1
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Nelson AR, Fegel TS, Danczak RE, Caiafa MV, Roth HK, Dunn OI, Turvold CA, Borch T, Glassman SI, Barnes RT, Rhoades CC, Wilkins MJ. Soil microbiome feedbacks during disturbance-driven forest ecosystem conversion. THE ISME JOURNAL 2024; 18:wrae047. [PMID: 38502869 DOI: 10.1093/ismejo/wrae047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2023] [Revised: 01/12/2024] [Accepted: 03/17/2024] [Indexed: 03/21/2024]
Abstract
Disturbances cause rapid changes to forests, with different disturbance types and severities creating unique ecosystem trajectories that can impact the underlying soil microbiome. Pile burning-the combustion of logging residue on the forest floor-is a common fuel reduction practice that can have impacts on forest soils analogous to those following high-severity wildfire. Further, pile burning following clear-cut harvesting can create persistent openings dominated by nonwoody plants surrounded by dense regenerating conifer forest. A paired 60-year chronosequence of burn scar openings and surrounding regenerating forest after clear-cut harvesting provides a unique opportunity to assess whether belowground microbial processes mirror aboveground vegetation during disturbance-induced ecosystem shifts. Soil ectomycorrhizal fungal diversity was reduced the first decade after pile burning, which could explain poor tree seedling establishment and subsequent persistence of herbaceous species within the openings. Fine-scale changes in the soil microbiome mirrored aboveground shifts in vegetation, with short-term changes to microbial carbon cycling functions resembling a postfire microbiome (e.g. enrichment of aromatic degradation genes) and respiration in burn scars decoupled from substrate quantity and quality. Broadly, however, soil microbiome composition and function within burn scar soils converged with that of the surrounding regenerating forest six decades after the disturbances, indicating potential microbial resilience that was disconnected from aboveground vegetation shifts. This work begins to unravel the belowground microbial processes that underlie disturbance-induced ecosystem changes, which are increasing in frequency tied to climate change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amelia R Nelson
- Department of Soil and Crop Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523, United States
| | - Timothy S Fegel
- Rocky Mountain Research Station, US Forest Service, Fort Collins, CO 80526, United States
| | - Robert E Danczak
- Division of Biological Sciences, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA 99354, United States
| | - Marcos V Caiafa
- Department of Microbiology and Plant Pathology, University of California Riverside, Riverside, CA 92521, United States
| | - Holly K Roth
- Department of Chemistry, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523, United States
| | - Oliver I Dunn
- The Environmental Studies Program, Colorado College, Colorado Springs, CO 80946, United States
| | - Cosette A Turvold
- The Environmental Studies Program, Colorado College, Colorado Springs, CO 80946, United States
| | - Thomas Borch
- Department of Soil and Crop Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523, United States
- Department of Chemistry, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523, United States
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523, United States
| | - Sydney I Glassman
- Department of Microbiology and Plant Pathology, University of California Riverside, Riverside, CA 92521, United States
| | - Rebecca T Barnes
- The Environmental Studies Program, Colorado College, Colorado Springs, CO 80946, United States
| | - Charles C Rhoades
- Rocky Mountain Research Station, US Forest Service, Fort Collins, CO 80526, United States
| | - Michael J Wilkins
- Department of Soil and Crop Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523, United States
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2
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Gajendiran K, Kandasamy S, Narayanan M. Influences of wildfire on the forest ecosystem and climate change: A comprehensive study. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2024; 240:117537. [PMID: 37914016 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2023.117537] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2023] [Revised: 09/23/2023] [Accepted: 10/27/2023] [Indexed: 11/03/2023]
Abstract
Wildfires have complex impacts on forests, including changes in vegetation, threats to biodiversity, and emissions of greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide, which exacerbate climate change. The influence of wildfires on animal habitats is particularly noteworthy, as they can lead to significant changes in native environments. The extent of these alterations in species and habitats plays a crucial role in shaping forest ecology. Drought, disease, insect infestations, overgrazing, or their combined effects can amplify the negative effects on specific plant genera and entire ecosystems. In addition to the immediate consequences of plant mortality and altered community dynamics, forest fires have far-reaching implications. They often increase flowering and seed production, further influencing ecological communities. However, one concerning trend is the decline in the diversity of forest biological species within fire-affected areas. Beyond their ecological impacts, wildfires emit substantial quantities of greenhouse gases and fine particulates into the atmosphere, triggering profound changes in climate patterns and contributing to global warming. As vegetation burns during these fires, the carbon stored within is released, rendering large forest fires detrimental to biodiversity and the emission of CO2, a significant contributor to global warming. Measuring the global impact of wildfires on ecological communities and greenhouse gas emissions has become increasingly vital. These research endeavors shed light on the intricate relationships and feedback loops linking wildfires, ecosystem inhabitants, and the evolving climate landscape.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kandasamy Gajendiran
- Department of Microbiology, M.G.R. College of Arts and Science, Hosur, Krishnagiri, Tamil Nadu, India
| | - Sabariswaran Kandasamy
- Department of Biotechnology, PSGR Krishnammal College for Women, Peelamedu, Coimbatore, 641004, India
| | - Mathiyazhagan Narayanan
- Division of Research and Innovations, Department of Biotechnology, Saveetha School of Engineering, Saveetha Institute of Medical and Technical Science, Chennai, 602105, Tamil Nadu, India.
