Forest Pattern, Surface Fire Regimes, and Climatic Change in the Sierra Nevada, California

Forest Pattern, Surface Fire Regimes, and Climatic Change in the Sierra Nevada, California PDF Author: Carol Miller
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Forest ecology
Languages : en
Pages : 264

Get Book Here

Book Description

Forest Pattern, Surface Fire Regimes, and Climatic Change in the Sierra Nevada, California

Forest Pattern, Surface Fire Regimes, and Climatic Change in the Sierra Nevada, California PDF Author: Carol Miller
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Forest ecology
Languages : en
Pages : 264

Get Book Here

Book Description


Fire in California's Ecosystems

Fire in California's Ecosystems PDF Author: Jan W. van Wagtendonk
Publisher: Univ of California Press
ISBN: 0520961919
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 567

Get Book Here

Book Description
Fire in California’s Ecosystems describes fire in detail—both as an integral natural process in the California landscape and as a growing threat to urban and suburban developments in the state. Written by many of the foremost authorities on the subject, this comprehensive volume is an ideal authoritative reference tool and the foremost synthesis of knowledge on the science, ecology, and management of fire in California. Part One introduces the basics of fire ecology, including overviews of historical fires, vegetation, climate, weather, fire as a physical and ecological process, and fire regimes, and reviews the interactions between fire and the physical, plant, and animal components of the environment. Part Two explores the history and ecology of fire in each of California's nine bioregions. Part Three examines fire management in California during Native American and post-Euro-American settlement and also current issues related to fire policy such as fuel management, watershed management, air quality, invasive plant species, at-risk species, climate change, social dynamics, and the future of fire management. This edition includes critical scientific and management updates and four new chapters on fire weather, fire regimes, climate change, and social dynamics.

Fire and Climatic Change in Temperate Ecosystems of the Western Americas

Fire and Climatic Change in Temperate Ecosystems of the Western Americas PDF Author: Thomas T. Veblen
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
ISBN: 038721710X
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 456

Get Book Here

Book Description
Both fire and climatic variability have monumental impacts on the dynamics of temperate ecosystems. These impacts can sometimes be extreme or devastating as seen in recent El Nino/La Nina cycles and in uncontrolled fire occurrences. This volume brings together research conducted in western North and South America, areas of a great deal of collaborative work on the influence of people and climate change on fire regimes. In order to give perspective to patterns of change over time, it emphasizes the integration of paleoecological studies with studies of modern ecosystems. Data from a range of spatial scales, from individual plants to communities and ecosystems to landscape and regional levels, are included. Contributions come from fire ecology, paleoecology, biogeography, paleoclimatology, landscape and ecosystem ecology, ecological modeling, forest management, plant community ecology and plant morphology. The book gives a synthetic overview of methods, data and simulation models for evaluating fire regime processes in forests, shrublands and woodlands and assembles case studies of fire, climate and land use histories. The unique approach of this book gives researchers the benefits of a north-south comparison as well as the integration of paleoecological histories, current ecosystem dynamics and modeling of future changes.

Climate Change, Growth, and California Wildfire

Climate Change, Growth, and California Wildfire PDF Author:
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Biotic communities
Languages : en
Pages : 46

Get Book Here

Book Description


Ecological Foundations for Fire Management in North American Forest and Shrubland Ecosystems

Ecological Foundations for Fire Management in North American Forest and Shrubland Ecosystems PDF Author:
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Ecosystem management
Languages : en
Pages : 102

Get Book Here

Book Description
This synthesis provides an ecological foundation for management of the diverse ecosystems and fire regimes of North America, based on scientific principles of fire interactions with vegetation, fuels, and biophysical processes. Although a large amount of scientific data on fire exists, most of those data have been collected at small spatial and temporal scales. Thus, it is challenging to develop consistent science-based plans for large spatial and temporal scales where most fire management and planning occur. Understanding the regional geographic context of fire regimes is critical for developing appropriate and sustainable management strategies and policy. The degree to which human intervention has modified fire frequency, intensity, and severity varies greatly among different ecosystems, and must be considered when planning to alter fuel loads or implement restorative treatments. Detailed discussion of six ecosystems--ponderosa pine forest (western North America), chaparral (California), boreal forest (Alaska and Canada), Great Basin sagebrush (intermountain West), pine and pine-hardwood forests (Southern Appalachian Mountains), and longleaf pine (Southeastern United States)-- illustrates the complexity of fire regimes and that fire management requires a clear regional focus that recognizes where conflicts might exist between fire hazard reduction and resource needs. In some systems, such as ponderosa pine, treatments are usually compatible with both fuel reduction and resource needs, whereas in others, such as chaparral, the potential exists for conflicts that need to be closely evaluated. Managing fire regimes in a changing climate and social environment requires a strong scientific basis for developing fire management and policy.

