Delineating a managed fire regime and exploring its relationship to the natural fire regime in East Central Florida, USA: A remote sensing and GIS approach

Aim of the study: To analyze the impact of the 1998 wildfire on dwarf pine (Pinus culminicola) population stands 18 years after the fire.Area of study: Cerro el Potosí, Nuevo León (México)Material and methods: We measured regeneration, biovolume of individuals, diversity and species composition in unburned and burned plots randomly selected in the area.Main results: Recovery was very slow, with limited dense natural regeneration and very slow growth. Significant differences between control and burned plots were found with respect to regeneration, species composition, evenness and soil nutrients, suggesting that fire could promote natural regeneration and biodiversity in these communities.Research highlights: Management efforts are necessary to maintain a natural fire regime and ensure grazing exclusion in order to favor the conservation of the community dominated by this rare species P. culminicola.

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Restoring a Natural Fire Regime Alters the Water Balance of a Sierra Nevada Catchment

Water Resources Research ◽

10.1029/2018wr024098 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 55 (7) ◽

pp. 5751-5769 ◽

Cited By ~ 10

Author(s):

Gabrielle F. S. Boisramé ◽

Sally E. Thompson ◽

Christina (Naomi) Tague ◽

Scott L. Stephens

Keyword(s):

Water Balance ◽

Sierra Nevada ◽

Fire Regime ◽

Natural Fire ◽

Natural Fire Regime

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What Constitutes a Natural Fire Regime? Insight from the Ecology and Distribution of Coniferous Forest Birds in North America

Fire Ecology ◽

10.4996/fireecology.0402115 ◽

2008 ◽

Vol 4 (2) ◽

pp. 115-132 ◽

Cited By ~ 23

Author(s):

Richard L. Hutto ◽

Courtney J. Conway ◽

Victoria A. Saab ◽

Jeffrey R. Walters

Keyword(s):

North America ◽

Fire Regime ◽

Coniferous Forest ◽

Forest Birds ◽

Natural Fire ◽

Natural Fire Regime

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Isolating the lightning ignition regime from a contemporary background fire regime in east-central Florida, USA

Canadian Journal of Forest Research ◽

10.1139/x09-193 ◽

2010 ◽

Vol 40 (2) ◽

pp. 286-297 ◽

Cited By ~ 18

Author(s):

Brean W. Duncan ◽

Frederic W. Adrian ◽

Eric D. Stolen

Keyword(s):

Fire Regime ◽

Fire Regimes ◽

Natural Fire ◽

Central Florida ◽

Pine Flatwoods ◽

Ignition Regime ◽

Equal Chance ◽

Kennedy Space ◽

Lightning Fire ◽

In Fire

Anthropogenic influences have altered most fire regimes. Fire management programs often try to mimic natural fire regimes to maintain fuels and sustain native fire-dependent species. Lightning is the natural ignition source in Florida, substantiating the need for understanding lightning fire incidence. Sixteen years of lightning data (1986–2003, excluding 1987 and 2002 due to missing data) from the NASA Cloud to Ground Lightning Surveillance System and fire ignition records were used to quantify the relationship between lightning incidence and ignitions on Kennedy Space Center, Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, and Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. There were 230 lightning fires with an average of 14 ignitions per year, primarily in July, and only one winter ignition. Precipitation influenced the efficiency of lightning ignitions, particularly July precipitation. We found that negative polarity strikes caused the majority of ignitions. Pine flatwoods was ignited more frequently than expected given equal chance of ignition among landcover types. About half (51%) of detected fires were instantaneous ignitions and the other 49% were delayed an average of 2 days. This information is useful for paramaterizing fire regime models and for mimicking the natural fire regime through fire prescriptions on these properties and throughout the southeastern United States. These methods may be useful in fire-maintained systems globally.

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