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3
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Lindenmayer DB, Blanchard W, Bowd E, Scheele BC, Foster C, Lavery T, McBurney L, Blair D. Rapid bird species recovery following high‐severity wildfire but in the absence of early successional specialists. DIVERS DISTRIB 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/ddi.13611] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- David B. Lindenmayer
- Fenner School of Environment and Society The Australian National University Acton Australian Capital Territory Australia
| | - Wade Blanchard
- Fenner School of Environment and Society The Australian National University Acton Australian Capital Territory Australia
| | - Elle Bowd
- Fenner School of Environment and Society The Australian National University Acton Australian Capital Territory Australia
| | - Ben C. Scheele
- Fenner School of Environment and Society The Australian National University Acton Australian Capital Territory Australia
| | - Claire Foster
- Fenner School of Environment and Society The Australian National University Acton Australian Capital Territory Australia
| | - Tyrone Lavery
- Fenner School of Environment and Society The Australian National University Acton Australian Capital Territory Australia
| | - Lachlan McBurney
- Fenner School of Environment and Society The Australian National University Acton Australian Capital Territory Australia
| | - David Blair
- Fenner School of Environment and Society The Australian National University Acton Australian Capital Territory Australia
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4
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Donovan VM, Dwinnell SPH, Beck JL, Roberts CP, Clapp JG, Hiatt GS, Monteith KL, Twidwell D. Fire-driven landscape heterogeneity shapes habitat selection of bighorn sheep. J Mammal 2021. [DOI: 10.1093/jmammal/gyab035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Patterns in disturbance severity and time since fire can drive landscape heterogeneity that is critical to conservation; however, there is limited understanding of how wildlife interact with the spatial–temporal complexities of disturbance outcomes and at what scales. We conducted multiscale modeling of habitat selection for male and female Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis canadensis) over an 8-year period. We aimed to identify the spatial scales at which bighorn sheep responded to various habitat features and determine how fire severity and time since fire can shape habitat selection by bighorn sheep over different seasons and between sexes. With the exception of litter cover, spatial scales that extended beyond the finest spatial grain (i.e., a 30-m pixel) to include the surrounding landscape were better at predicting habitat selection. Escape terrain, elevation, fire severity, year, perennial and annual forb and grass cover, and shrub cover occurred in every best-supported model. Associations with escape terrain, elevation, and perennial and annual forb and grass cover varied by sex and season. In contrast, bighorn sheep were consistently positively associated with low- and high-severity fire. Females increased use of low- and high-severity burned areas with greater time since fire, while males tended to decrease use of areas that burned at high severity with greater time since fire. Our results support the importance of landscape heterogeneity created by fire severity and time since fire for Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep and reinforces calls to integrate disturbance-driven heterogeneity into our assessments and management of wildlife.
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Affiliation(s)
- Victoria M Donovan
- Department of Agronomy & Horticulture, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, NE 66583-0915, USA
| | - Samantha P H Dwinnell
- Haub School of Environment and Natural Resources, Wyoming Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, Department of Zoology and Physiology, University of Wyoming, 804 East Fremont Street, Laramie, WY 82072, USA
| | - Jeffrey L Beck
- Department of Ecosystem Science and Management, University of Wyoming, 1000 E University Avenue, Laramie, WY 82071, USA
| | - Caleb P Roberts
- Department of Agronomy & Horticulture, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, NE 66583-0915, USA
| | - Justin G Clapp
- Wyoming Game and Fish Department, State of Wyoming, 260 Buena Vista Drive, Lander, WY 82520, USA
| | - Greg S Hiatt
- Wyoming Game and Fish Department, State of Wyoming, P.O. Box 186, Sinclair, WY 82334, USA
| | - Kevin L Monteith
- Haub School of Environment and Natural Resources, Wyoming Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, Department of Zoology and Physiology, University of Wyoming, 804 East Fremont Street, Laramie, WY 82072, USA
| | - Dirac Twidwell
- Department of Agronomy & Horticulture, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, NE 66583-0915, USA
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5
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Lindenmayer D, Bowd E, McBurney L. Long-Term Empirical Studies Highlight Multiple Drivers of Temporal Change in Bird Fauna in the Wet Forests of Victoria, South-Eastern Australia. Front Ecol Evol 2021. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2021.610147] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Birds are high profile elements of the vertebrate biota in almost all terrestrial ecosystems worldwide. Many studies have uncovered evidence of a decline in bird biodiversity, but temporal patterns of change vary among ecosystems and among bird species with different life history traits. Ecosystem-specific, long-term studies are critical for identifying patterns of temporal change in bird biodiversity and the drivers of that change. Here we present a case study of drivers of temporal change in the bird fauna of the Mountain Ash and Alpine Ash eucalypt forests of south-eastern Australia. Using insights from observational studies and experiments conducted over the past 18 years, we discuss the direct and interactive effects of fire and logging on birds. The extent and severity of wildfires have major negative effects on almost all bird species, and have persisted for more than a decade after the last major conflagration (in 2009). Logging has markedly different effects on birds than those quantified for fire, and may have resulted in elevated levels of site occupancy in remaining uncut areas in the landscape. Both fire and logging have led to marked losses in the extent of old growth forest in Mountain Ash and Alpine Ash ecosystems. This is a concern given the strong association of most species of birds with old forest relative to younger age cohorts. Based on an understanding of the effects of fire and logging as drivers of change, we propose a series of inter-related management actions designed to enhance the conservation of avifauna in Mountain Ash and Alpine Ash ecosystems. A particular focus of management must be on increasing the interval between fires and limiting the spatial extent of wildfires and, in turn, significantly expanding the extent of old growth forest. This is because old growth forest is where most bird species are most likely to occur, and in the event of future wildfires, where fire severity will be lowest. Expansion of the old growth estate will require commercial logging operations to be excluded from large parts of Mountain Ash and Alpine Ash forests.
