Predicting late-successional fire refugia pre-dating European settlement in the Wenatchee Mountains

Fires occur frequently in dry forests of the Inland West. Fire effects vary across the landscape, reflecting topography, elevation, aspect, slope, soils, and vegetation attributes. Patches minimally affected by successive fires may be thought of as ‘refugia’, islands of older forest in a younger forest matrix. Refugia support species absent within the landscape matrix. Our goal was to predict the occurrence of pre-settlement refugia using physiographic and topographic variables.We evaluated 487 plots across a 47000 ha landscape using three criteria to identify historical fire refugia: different structure from surrounding matrix; different fire regime from surrounding matrix; presence of old individuals of fire-intolerant tree species. Several combinations of aspect, elevation, and topography best predicted refugial presence.Less than 20% of the pre-settlement landscape was identified as historical fire refugia. Refugia were not connected except by younger stands within the matrix. Current management goals of increasing amounts and connectivity of old, refugia-like forests for the benefit of species associated with late-successional habitat increase the risk of insect and pathogen outbreaks and catastrophic wildfires.     

太白山地区森林火灾相关性分析

太白山是陕西秦岭森林资源的主要分布区,也是重点水源涵养区,森林覆盖率高达81.2%,主要为次生林。作者根据太自山地区历年来发生的森林火灾统计资料,着重分析了地形、气候、植被和人为活动与森林火灾的关系。结果表明,太白山地区的地形条件和气候要素构成了森林燃烧的火环境,大面积分布的落叶栎林是发生森林火灾的最大隐患,而频繁的人为活动则为发生森林火灾提供了主要火源。     

Spatial patterns of forest fires in Catalonia (NE of Spain) along the period 1975–1995: Analysis of vegetation recovery after fire

This paper revises the results of applying a semiautomatic methodology for fire scars mapping from a time series of Landsat MSS images over the forest and shrubby surface of Catalonia (1975–1993). Perimeters of fires which occurred in 1994 and 1995 were added enlarging the whole series to 21 years from TM imagery. Results are a map series of fire history during 21 years as well as a map of the fire recurrence level. Omission errors are 23% for burned areas greater than 2 km² while commission errors are 8% for areas greater than 0.5 km². Detected fire scars were incorporated into a geographic information system in order to characterise the fire regime of the study area. Fire size distribution and the number of spot fires originated from each fire as well as the maximum distance reached from the main fire are analysed. A first approach to monitor post-burn regeneration through normalised difference vegetation index is also shown.     

Scale effects of vegetation and topography on burn severity under prevailing fire weather conditions in boreal forest landscapes of Northeastern China

Understanding the controlling factors of burn severity requires consideration of the scale at which these factors work. This investigation explored how well topography and vegetation factors can explain variation of burn severity in a boreal forest landscape of northern China under prevailing fire weather conditions. Eight grain sizes were examined that ranged from 30 to 2500 m. A burn severity map was derived from calculating the difference between pre- and post-fire Normalized Difference Vegetation Index of two Landsat Thematic Mapper images. Results indicate that (1) burn severity in the boreal forest landscape of northern China was mainly controlled by vegetation at grain sizes smaller than 500 m. At grain sizes larger than 1000 m, topography accounted for more variation in burn severity; (2) the relative importance of topography factors was stable with increasing grain sizes and generally ranked in order of aspect, slope, and elevation; (3) stand age appeared to be more important where canopy cover and understory cover substantially fluctuated with increasing grain sizes; and (4) the linear relationships between burn severity and specific factors of topography and vegetation decreased with increasing grain sizes. Our study can help managers to design fire management plans according to vegetation characteristics that are found important in controlling burn severity and prioritize management locations based on the relative importance of vegetation and topography.     