Climate, Fire, and Native Americans

Climate, Fire, and Native Americans PDF Author: Anna Klimaszewski Patterson
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Electronic books
Languages : en
Pages : 294

Get Book Here

Book Description
This dissertation addresses the following questions: 1. Can we identify the impact of Native American-set fires on the paleolandscape? 2. Are these impacts local or at a landscape-scale? 3. Could climate alone have produced the forest composition observed in the paleorecord, or was the addition of cultural burning necessary? To answer these questions, the paleolandscape at these two sites was reconstructed using a combination of pollen analysis (vegetation), charcoal analysis (fire history), and process-based landscape modeling. Charcoal analysis demonstrated consistency with regional fire reconstructions, which is expected given that charcoal is typically produced by severe, fast-moving crown fires. Anomalous periods of vegetation change were identified at both sites by comparing changes in climatic and fire-sensitive taxa (Abies and Quercus) with annually reconstructed paleoclimate data. Anomalies between vegetation and climate were most evident at Holey Meadow. Paleolandscape modeling at Holey Meadow further supported a Native American-influenced fire regime at the site. This research provides support for the hypothesis that Native American-set fire can be identified through the paleoenvironmental record, and that these high-frequency, low intensity fires were necessary to produce the forest composition observed in the pollen record. Both study sites demonstrate periods of local anthropogenic influence not explained by climate. These results, combined with three previously studied sites in mountainous areas of California begin to hint at spatially dispersed Native American influences on Sierra Nevadan forests. While this research increases our knowledge of potential periods of climatic and anthropogenic-influenced fire regimes in the southern Sierra Nevada, replication of this cross-disciplinary methodology throughout the Sierra Nevada is necessary to help determine the geographic extent of this land-use pattern.

Ecosystems of California

Ecosystems of California PDF Author: Harold Mooney
Publisher: Univ of California Press
ISBN: 0520278801
Category : Nature
Languages : en
Pages : 1008

Get Book Here

Book Description
This long-anticipated reference and sourcebook for CaliforniaÕs remarkable ecological abundance provides an integrated assessment of each major ecosystem typeÑits distribution, structure, function, and management. A comprehensive synthesis of our knowledge about this biologically diverse state, Ecosystems of California covers the state from oceans to mountaintops using multiple lenses: past and present, flora and fauna, aquatic and terrestrial, natural and managed. Each chapter evaluates natural processes for a specific ecosystem, describes drivers of change, and discusses how that ecosystem may be altered in the future. This book also explores the drivers of CaliforniaÕs ecological patterns and the history of the stateÕs various ecosystems, outlining how the challenges of climate change and invasive species and opportunities for regulation and stewardship could potentially affect the stateÕs ecosystems. The text explicitly incorporates both human impacts and conservation and restoration efforts and shows how ecosystems support human well-being. Edited by two esteemed ecosystem ecologists and with overviews by leading experts on each ecosystem, this definitive work will be indispensable for natural resource management and conservation professionals as well as for undergraduate or graduate students of CaliforniaÕs environment and curious naturalists.

Fire in Sierra Nevada Forests

Fire in Sierra Nevada Forests PDF Author: George E. Gruell
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Nature
Languages : en
Pages : 266

Get Book Here

Book Description
In Fire in Sierra Nevada Forests, George Gruell examines the woodlands through repeat photography: rephotographing sites depicted in historical photographs to compare past vegetation to present. The book asks readers to study the evidence, then take an active part in current debates over prescribed fire, fuel buildup, logging, and the management of our national forests.

Sierra Nevada Forest Plan Amendment

Sierra Nevada Forest Plan Amendment PDF Author:
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Forest ecology
Languages : en
Pages : 622

Get Book Here

Book Description


California Forest and Shrubland Ecosystem Changes in Relation to Fire, Fuel Hazard, and Climate Change

California Forest and Shrubland Ecosystem Changes in Relation to Fire, Fuel Hazard, and Climate Change PDF Author: Katherine Marie Johnston Wilkin
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 113

Get Book Here

Book Description
Fire is an integral ecological process, however fire's impacts have been dramatically altered by people. In this dissertation I researched how fire ecology use to work and the vulnerability of ecosystems to fuel hazard reduction treatments by using a combination of experiments and landscape scale natural experiments throughout California. One of the best places to understand past fire behavior are the Wildland Fire Use areas in Sierran mixed conifer where I revealed that a forests' environment, local-scale fire experiences, and regional fire experiences foster a rich, but sparse understory plant community. Throughout Yosemite National Park's mixed conifer zone I examined the fire ecology of climate change refugia which have unique fire occurrence and severity patterns in frequent-fire mixed conifer forests of California's Sierra Nevada: cold-air pool refugia have less fire and if it occurs, it is lower severity. In Northern California's chaparral I examined fuel hazard reduction treatments and found that mastication and fire each have negative, yet unique influences on plant communities and fuel hazards which warrant examining other methods to protect people from chaparral fires. Overall these studies allow greater insight into our ecosystems and may help managers make informed fire management decisions.