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6
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Fire and local factors shape ectomycorrhizal fungal communities associated with Pinus ponderosa in mountains of the Madrean Sky Island Archipelago. FUNGAL ECOL 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.funeco.2020.101013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
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7
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Koplitz SN, Nolte CG, Sabo RD, Clark CM, Horn KJ, Thomas RQ, Newcomer-Johnson TA. The contribution of wildland fire emissions to deposition in the U S: implications for tree growth and survival in the Northwest. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH LETTERS : ERL [WEB SITE] 2021; 16:10.1088/1748-9326/abd26e. [PMID: 33747119 PMCID: PMC7970516 DOI: 10.1088/1748-9326/abd26e] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
Ecosystems require access to key nutrients like nitrogen (N) and sulfur (S) to sustain growth and healthy function. However, excessive deposition can also damage ecosystems through nutrient imbalances, leading to changes in productivity and shifts in ecosystem structure. While wildland fires are a known source of atmospheric N and S, little has been done to examine the implications of wildland fire deposition for vulnerable ecosystems. We combine wildland fire emission estimates, atmospheric chemistry modeling, and forest inventory data to (a) quantify the contribution of wildland fire emissions to N and S deposition across the U S, and (b) assess the subsequent impacts on tree growth and survival rates in areas where impacts are likely meaningful based on the relative contribution of fire to total deposition. We estimate that wildland fires contributed 0.2 kg N ha-1 yr-1 and 0.04 kg S ha-1 yr-1 on average across the U S during 2008-2012, with maxima up to 1.4 kg N ha-1 yr-1 and 0.6 kg S ha-1 yr-1 in the Northwest representing over ~30% of total deposition in some areas. Based on these fluxes, exceedances of S critical loads as a result of wildland fires are minimal, but exceedances for N may affect the survival and growth rates of 16 tree species across 4.2 million hectares, with the most concentrated impacts occurring in Oregon, northern California, and Idaho. Understanding the broader environmental impacts of wildland fires in the U S will inform future decision making related to both fire management and ecosystem services conservation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shannon N Koplitz
- Center for Environmental Measurement and Modeling, US EPA, Research Triangle Park, NC, United States of America
- Current address: Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards, US EPA, Research Triangle Park, NC, United States of America
| | - Christopher G Nolte
- Center for Environmental Measurement and Modeling, US EPA, Research Triangle Park, NC, United States of America
| | - Robert D Sabo
- Center for Public Health and Environmental Assessment, US EPA, Washington, DC, United States of America
| | - Christopher M Clark
- Center for Public Health and Environmental Assessment, US EPA, Washington, DC, United States of America
| | - Kevin J Horn
- Department of Forest Resources and Environmental Conservation, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, United States of America
| | - R Quinn Thomas
- Department of Forest Resources and Environmental Conservation, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, United States of America
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8
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Bristow KD, Harding LE, Lucas RW, McCall TC. Influence of fire severity and vegetation treatments on mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus) winter habitat use on the Kaibab Plateau, Arizona. ANIMAL PRODUCTION SCIENCE 2020. [DOI: 10.1071/an19373] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Context
Wildfire and vegetation treatments affect mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus) populations across the western United States. However, the relative influence of fire and treatments on habitat use by mule deer in Arizona is not well defined.
Aims
We examined locations of mule deer on the Kaibab Plateau in northern Arizona, so as to determine the influence of vegetation treatments and wildfire severity on deer habitat-use patterns across their winter range where fires and treatments had occurred previously.
Methods
We used locations (n = 11297) from 21 adult female mule deer fitted with global positioning system collars to model probability of use as a function of habitat covariates.
