scholarly journals Prescribed Burning Has Limited Long-Term Effectiveness in Controlling Trembling Aspen (Populus tremuloides) Encroachment into Fescue Grassland in Prince Albert National Park

2013 ◽  
Vol 127 (1) ◽  
pp. 50 ◽  
Author(s):  
Digit D. Guedo ◽  
Eric G. Lamb
Keyword(s):  
Populus Tremuloides ◽  
National Park ◽  
Prescribed Burning ◽  
Woody Species ◽  
System Structure ◽  
Forest Transition ◽  
Trembling Aspen ◽  
Prescribed Burn ◽  
Grassland Community ◽  
Prince Albert National Park

Encroachment into grassland by woody species is a global ecological phenomenon, and it is of particular concern in remnant fescue (Festuca) prairie at the aspen parkland–boreal forest ecotone. Fire suppression is thought to encourage encroachment; however, prescribed burning as a means of controlling encroachment and restoring system structure, function, and composition has had variable success. The objective of this study was to determine the effects of different season of burn, number of annual burns, and number of years after burning treatments on Trembling Aspen (Populus tremuloides) encroachment into the fescue grasslands within Prince Albert National Park, Saskatchewan. Temporal changes in density and cover of Trembling Aspen in grassland and grassland–forest transition plant communities were evaluated using data from a prescribed burn study conducted in Prince Albert National Park from 1975 to 2010. The effect of year (indicating varying amounts of time relative to prescribed burning) and the interaction between spring burning and year reflect a stimulatory effect of burning on Trembling Aspen suckering. Increased Trembling Aspen cover in the forest transition community with more annual burns, burning in the fall, and the interaction between year and number of annual burns and increased Trembling Aspen cover in the grassland community with year indicate that none of the treatments had lasting control of Trembling Aspen encroachment. Ongoing Trembling Aspen encroachment despite prescribed burning may be due to important missing interactions between fire and grazing. A change in the use and expectation of prescribed burning is needed when attempting to suppress Trembling Aspen encroachment into the fescue grasslands.

scholarly journals Effects of Fire on Bird and Small Mammal Communities in the Grasslands of Wind Cave National Park

1981 ◽  
Vol 5 ◽  
pp. 106-110
Author(s):  
D. Shown ◽  
N. Sloan
Keyword(s):  
Small Mammal ◽  
National Park ◽  
Prescribed Burning ◽  
Grassland Community ◽  
Small Mammal Communities ◽  
Mammal Communities

Wind Cave National Park initiated a prescribed burning program in 1972. Yearly burns have been conducted since to evaluate the effects of fire on the park biota. This project was begun to study what effects burning is having on bird and small mammal populations within the grassland community.

Predicting sustained smouldering combustion in trembling aspen duff in Elk Island National Park, Canada

2007 ◽  
Vol 16 (6) ◽  
pp. 690 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. G. Otway ◽  
E. W. Bork ◽  
K. R. Anderson ◽  
M. E. Alexander
Keyword(s):  
Populus Tremuloides ◽  
Experimental Test ◽  
National Park ◽  
Clear Understanding ◽  
Trembling Aspen ◽  
Fire Weather Index ◽  
Inorganic Content ◽  
Elk Island National Park ◽  
Aspen Forest ◽  
Smouldering Combustion

Fire is one of the key disturbances affecting trembling aspen (Populus tremuloides Michx.) forest ecosystems within western Canadian wildlands, including Elk Island National Park in central Alberta, Canada. Although prescribed fire is a tool available to modify aspen forests, a clear understanding of its potential impact is necessary to successfully manage this disturbance. Undesirable social and ecological consequences of severe, deep-burning ground fires include smoke generation and impaired vegetation regrowth. Data on the duff moisture conditions under which ground or subsurface fires may ignite and spread in aspen forest duff layers are presented, as well as experimental test fire results. Different topographic positions, plant communities and seasonality were factored into the research design. The Duff Moisture Code (DMC) and Drought Code (DC) components of the Canadian Forest Fire Weather Index System were calculated and factors including duff moisture content, bulk density and inorganic content measured before ignition of experimental test fires. Probability of sustained smouldering combustion models were developed for the duff layer in the aspen forest fuel type in Elk Island National Park, with values of 27 for DMC and 300 for DC at the 50% probability level.

