ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Seasonally Dry ◽  
The Us ◽  
Key Variables ◽  
Term Response

The 12-site National Fire and Fire Surrogate study (FFS) was a multivariate experiment that evaluated ecological consequences of alternative fuel-reduction treatments in seasonally dry forests of the US. Each site was a replicated experiment with a common design that compared an un-manipulated control, prescribed fire, mechanical and mechanical + fire treatments. Variables within the vegetation, fuelbed, forest floor and soil, bark beetles, tree diseases and wildlife were measured in 10-ha stands, and ecological response was compared among treatments at the site level, and across sites, to better understand the influence of differential site conditions. For most sites, treated stands were predicted to be more resilient to wildfire if it occurred shortly after treatment, but for most ecological variables, short-term response to treatments was subtle and transient. Strong site-specificity was observed in the response of most ecosystem variables, suggesting that practitioners employ adaptive management at the local scale. Because ecosystem components were tightly linked, adaptive management would need to include monitoring of a carefully chosen set of key variables. Mechanical treatments did not serve as surrogates for fire for most variables, suggesting that fire be maintained whenever possible. Restoration to pre-settlement conditions will require repeated treatments over time, with eastern forests requiring more frequent applications.

scholarly journals Chaparral shrub recovery after fuel reduction: a comparison of prescribed fire and mastication techniques

Plant Ecology ◽  
2010 ◽  
Vol 210 (2) ◽  
pp. 303-315 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jennifer B. Potts ◽  
Eva Marino ◽  
Scott L. Stephens
Keyword(s):  
Prescribed Fire ◽  
Fuel Reduction

Public perspectives of fire, fuels and the Forest Service in the Great Lakes Region: a survey of citizen - agency communication and trust

2009 ◽  
Vol 18 (2) ◽  
pp. 157 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bruce A. Shindler ◽  
Eric Toman ◽  
Sarah M. McCaffrey
Keyword(s):  
Great Lakes ◽  
Prescribed Fire ◽  
Forest Service ◽  
Great Lakes Region ◽  
Fuel Reduction ◽  
Community Based ◽  
Western Us ◽  
The Us ◽  
Us Forest Service ◽  
Study Sites

Relative to the western United States, where fire and fuel management programs have received greater emphasis, few community-based studies have focused on the Great Lakes region. The present paper describes public opinion research from counties surrounding National Forests in Wisconsin, Minnesota and Michigan. Survey data address citizen perspectives on (1) fuel reduction practices and related risks, (2) confidence in the US Forest Service to effectively implement treatments, and (3) interactions between the agency and forest communities. Substantial support for prescribed fire and thinning treatments is evident, with few participants believing these practices should not be considered or are unnecessary. However, ratings of agency actions were weak at all three study sites; in particular, there is some skepticism that managers can safely implement prescribed fire programs. Overall, Minnesota residents had fewer concerns whereas Michigan respondents were more cautious. These results are discussed and compared with findings from the western US.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document