Key results
The best model describing winter-range habitat use by mule deer on the Kaibab Plateau included covariates describing the age of vegetation treatments and fire severity. Increased deer use in winter was associated with areas of lower terrain ruggedness and reduced snow depths. Deer use also increased in areas that experienced a higher average fire severity, resulting in decreased vegetation heights. Among treatment age classes, deer use was greatest in areas containing vegetation treatments that were ≤6 years old, but negatively associated with treatments that were >6 years old.
Conclusions
Vegetation treatments designed to remove or reduce less palatable tree and shrub species to improve forage conditions may increase the use of winter habitats by deer on the Kaibab Plateau. Similarly, prescribed fire and rangeland treatments designed to return areas to a more natural fire regime and, thereby, generate new plant growth, may improve winter-range habitat conditions for mule deer.
Implications
Similar treatment strategies may also benefit mule deer populations throughout the western USA, by improving forage conditions on critical habitats and reducing the potential for catastrophic wildfire.
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9
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He T, Lamont BB, Pausas JG. Fire as a key driver of Earth's biodiversity. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2019; 94:1983-2010. [PMID: 31298472 DOI: 10.1111/brv.12544] [Citation(s) in RCA: 108] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2019] [Revised: 06/19/2019] [Accepted: 06/21/2019] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Many terrestrial ecosystems are fire prone, such that their composition and structure are largely due to their fire regime. Regions subject to regular fire have exceptionally high levels of species richness and endemism, and fire has been proposed as a major driver of their diversity, within the context of climate, resource availability and environmental heterogeneity. However, current fire-management practices rarely take into account the ecological and evolutionary roles of fire in maintaining biodiversity. Here, we focus on the mechanisms that enable fire to act as a major ecological and evolutionary force that promotes and maintains biodiversity over numerous spatiotemporal scales. From an ecological perspective, the vegetation, topography and local weather conditions during a fire generate a landscape with spatial and temporal variation in fire-related patches (pyrodiversity), and these produce the biotic and environmental heterogeneity that drives biodiversity across local and regional scales. There have been few empirical tests of the proposition that 'pyrodiversity begets biodiversity' but we show that biodiversity should peak at moderately high levels of pyrodiversity. Overall species richness is greatest immediately after fire and declines monotonically over time, with postfire successional pathways dictated by animal habitat preferences and varying lifespans among resident plants. Theory and data support the 'intermediate disturbance hypothesis' when mean patch species diversity is correlated with mean fire intervals. Postfire persistence, recruitment and immigration allow species with different life histories to coexist. From an evolutionary perspective, fire drives population turnover and diversification by promoting a wide range of adaptive responses to particular fire regimes. Among 39 comparisons, the number of species in 26 fire-prone lineages is much higher than that in their non-fire-prone sister lineages. Fire and its byproducts may have direct mutagenic effects, producing novel genotypes that can lead to trait innovation and even speciation. A paradigm shift aimed at restoring biodiversity-maintaining fire regimes across broad landscapes is required among the fire research and management communities. This will require ecologists and other professionals to spread the burgeoning fire-science knowledge beyond scientific publications to the broader public, politicians and media.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tianhua He
- School of Molecular and Life Sciences, Curtin University, Perth, Australia.,College of Science, Health, Engineering and Education, Murdoch University, Murdoch, Australia
| | - Byron B Lamont
- School of Molecular and Life Sciences, Curtin University, Perth, Australia
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10
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Martinuzzi S, Allstadt AJ, Pidgeon AM, Flather CH, Jolly WM, Radeloff VC. Future changes in fire weather, spring droughts, and false springs across U.S. National Forests and Grasslands. ECOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS : A PUBLICATION OF THE ECOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2019; 29:e01904. [PMID: 30980571 DOI: 10.1002/eap.1904] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2017] [Revised: 11/13/2018] [Accepted: 12/19/2018] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Public lands provide many ecosystem services and support diverse plant and animal communities. In order to provide these benefits in the future, land managers and policy makers need information about future climate change and its potential effects. In particular, weather extremes are key drivers of wildfires, droughts, and false springs, which in turn can have large impacts on ecosystems. However, information on future changes in weather extremes on public lands is lacking. Our goal