scholarly journals Effects of Fire on Bird and Small Mammal Communities in the Grasslands of Wind Cave National Park

1982 ◽  
Vol 6 ◽  
pp. 106-110
Author(s):  
J. Forde ◽  
N. Sloan
Keyword(s):  
Small Mammals ◽  
Small Mammal ◽  
National Park ◽  
Prescribed Burning ◽  
Grassland Community ◽  
Vegetation Sampling ◽  
Small Mammal Population ◽  
Small Mammal Communities ◽  
And Control ◽  
Mammal Communities

Wind Cave National Park initiated a prescribed burning program in 1972 and yearly burns have been conducted since to evaluate the effects of fire on the Park biota. This research project is designed to determine what effects burning is having on bird and small mammal populations within the grassland community. The objectives of this investigation include: 1. Comparisons of bird and small mammal population levels between pre- and post-burn transects and between burned and control areas; and 2. Vegetation sampling to demonstrate the importance of certain plant species densities and stand composition for the various species of birds and small mammals.

NOTES ON HYLPOXYLON CANKER OF ASPEN IN ALBERTA

1967 ◽  
Vol 43 (4) ◽  
pp. 372-380 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. A. Baranyay
Keyword(s):  
Populus Tremuloides ◽  
National Park ◽  
Trembling Aspen ◽  
Infection Period ◽  
Elk Island National Park ◽  
Stem Cankers

The rate of canker growth, caused by HYPOXYLON PRUINATUM (Klotzsch) Cke. (H. MAMMATUM (Wahl.) Miller) and the intensification of the disease were investigated on trembling aspen, POPULUS TREMULOIDES Michx. in Elk Island National Park, Alberta. In 1963, 45.1 per cent of the trees on a 1/3-acre plot were either killed or infected. This number increased to 49.0 per cent during the following three years. All stem cankers were located below the 9 foot level and 75.0 per cent were facing north or northeast. The disease was not confined to a particular crown class. Infected, trees were killed in 4 to 8 years. Fifteen cankers were sectioned to study the nature of canker growth. The rate of girdling was not related to either the diameter or dominance of the tree. The cankers grew at a faster rate on dominant and co-dominant trees during the initial year of infection than on intermediate and overtopped trees. The disease did not cause increment loss during the infection period.

scholarly journals Facilitating Prescribed Fire in Northern California through Indigenous Governance and Interagency Partnerships

Fire ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 4 (3) ◽  
pp. 37
Author(s):  
Tony Marks-Block ◽  
William Tripp
Keyword(s):  
Political Ecology ◽  
Prescribed Fire ◽  
Prescribed Burning ◽  
Participant Observation ◽  
Fire Suppression ◽  
The United States ◽  
Northern California ◽  
Prescribed Burn ◽  
California Department ◽  
State Regulations

Prescribed burning by Indigenous people was once ubiquitous throughout California. Settler colonialism brought immense investments in fire suppression by the United States Forest Service and the California Department of Forestry and Fire Prevention (CAL FIRE) to protect timber and structures, effectively limiting prescribed burning in California. Despite this, fire-dependent American Indian communities such as the Karuk and Yurok peoples, stalwartly advocate for expanding prescribed burning as a part of their efforts to revitalize their culture and sovereignty. To examine the political ecology of prescribed burning in Northern California, we coupled participant observation of prescribed burning in Karuk and Yurok territories (2015–2019) with 75 surveys and 18 interviews with Indigenous and non-Indigenous fire managers to identify political structures and material conditions that facilitate and constrain prescribed fire expansion. Managers report that interagency partnerships have provided supplemental funding and personnel to enable burning, and that decentralized prescribed burn associations facilitate prescribed fire. However, land dispossession and centralized state regulations undermine Indigenous and local fire governance. Excessive investment in suppression and the underfunding of prescribed fire produces a scarcity of personnel to implement and plan burns. Where Tribes and local communities have established burning infrastructure, authorities should consider the devolution of decision-making and land repatriation to accelerate prescribed fire expansion.