Fire history and fire–climate relationships along a fire regime gradient in the Santa Fe Municipal Watershed, NM, USA

The Santa Fe municipal watershed provides up to 40% of the city's water and is at high risk of a stand-replacing fire that could threaten the water resource and cause severe ecological damage. Restoration and crown fire hazard reduction in the ponderosa pine (PP) forest is in progress, but the historic role of crown fire in the mixed-conifer/aspen (MC) and spruce-dominated forests is unknown but necessary to guide management here and in similar forests throughout the southwestern United States. The objective of our study was to use dendroecological techniques to reconstruct fire history and fire–climate relationships along an elevation, forest type, and fire regime gradient in the Santa Fe River watershed and provide historical ecological data to guide management. We combined systematic (gridded) sampling of forest age structure with targeted sampling of fire scars, tree-ring growth changes/injuries, and death dates to reconstruct fire occurrence and severity in the 7016 ha study area (elevation 2330–3650 m). Fire scars from 141 trees (at 41 plots) and age structure of 438 trees (from 26 transects) were used to reconstruct 110 unique fire years (1296–2008). The majority (79.0%) of fires burned during the late spring/early summer. Widespread fires that scarred more than 25% of the recording trees were more frequent in PP (mean fire interval (MFI)_25% = 20.8 years) compared to the MC forest (31.6 years). Only 24% of the fires in PP were recorded in the MC forest, but these accounted for a large percent of all MC fires (69%). Fire occurrence was associated with anomalously wet (and usually El Niño) years preceding anomalously dry (and usually La Niña) years both in PP and in the MC forest. Fire in the MC occurred during more severe drought (mean summer Palmer Drought Severity Index; PDSI = −2.59), compared to the adjacent PP forest (PDSI = −1.03). The last fire in the spruce forest (1685) was largely stand-replacing (1200 ha, 93% of sampled area), recorded as fire scars at 68% of plots throughout the MC and PP forests, and burned during a severe, regional drought (PDSI = −6.92). The drought–fire relationship reconstructed in all forest types suggests that if droughts become more frequent and severe, as predicted, the probability of large, severe fire occurrence will increase.     

Gradient analysis of an eastern sand savanna's woody vegetation,and its long-term responses to restored fire processes

Little information is available comparing historic and modern sand savannas, and how remnants respond to restored fire. We compared short- and long-term effects of restored fire on the Tefft Savanna, a 197 ha eastern sand savanna in northwest Indiana that had undergone three decades of fire protection. U.S. Public Land Survey data from Tefft in 1833 indicate black and white oak barrens, and pin oak savanna, with trees averaging 50 stems/ha and 4 m²/ha basal area. We used ordination and a digital elevation model to assess topographic distribution of tree species in 1986. In 1986, we also compared initial effects of high- and low-intensity dormant season fire on woody vegetation among nine blocks containing black oak, white oak, and pin oak stands. Twenty years later, we compared the same blocks, all of which had been burned three times per decade with low-intensity fires. In 1986, black oak, white oak and pin oak occurred across a gradient of decreasing elevation and slope. At that time, unburned black oak and white oak stands averaged >400 stems/ha and about 10 m²/ha basal area, and their smaller size classes contained non-oak woody vegetation that apparently had invaded with fire exclusion. After initial burns, black oak and white oak stands receiving high-intensity fire averaged <200 stems/ha and had significantly lower oak canopy cover and basal area than unburned stands. Stands receiving low-intensity fire had intermediate oak canopy cover, with basal area similar to unburned stands. Pin oak stands were more fire-resistant, apparently because spring flooding often reduced fire effects. Density, cover and basal area of non-oak tree species were much lower than oaks, and were not reduced by initial burning. Repeated low-intensity burning over 20 years tended to maintain structure caused by initial fires. However, it reduced lower size class stem densities, promoted post-fire sprouting into the shrub layer, and allowed oak basal area to increase in larger size classes. Time since fire regulated shrub layer structure on a 4-year cycle. Density and cover of trees and shrubs returned to pre-burn conditions by the second and fourth growing seasons after fire, respectively, with non-oak tree species exceeding pre-burn cover and density by the fourth season. These results suggest that high-intensity fire is more important than repeated low-intensity burning in structuring and restoring eastern sand savanna, and that non-oak tree species, once established, may be resistant to low-intensity fire.     