was to compare historical (1950-2005) and projected mid-century (2041-2070) changes in weather extremes (fire weather, spring droughts, and false springs) on public lands. This case study looked at the lands managed by the U.S. Forest Service across the conterminous United States including 501 ranger district units. We analyzed downscaled projections of daily records from 19 Coupled Model Intercomparison Project 5 General Circulation Models for two climate scenarios, with either medium-low or high CO2 - equivalent concentration (RCPs 4.5 and 8.5). For each ranger district, we estimated: (1) fire potential, using the Keetch-Byram Drought Index; (2) frequency of spring droughts, using the Standardized Precipitation Index; and (3) frequency of false springs, using the extended Spring Indices. We found that future climates could substantially alter weather conditions across Forest Service lands. Under the two climate scenarios, increases in wildfire potential, spring droughts, and false springs were projected in 32-72%, 28-29%, and 13-16% of all ranger districts, respectively. Moreover, a substantial number of ranger districts (17-30%), especially in the Southwestern, Pacific Southwest, and Rocky Mountain regions, were projected to see increases in more than one type of weather extreme, which may require special management attention. We suggest that future changes in weather extremes could threaten the ability of public lands to provide ecosystem services and ecological benefits to society. Overall, our results highlight the value of spatially-explicit weather projections to assess future changes in key weather extremes for land managers and policy makers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sebastián Martinuzzi
- SILVIS Lab, Department of Forest and Wildlife Ecology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1630 Linden Drive, Madison, Wisconsin, 53706, USA
| | - Andrew J Allstadt
- SILVIS Lab, Department of Forest and Wildlife Ecology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1630 Linden Drive, Madison, Wisconsin, 53706, USA
- U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 5600 West American Boulevard, Bloomington, Minnesota, 55437, USA
| | - Anna M Pidgeon
- SILVIS Lab, Department of Forest and Wildlife Ecology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1630 Linden Drive, Madison, Wisconsin, 53706, USA
| | - Curtis H Flather
- Rocky Mountain Research Station, USDA Forest Service, 240 West Prospect Road, Fort Collins, Colorado, 80526, USA
| | - William M Jolly
- Missoula Fire Sciences Laboratory, Rocky Mountain Research Station, USDA Forest Service, 5775 Highway 10, Missoula, Montana, 59808, USA
| | - Volker C Radeloff
- SILVIS Lab, Department of Forest and Wildlife Ecology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1630 Linden Drive, Madison, Wisconsin, 53706, USA
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11
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Twidwell D, Wonkka CL, Wang HH, Grant WE, Allen CR, Fuhlendorf SD, Garmestani AS, Angeler DG, Taylor CA, Kreuter UP, Rogers WE. Coerced resilience in fire management. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2019; 240:368-373. [PMID: 30953990 PMCID: PMC7388029 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2019.02.073] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2018] [Revised: 01/20/2019] [Accepted: 02/15/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Mechanisms underlying the loss of ecological resilience and a shift to an alternate regime with lower ecosystem service provisioning continues to be a leading debate in ecology, particularly in cases where evidence points to human actions and decision-making as the primary drivers of resilience loss and regime change. In this paper, we introduce the concept of coerced resilience as a way to explore the interplay among social power, ecological resilience, and fire management, and to better understand the unintended and undesired regime changes that often surprise ecosystem managers and governing officials. Philosophically, coercion is the opposite of freedom, and uses influence or force to gain compliance among local actors. The coercive force imposed by societal laws and policies can either enhance or reduce the potential to manage for essential structures and functions of ecological systems and, therefore, can greatly alter resilience. Using a classical fire-dependent regime shift from North America (tallgrass prairie to juniper woodland), and given that coercion is widespread in fire management today, we quantify relative differences in resilience that emerge in a policy-coerced fire system compared to a theoretical, policy-free fire system. Social coercion caused large departures in the fire conditions associated with alternative grassland and juniper woodland states, and the potential for a grassland state to emerge to dominance became increasingly untenable with fire as juniper cover increased. In contrast, both a treeless, grassland regime and a co-dominated grass-tree regime emerged across a wide range of fire conditions in the absence of policy controls. The severe coercive forcing present in fire management in the Great Plains, and corresponding erosion of grassland resilience, points to the need for transformative environmental governance and the rethinking of social power structures in modern fire policies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dirac Twidwell
- Department of Agronomy and Horticulture, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, NE, 68583, USA.