scholarly journals Quantitative Analysis of Forest Fires in Southeastern Australia Using SAR Data

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (12) ◽  
pp. 2386
Author(s):  
Aqil Tariq ◽  
Hong Shu ◽  
Qingting Li ◽  
Orhan Altan ◽  
Mobushir Riaz Khan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Forest Fires ◽  
Prescribed Burning ◽  
Fire Risk ◽  
Fire Season ◽  
Prescribed Burn ◽  
Backscatter Coefficient ◽  
Prescribed Burns ◽  
Southeastern Australia ◽  
Sar Data ◽  
Sar Imagery

Prescribed burning is a common strategy for minimizing forest fire risk. Fire is introduced under specific environmental conditions, with explicit duration, intensity, and rate of spread. Such conditions deviate from those encountered during the fire season. Prescribed burns mostly affect surface fuels and understory vegetation, an outcome markedly different when compared to wildfires. Data on prescribed burning are crucial for evaluating whether land management targets have been reached. This research developed a methodology to quantify the effects of prescribed burns using multi-temporal Sentinel-1 Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) imagery in the forests of southeastern Australia. C-band SAR datasets were specifically used to statistically explore changes in radar backscatter coefficients with the intensity of prescribed burns. Two modeling approaches based on pre- and post-fire ratios were applied for evaluating prescribed burn impacts. The effects of prescribed burns were documented with an overall accuracy of 82.3% using cross-polarized backscatter (VH) SAR data under dry conditions. The VV polarization indicated some potential to detect burned areas under wet conditions. The findings in this study indicate that the C-band SAR backscatter coefficient has the potential to evaluate the effectiveness of prescribed burns due to its sensitivity to changes in vegetation structure.

scholarly journals Ethylene enhances root water transport and aquaporin expression in trembling aspen (Populus tremuloides) exposed to root hypoxia

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Xiangfeng Tan ◽  
Mengmeng Liu ◽  
Ning Du ◽  
Janusz J. Zwiazek
Keyword(s):  
Gas Exchange ◽  
Water Transport ◽  
Populus Tremuloides ◽  
Leaf Gas Exchange ◽  
Hydraulic Conductance ◽  
Root Hydraulic Conductance ◽  
Trembling Aspen ◽  
Expression Levels ◽  
Root Hypoxia ◽  
Exogenous Ethylene

Abstract Background Root hypoxia has detrimental effects on physiological processes and growth in most plants. The effects of hypoxia can be partly alleviated by ethylene. However, the tolerance mechanisms contributing to the ethylene-mediated hypoxia tolerance in plants remain poorly understood. Results In this study, we examined the effects of root hypoxia and exogenous ethylene treatments on leaf gas exchange, root hydraulic conductance, and the expression levels of several aquaporins of the plasma membrane intrinsic protein group (PIP) in trembling aspen (Populus tremuloides) seedlings. Ethylene enhanced net photosynthetic rates, transpiration rates, and root hydraulic conductance in hypoxic plants. Of the two subgroups of PIPs (PIP1 and PIP2), the protein abundance of PIP2s and the transcript abundance of PIP2;4 and PIP2;5 were higher in ethylene-treated trembling aspen roots compared with non-treated roots under hypoxia. The increases in the expression levels of these aquaporins could potentially facilitate root water transport. The enhanced root water transport by ethylene was likely responsible for the increase in leaf gas exchange of the hypoxic plants. Conclusions Exogenous ethylene enhanced root water transport and the expression levels of PIP2;4 and PIP2;5 in hypoxic roots of trembling aspen. The results suggest that ethylene facilitates the aquaporin-mediated water transport in plants exposed to root hypoxia.