The ecology of mixed severity fire regimes in Washington, Oregon, and Northern California

Forests characterized by mixed-severity fires occupy a broad moisture gradient between lower elevation forests typified by low-severity fires and higher elevation forests in which high-severity, stand replacing fires are the norm. Mixed-severity forest types are poorly documented and little understood but likely occupy significant areas in the western United States. By definition, mixed-severity types have high beta diversity at meso-scales, encompassing patches of both high and low severity and gradients in between. Studies of mixed-severity types reveal complex landscapes in which patch sizes follow a power law distribution with many small and few large patches. Forest types characterized by mixed severity can be classified according to the modal proportion of high to low severity patches, which increases from relatively dry to relatively mesic site conditions. Mixed-severity regimes are produced by interactions between top-down forcing by climate and bottom-up shaping by topography and the flammability of vegetation, although specific effects may vary widely across the region, especially the relation between aspect and fire severity. History is important in shaping fire behavior in mixed-severity landscapes, as patterns laid down by previous fires can play a significant role in shaping future fires. Like low-severity forests in the western United States, many dry mixed-severity types experienced significant increases in stand density during the 20th century, threatening forest health and biodiversity, however not all understory development in mixed-severity forests increases the threat of severe wild fires. In general, current landscapes have been homogenized, reducing beta diversity and increasing the probability of large fires and insect outbreaks. Further loss of old, fire tolerant trees is of particular concern, but understory diversity has been reduced as well. High stand densities on relatively dry sites increase water use and therefore susceptibility to drought and insect outbreaks, exacerbating a trend of increasing regional drying. The need to restore beta diversity while protecting habitat for closed-forest specialists such as the northern spotted owl call for landscape-level approaches to ecological restoration.     

青海省玛可河林区森林火灾的发生规律及原因分析

根据玛可河林区近7年森林火灾资料分析,选择着火时间、地点、原因、地类和面积等因素进行相关分析,得出如下结论:森林火灾主要集中在冬、春两季;冬季降水量少,气候干燥,易发生森林火灾,春季正是春耕生产季节,生产性火源和人为火源并重,易发生森林火灾;从火灾空间分布分析,班前地区森林火灾次数最多,其次是王柔和友谊桥地区;从地类分析,牧草地发生火灾面积最大,其次是灌木林地和阔叶林地,有林地较少。     

A predictive model of burn severity based on 20-year satellite-inferred burn severity data in a large southwestern US wilderness area

We describe and then model satellite-inferred severe (stand-replacing) fire occurrence relative to topography (elevation, aspect, slope, solar radiation, Heat Load Index, wetness and measures of topographic ruggedness) using data from 114 fires > 40 ha in area that occurred between 1984 and 2004 in the Gila Wilderness and surrounding Gila National Forest. Severe fire occurred more frequently at higher elevations and on north-facing, steep slopes and at locally wet, cool sites, which suggests that moisture limitations on productivity in the southwestern US interact with topography to influence vegetation density and fuel production that in turn influence burn severity. We use the Random Forest algorithm and a stratified random sample of burn severity pixels with corresponding pixels from 15 topographic layers as predictor variables to build an empirical model predicting the probability of occurrence for severe burns across the entire 1.4 million ha study area. Our model correctly classified severity with a classification accuracy of 79.5% when burn severity pixels were classified as severe vs. not severe (two classes). Because our model was derived from data sampled across many fires over a 20-year period, it represents average probability of severe fire occurrence and is unlikely to predict burn severity for individual fire events. However, we believe it has potential as a tool for planning fuel treatment projects, in management of actively burning fires, and for better understanding of landscape-scale burn severity patterns.     

火干扰对森林水文的影响

Fire is quite a common natural phenomenon closely related to forest hydrology in forest ecosystem. The influence of fire on water is indirectly manifested in that the post fire changes of vegetation, ground cover, soil and environment affect water cycle, water quality and aquatic lives. The effect varies depending upon fire severity and frequency. Light wildland fires or prescribed burnings do not affect hydrology regime significantly but frequent burnings or intense fires can cause changes in hydrology regime similar to that caused clear cutting.     

The influence of prescribed crown fire on lodgepole pine dwarf mistletoe (Arceuthobium americanum) populations 33 years post‐fire

Dwarf mistletoes (Arceuthobium spp.) are a group of obligate, hemiparasitic plants that infect numerous species in the Pinaceae in North America. Wildland fire is considered to be the primary natural agent influencing the population and distribution of dwarf mistletoes across landscapes. Based on this understanding, prescribed fire has been suggested as a potential method for dwarf mistletoe sanitation and control; however, experimental work has primarily focused on prescribed surface fire. In this study, we report long‐term impacts of three experimental crown fires on dwarf mistletoe severity in infested lodgepole pine stands in Colorado 33 years post‐fire. The three fires achieved tree mortality rates ranging from 20% to 100%. Our results suggested a significant negative relationship between the amount of fire‐caused tree mortality and future dwarf mistletoe severity. These findings supported the presumed natural role of fire in altering dwarf mistletoe populations, which perhaps exhibits a linear relationship between fire‐caused host tree mortality and future dwarf mistletoe severity.     