| | - Carissa L Wonkka
- Department of Agronomy and Horticulture, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, NE, 68583, USA
| | - Hsiao-Hsuan Wang
- Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, 77843, USA
| | - William E Grant
- Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, 77843, USA
| | - Craig R Allen
- School of Natural Resources, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, NE, 68583, USA
| | - Samuel D Fuhlendorf
- Department of Natural Resource Ecology and Management, Oklahoma State University, 008C Agricultural Hall, Stillwater, OK, 74078, USA
| | - Ahjond S Garmestani
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Research and Development, Cincinnati, OH, 45268, USA
| | - David G Angeler
- Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Department of Aquatic Sciences and Assessment, 750 07, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Charles A Taylor
- Texas A&M Agrilife Research Center, Texas A&M University, P.O. Box 918, Sonora, TX, 76950, USA
| | - Urs P Kreuter
- Department of Ecosystem Science and Management, Texas A&M University, 2138 TAMU, College Station, TX, 77843, USA
| | - William E Rogers
- Department of Ecosystem Science and Management, Texas A&M University, 2138 TAMU, College Station, TX, 77843, USA
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12
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Żmihorski M, Hebda G, Eggers S, Månsson J, Abrahamsson T, Czeszczewik D, Walankiewicz W, Mikusiński G. Early post-fire bird community in European boreal forest: Comparing salvage-logged with non-intervention areas. Glob Ecol Conserv 2019. [DOI: 10.1016/j.gecco.2019.e00636] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
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13
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Rodman KC, Veblen TT, Saraceni S, Chapman TB. Wildfire activity and land use drove 20th‐century changes in forest cover in the Colorado front range. Ecosphere 2019. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.2594] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Kyle C. Rodman
- Geography University of Colorado Boulder 260 UCB Boulder Colorado 80309 USA
| | - Thomas T. Veblen
- Geography University of Colorado Boulder 260 UCB Boulder Colorado 80309 USA
| | - Sara Saraceni
- Marche Polytechnic University Piazza Roma 22 Ancona, Marche 60121 Italy
| | - Teresa B. Chapman
- Geography University of Colorado Boulder 260 UCB Boulder Colorado 80309 USA
- The Nature Conservancy 2424 Spruce Boulder Colorado 80302 USA
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14
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Roberts CP, Donovan VM, Wonkka CL, Powell LA, Allen CR, Angeler DG, Wedin DA, Twidwell D. Fire legacies in eastern ponderosa pine forests. Ecol Evol 2019; 9:1869-1879. [PMID: 30847078 PMCID: PMC6392404 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.4879] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2018] [Revised: 09/30/2018] [Accepted: 11/23/2018] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Disturbance legacies structure communities and ecological memory, but due to increasing changes in disturbance regimes, it is becoming more difficult to characterize disturbance legacies or determine how long they persist. We sought to quantify the characteristics and persistence of material legacies (e.g., biotic residuals of disturbance) that arise from variation in fire severity in an eastern ponderosa pine forest in North America. We compared forest stand structure and understory woody plant and bird community composition and species richness across unburned, low-, moderate-, and high-severity burn patches in a 27-year-old mixed-severity wildfire that had received minimal post-fire management. We identified distinct tree densities (high: 14.3 ± 7.4 trees per ha, moderate: 22.3 ± 12.6, low: 135.3 ± 57.1, unburned: 907.9 ± 246.2) and coarse woody debris cover (high: 8.5 ± 1.6% cover per 30 m transect, moderate: 4.3 ± 0.7, low: 2.3 ± 0.6, unburned: 1.0 ± 0.4) among burn severities. Understory woody plant communities differed between high-severity patches, moderate- and low-severity patches, and unburned patches (all p < 0.05). Bird communities differed between high- and moderate-severity patches, low-severity patches, and unburned patches (all p < 0.05). Bird species richness varied across burn severities: low-severity patches had the highest (5.29 ± 1.44) and high-severity patches had the lowest (2.87 ± 0.72). Understory woody plant richness was highest in unburned (5.93 ± 1.10) and high-severity (5.07 ± 1.17) patches, and it was lower in moderate- (3.43 ± 1.17) and low-severity (3.43 ± 1.06) patches. We show material fire legacies persisted decades after the mixed-severity wildfire in eastern ponderosa forest, fostering distinct structures, communities, and species in burned versus unburned patches and across fire severities. At a patch scale, eastern and western ponderosa system responses to mixed-severity fires were consistent.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caleb P. Roberts
- Department of Agronomy & HorticultureUniversity of NebraskaLincolnNebraska
- School of Natural ResourcesNebraska Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research UnitLincolnNebraska
| | | | - Carissa L. Wonkka
- Department of Agronomy & HorticultureUniversity of NebraskaLincolnNebraska
| | - Larkin A. Powell
- School of Natural ResourcesUniversity of NebraskaLincolnNebraska
| | - Craig R. Allen
- U.S. Geological Survey, Nebraska Cooperative Fish & Wildlife Research Unit, School of Natural ResourcesUniversity of NebraskaLincolnNebraska
| | - David G. Angeler
- Department of Aquatic Sciences and AssessmentSwedish University of Agriculture SciencesUppsalaSweden
| | - David A. Wedin
- School of Natural ResourcesUniversity of NebraskaLincolnNebraska
| | - Dirac Twidwell
- Department of Agronomy & HorticultureUniversity of NebraskaLincolnNebraska
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15