The bacteria in sapwood, wetwood, and heartwood of trembling aspen (Populus tremuloides)

1973 ◽  
Vol 51 (2) ◽  
pp. 498-500 ◽  
Author(s):  
Donald M. Knutson
Keyword(s):  
Populus Tremuloides ◽  
Trembling Aspen ◽  
Indigenous Bacteria ◽  
Large Populations ◽  
Xylem Tissue

Bacteria (Erwinia, Bacillus) were consistently isolated from all samples of aspen sapwood and heartwood. In wetwood zones (water-soaked xylem tissue) or discolored heartwood, large populations often occur. No organisms unique to wetwood were isolated. Wetwood probably is formed by nonmicrobial means and, once formed, merely supports large populations of indigenous bacteria.

Prescribed Burning for Stand Conversion in Budworm-killed Balsam Fir: An Ontario Case History

1986 ◽  
Vol 62 (2) ◽  
pp. 96-100 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. J. McRae
Keyword(s):  
Fuel Consumption ◽  
Prescribed Burning ◽  
Choristoneura Fumiferana ◽  
Abies Balsamea ◽  
Spruce Budworm ◽  
Fire Spread ◽  
Fire Effects ◽  
Balsam Fir ◽  
Prescribed Burn ◽  
Stand Conversion

Recent spruce budworm (Choristoneura fumiferana [Clem.]) infestations have resulted in widespread areas of balsam fir (Abies balsamea [L.] Mill.) mortality in Ontario, and there is growing interest in reestablishing these areas quickly as productive forests. One technique being used is prescribed fire after a salvage and bulldozer tramping operation. A 445-ha prescribed burn was carried out under moderate fire danger conditions in northern Ontario. The site, which was covered by balsam fir fuel that had been killed by spruce budworm, was tramped to improve fire spread. Weather, fuel consumption, and fire effects are reported. The burn effectively reduced heavy surface fuel loadings and consequently planting on the site was easier. Key words: Prescribed burning, fire, spruce budworm. Choristoneura fumiferana, balsam fir, Abies balsamea, fuel consumption, site preparation, tramping, stand conversion.

Characterisation of the fuel and fire environment in southern Ontario’s tallgrass prairie

2015 ◽  
Vol 24 (8) ◽  
pp. 1118 ◽  
Author(s):  
Susan Kidnie ◽  
B. Mike Wotton
Keyword(s):  
Moisture Content ◽  
Tallgrass Prairie ◽  
Prescribed Burning ◽  
Fire Spread ◽  
Fuel Load ◽  
Prairie Restoration ◽  
Prescribed Burn ◽  
Spread Rate ◽  
Prescribed Burns ◽  
Tallgrass Prairie Restoration

Prescribed burning can be an integral part of tallgrass prairie restoration and management. Understanding fire behaviour in this fuel is critical to conducting safe and effective prescribed burns. Our goal was to quantify important physical characteristics of southern Ontario’s tallgrass fuel complex prior to and during prescribed burns and synthesise our findings into useful applications for the prescribed fire community. We found that the average fuel load in tallgrass communities was 0.70 kg m–2. Fuel loads varied from 0.38 to 0.96 kg m–2. Average heat of combustion did not vary by species and was 17 334 kJ kg–1. A moisture content model was developed for fully cured, matted field grass, which was found to successfully predict moisture content of the surface layers of cured tallgrass in spring. We observed 25 head fires in spring-season prescribed burns with spread rates ranging from 4 to 55 m min–1. Flame front residence time averaged 27 s, varying significantly with fuel load but not fire spread rate. A grassland spread rate model from Australia showed the closest agreement with observed spread rates. These results provide prescribed-burn practitioners in Ontario better information to plan and deliver successful burns.

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