运用数量化方法估测普洱县森林蓄积量

根据普洱县森林遥感调查资料 ,利用卫星影像特征判读数据与地面实测数据建立数学类型 ,估测森林蓄积量。首先将 2 0 0块有、疏林地数据输入数据本中 ,然后分析其与优势树种、龄组、郁闭度、海拔、坡向、坡度的关系 ,结果把样地分为针叶林、阔叶林、针阔混交林三个类型分别建立数学模型 ,以估测每公顷蓄积量。数学模型的建立是根据数量化模型的原理来编程 ,并通过计算机的不断调试 ,直到可行为止。蓄积量比较精度达到 90 3%。     

Forest fire risk assessment in parts of Northeast India using geospatial tools

Forest fire is a major cause of changes in forest structure and function. Among various floristic regions, the northeast region of India suffers maximum from the fires due to age-old practice of shifting culti- vation and spread of fires from jhum fields. For proper mitigation and management, an early warning of forest fires through risk modeling is required. The study results demonstrate the potential use of remote sens- ing and Geographic Information System (GIS) in identifying forest fire prone areas in Manipur, southeastern part of Northeast India. Land use land cover (LULC), vegetation type, Digital elevation model (DEM), slope, aspect and proximity to roads and settlements, factors that influ- ence the behavior of fire, were used to model the forest fire risk zones. Each class of the layers was given weight according to their fire inducing capability and their sensitivity to fire. Weighted sum modeling and ISODATA clustering was used to classify the fire zones. To validate the results, Along Track Scanning Radiometer (ATSR), the historical fire hotspots data was used to check the occurrence points and modeled forest fire locations. The forest risk zone map has 55 63% of agreement with ATSR dataset.     

Fire cycle and fire adaptation of main tree species in Daxing’anling forest region,China

Based on the fire statistics, the Daxing’anling forest area were classified into three fire cycle regions: northern coniferous virgin forest region with a fire cycle ofl 10–120 years, middle conifer-broad-leaved mixed forest region with a fire cycle of 30–40 years, and southern broad-leaved secondary forest region with a fire cycle of 15–20. The percentage of conifers and broad-leaved trees, forest age and natural mature period of main tree species in different fire cycle regions were discussed in concern with fire occurrence. The characteristics of fire adaptation and fire resistance of main tree species, such as sexual and asexual reproduction, were discussed and evaluation of the synthetical fire adaptation was made.     

Topography affected landscape fire history patterns in southern Arizona, USA

Fire histories contribute important information to contemporary fire planning, however, our knowledge is not comprehensive geographically. We evaluated the influence of topography on fire history patterns in two contrasting landscapes within the Santa Catalina Mountains of southeastern Arizona. Multiple fire-scarred trees from randomly selected 2-ha plots were used to develop plot composite mean fire intervals (PCMFIs) within the Butterfly Peak (BP) and Rose Canyon (RC) landscapes. BP is dominated by steep, northerly aspects and presence of potential fire spread barriers (exposed rock bluffs and scree slopes). RC is dominated by more gentle and southerly aspects with relatively few fire barriers. Within each landscape, PCMFIs did not differ significantly between aspect classes from A.D. 1748 to 1910 (BP: p = 0.73 and RC: p = 0.57). Pooled PCMFIs in the gentler RC landscape were, however, significantly shorter (p < 0.001) than in the steeper BP landscape. The frequency of relatively widespread fires (i.e., number of fire years when ≥2 plots scarred) was similar between landscapes, but fires in the gentler RC landscape were significantly larger (p = 0.033). The higher frequency of large fires (i.e., fires that burned >75% of the landscape) in RC resulted in more area burned over time and shorter fire intervals at individual plots. Conversely, smaller fires in the dissected BP landscape resulted in less area burned and longer periods between fires at individual plots. The different topographies in the two landscapes likely result in different wind intensities, fuel moistures, and fuel/vegetation types—and consequently, different historical fire spread patterns. Our conclusion is that fire history patterns are not influenced primarily by stand-scale topography, but rather by the topographic characteristics of the broader, surrounding landscape.     