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Stillman AN, Siegel RB, Wilkerson RL, Johnson M, Tingley MW. Age‐dependent habitat relationships of a burned forest specialist emphasise the role of pyrodiversity in fire management. J Appl Ecol 2019. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2664.13328] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Andrew N. Stillman
- Ecology & Evolutionary Biology University of Connecticut Storrs Connecticut
| | - Rodney B. Siegel
- The Institute for Bird Populations Point Reyes Station California
| | | | - Matthew Johnson
- USDA Forest Service Plumas National Forest Quincy California
| | - Morgan W. Tingley
- Ecology & Evolutionary Biology University of Connecticut Storrs Connecticut
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16
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Keele EC, Donovan VM, Roberts CP, Nodskov SM, Wonkka CL, Allen CR, Powell LA, Wedin DA, Angeler DG, Twidwell D. Relationships between Wildfire Burn Severity, Cavity-Nesting Bird Assemblages, and Habitat in an Eastern Ponderosa Pine Forest. AMERICAN MIDLAND NATURALIST 2019. [DOI: 10.1674/0003-0031-181.1.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Emma C. Keele
- Department of Biology, University of Nebraska at Kearney, Kearney 68849
| | - Victoria M. Donovan
- Department of Agronomy & Horticulture, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln 66583
| | - Caleb P. Roberts
- Department of Agronomy & Horticulture, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln 66583
| | - Sarah M. Nodskov
- School of Natural Resources, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln 68583
| | - Carissa L. Wonkka
- Department of Agronomy & Horticulture, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln 66583
| | - Craig R. Allen
- U.S. Geological Survey, Nebraska Cooperative Fish & Wildlife Research Unit, School of Natural Resources, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln 66583
| | - Larkin A. Powell
- School of Natural Resources, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln 68583
| | - David A. Wedin
- School of Natural Resources, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln 68583
| | - David G. Angeler
- Department of Aquatic Sciences and Assessment, Swedish University of Agriculture Sciences, Uppsala, Sweden PO Box 7050
| | - Dirac Twidwell
- Department of Agronomy & Horticulture, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln 66583
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17
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Taillie PJ, Burnett RD, Roberts LJ, Campos BR, Peterson MN, Moorman CE. Interacting and non‐linear avian responses to mixed‐severity wildfire and time since fire. Ecosphere 2018. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.2291] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Paul J. Taillie
- Fisheries, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology Program Department of Forestry and Environmental Resources North Carolina State University Raleigh North Carolina 27695 USA
| | - Ryan D. Burnett
- Point Blue Conservation Science 3820 Cypress Drive #11 Petaluma California 94954 USA
| | - Lance Jay Roberts
- Point Blue Conservation Science 3820 Cypress Drive #11 Petaluma California 94954 USA
| | - Brent R. Campos
- Point Blue Conservation Science 3820 Cypress Drive #11 Petaluma California 94954 USA
| | - M. Nils Peterson
- Fisheries, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology Program Department of Forestry and Environmental Resources North Carolina State University Raleigh North Carolina 27695 USA
| | - Christopher E. Moorman
- Fisheries, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology Program Department of Forestry and Environmental Resources North Carolina State University Raleigh North Carolina 27695 USA
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18
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Barros AMG, Ager AA, Day MA, Krawchuk MA, Spies TA. Wildfires managed for restoration enhance ecological resilience. Ecosphere 2018. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.2161] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Ana M. G. Barros
- College of Forestry, Forest Ecosystems & Society Oregon State University 321 Richardson Hall Corvallis Oregon 97331 USA
| | - Alan A. Ager
- USDA Forest Service Rocky Mountain Research Station Missoula Fire Sciences Laboratory 5775 US Highway 10W Missoula Montana 59808 USA
| | - Michelle A. Day
- College of Forestry Forest Engineering, Resources & Management Oregon State University 280 Peavy Hall Corvallis Oregon 97331 USA
| | - Meg A. Krawchuk
- College of Forestry, Forest Ecosystems & Society Oregon State University 321 Richardson Hall Corvallis Oregon 97331 USA
| | - Thomas A. Spies
- USDA Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station 3200 SW Jefferson Way Corvallis Oregon 97331 USA
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19
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Affiliation(s)
- L T Kelly
- School of BioSciences, ARC Centre of Excellence for Environmental Decisions, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria 3010, Australia.
| | - L Brotons
- InForest JRU (CTFC-CREAF), Solsona 25280, Spain.,CREAF, Cerdanyola del Vallès 08193, Spain.,CSIC, Cerdanyola del Vallès 08193, Spain
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20
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Kelly LT, Haslem A, Holland GJ, Leonard SWJ, MacHunter J, Bassett M, Bennett AF, Bruce MJ, Chia EK, Christie FJ, Clarke MF, Di Stefano J, Loyn R, McCarthy MA, Pung A, Robinson N, Sitters H, Swan M, York A. Fire regimes and environmental gradients shape vertebrate and plant distributions in temperate eucalypt forests. Ecosphere 2017. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.1781] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Luke T. Kelly
- School of BioSciences ARC Centre of Excellence for Environmental Decisions University of Melbourne Parkville Victoria 3010 Australia
| | - Angie Haslem
- Department of Ecology, Environment and Evolution La Trobe University Bundoora Victoria 3086 Australia
| | - Greg J. Holland
- Department of Ecology, Environment and Evolution La Trobe University Bundoora Victoria 3086 Australia
| | - Steven W. J. Leonard
- Department of Ecology, Environment and Evolution La Trobe University Bundoora Victoria 3086 Australia
| | - Josephine MacHunter
- Department of Environment Land Water and Planning Arthur Rylah Institute for Environmental Research Heidelberg Victoria 3084 Australia
| | - Michelle Bassett
- Centre for Integrative Ecology School of Life and Environmental Sciences Deakin University Burwood Victoria 3125 Australia
| | - Andrew F. Bennett
- Department of Ecology, Environment and Evolution La Trobe University Bundoora Victoria 3086 Australia
- Department of Environment Land Water and Planning Arthur Rylah Institute for Environmental Research Heidelberg Victoria 3084 Australia
| | - Matthew J. Bruce
- Department of Environment Land Water and Planning Arthur Rylah Institute for Environmental Research Heidelberg Victoria 3084 Australia
| | - Evelyn K. Chia
- Centre for Integrative Ecology School of Life and Environmental Sciences Deakin University Burwood Victoria 3125 Australia
| | - Fiona J. Christie
- Fire Ecology and Biodiversity Group School of Ecosystem and Forest Sciences University of Melbourne Creswick Victoria 3363 Australia
| | - Michael F. Clarke
- Department of Ecology, Environment and Evolution La Trobe University Bundoora Victoria 3086 Australia
| | - Julian Di Stefano
- Fire Ecology and Biodiversity Group School of Ecosystem and Forest Sciences University of Melbourne Creswick Victoria 3363 Australia
| | - Richard Loyn
- Department of Environment Land Water and Planning Arthur Rylah Institute for Environmental Research Heidelberg Victoria 3084 Australia
| | - Michael A. McCarthy
- School of BioSciences ARC Centre of Excellence for Environmental Decisions University of Melbourne Parkville Victoria 3010 Australia
| | - Alina Pung
- School of BioSciences ARC Centre of Excellence for Environmental Decisions University of Melbourne Parkville Victoria 3010 Australia
| | - Natasha Robinson
- Department of Ecology, Environment and Evolution La Trobe University Bundoora Victoria 3086 Australia
| | - Holly Sitters
- Fire Ecology and Biodiversity Group School of Ecosystem and Forest Sciences University of Melbourne Creswick Victoria 3363 Australia
| | - Matthew Swan
- Fire Ecology and Biodiversity Group School of Ecosystem and Forest Sciences University of Melbourne Creswick Victoria 3363 Australia
| | - Alan York
- Fire Ecology and Biodiversity Group School of Ecosystem and Forest Sciences University of Melbourne Creswick Victoria 3363 Australia
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21
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Adapt to more wildfire in western North American forests as climate changes. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2017; 114:4582-4590. [PMID: 28416662 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1617464114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 168] [Impact Index Per Article: 24.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Wildfires across western North America have increased in number and size over the past three decades, and this trend will continue in response to further warming. As a consequence, the wildland-urban interface is projected to experience substantially higher risk of climate-driven fires in the coming decades. Although many plants, animals, and ecosystem services benefit from fire, it is unknown how ecosystems will respond to increased burning and warming. Policy and management have focused primarily on specified resilience approaches aimed at resistance to wildfire and restoration of areas burned by wildfire through fire suppression and fuels management. These strategies are inadequate to address a new era of western wildfires. In contrast, policies that promote adaptive resilience to wildfire, by which people and ecosystems adjust and reorganize in response to changing fire regimes to reduce future vulnerability, are needed. Key aspects of an adaptive resilience approach are (i) recognizing that fuels reduction cannot alter regional wildfire trends; (ii) targeting fuels reduction to increase adaptation by some ecosystems and residential communities to more frequent fire; (iii) actively managing more wild and prescribed fires with a range of severities; and (iv) incentivizing and planning residential development to withstand inevitable wildfire. These strategies represent a shift in policy and management from restoring ecosystems based on historical baselines to adapting to changing fire regimes and from unsustainable defense of the wildland-urban interface to developing fire-adapted communities. We propose an approach that accepts wildfire as an inevitable catalyst of change and that promotes adaptive responses by ecosystems and residential communities to more warming and wildfire.
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22
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Krawchuk MA, Haire SL, Coop J, Parisien M, Whitman E, Chong G, Miller C. Topographic and fire weather controls of fire refugia in forested ecosystems of northwestern North America. Ecosphere 2016. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.1632] [Citation(s) in RCA: 86] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Meg A. Krawchuk
- Department of Forest Ecosystems and Society Oregon State University Corvallis Oregon 97331 USA
| | - Sandra L. Haire
- Haire Laboratory for Landscape Ecology Rockport Massachusetts 01966 USA
| | - Jonathan Coop
- Center for Environment and Sustainability Western State Colorado University Gunnison Colorado 81231 USA
| | - Marc‐André Parisien
- Northern Forestry Centre Canadian Forest Service Natural Resources Canada Edmonton Alberta T6H 3S5 Canada
| | - Ellen Whitman
- Department of Renewable Resources University of Alberta Edmonton Alberta T6G 2H1 Canada
| | - Geneva Chong
- U.S. Geological Survey Northern Rocky Mountain Science Center Jackson Wyoming 83001 USA
| | - Carol Miller
- Aldo Leopold Wilderness Research Institute Rocky Mountain Research Station USDA Forest Service Missoula Montana 59801 USA
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