中山市防火林带树种组成与冠层结构

防火林带的树种组成与冠层结构可影响林带的防火功能。为评价中山市防火林带的树种组成 和冠层结构,对中山市防火林带树种进行了调查,并在防火林带中选取了9 个典型林带类型,建立标准 地,对其树种组成与冠层结构进行了对比研究。结果表明：中山市13 个镇区的生物防火林带共应用了31 个树种,隶属17 科24 属,豆科、山茶科和樟科树种最多,数量最多的有荷木Schima superba、马尾松 Pinus massoniana、台湾相思Acacia confusa、柠檬桉Eucalyptus citriodora、米老排Mytilaria laosensis;以 针叶树为主的针叶林林冠开度最大,达38.07%,林下植物相对茂盛,分别以米老排和杨梅Myrica rubra 为主的阔叶混交林林冠开度最小,分别为12.36% 和13.88%。米老排与杨梅为主要树种的阔叶林林冠开 度比以马尾松为主的针叶林的林冠开度要小,阔叶林的冠层郁闭度较高;自然保护区核心区针阔混交林 的叶面积指数最大,达2.64,显著高于马尾松纯林和马占相思Acacia mangium、荷木和藜蒴Castanopsis fissa 等阔叶混交林,为0.99 和1.65;山脚的荷木林地、荷木与马尾松的混交林和以米老排为主的阔叶混 交林的林下光照较弱,林下植被稀少,冠层结构较为疏散,是较好的防火林带。对现有防火林带的林分 改造,如增加经济林木、果树等阔叶树种,可进一步提高防火林带的防火作用。     

辽东半岛地区主要火险林型及燃烧性的研究

文章通过外业调查确定了辽东半岛地区的主要5种火险林型,分别为油松人工纯林、日本黑松人工纯林、栎树天然纯林、杂木天然林、刺槐人工纯林。阔叶树林型下的灌木层、草本层的种类和盖度均明显大于针叶树,针叶树的凋落物层盖度大于阔叶树。主要林型下地被可燃物的载量分布较高,变化范围为6.47～12.08t/hm2;地被可燃物燃烧性能是针叶树明显大于阔叶树,其综合燃烧性由大及小的排序:日本黑松人工纯林>油松人工纯林>天然栎树林>刺槐人工纯林>天然杂木林。     

基于ICESat-GLAS数据和回波仿真原理识别森林类型

[目的]利用星载激光雷达波形数据对森林类型识别时,受地形、噪声和林层结构等因素影响,针叶林、阔叶林和混交林森林类型识别精度较低,为提高森林类型识别精度,需提取与森林类型相关的波形特征参数.[方法]结合回波仿真原理与林分冠层特征对GLAS回波波形进行理论分析,提出了与森林类型相关的波形特征参数147R-cafit-、K1...     

基于时序Landsat数据的浙江省竹林信息提取及时空演变

【目的】提取浙江省不同时期竹林分布信息,分析其时空演变规律,揭示竹林面积变化与土地利用格局之间的关系,为国家及至全球尺度长时间序列的竹林时空动态研究提供参考。【方法】以浙江省为研究区,基于2000、2004和2008年Landsat5 TM及2014年Landast8 OLI时间序列影像数据,首先,对不同时期的Landsat数据进行大气校正和几何校正,采用最大似然法提取土地利用和竹林时空分布信息;然后,利用变化幅度和动态度2个指标分析4个时期、3个时间段的竹林时空演变规律;最后,建立全省土地利用时空转移矩阵,揭示竹林时空动态与土地利用格局之间的关系。【结果】1)基于时序Landsat数据提取的浙江省竹林信息精度较高,分类精度达75%以上,使用者精度达91%以上,且分类统计面积与实际清查面积高度吻合,面积提取精度达96%以上; 2) 2000—2014年浙江省竹林面积变化幅度和年均变化率分别为16.55%和1.18%,在时空上呈逐渐增加趋势; 3)浙江省竹林面积由2000年占全省面积的7.33%增长到2014年的8.56%,其中针叶林、阔叶林和农田3种土地利用类型变化对竹林面积增加的贡献最大,贡献率分别为28.62%、37.23%和16.15%。【结论】基于Landsat时间序列数据能够高精度监测浙江省竹林资源动态变化,针叶林、阔叶林和农田等土地利用类型减少对竹林面积时空演变具有显著影响。