Cataloging Information
Fuels
Prescribed Fire-use treatments
Fuels Inventory & Monitoring
Prescribed fires are an important management tool for reducing fuels and returning fire to the landscape. However, rarely are changes in fuels fully quantified using pre- to post-prescribed fire measurements and those studies that do exist show variable results. In the southern Rockies, little literature exists on the impacts of prescribed fires; thus we examined multiple prescribed fires in northern Colorado to understand fire effects and changes in fuel complexes. Most prominently, prescribed fires influenced litter, duff, and rotten coarse woody debris but did not influence other surface fuels. Canopy base height increased and tree density decreased, while basal area was relatively unimpacted. Season of burning impacted fire effects as substrate burn severity, bole char, and crown volume scorch were highest in summer and fall. Continued monitoring of prescribed fires is critical to understand the influence of prescribed fire on wildfires and ultimately improve prescribed fire outcomes.
Citation
Access this Document
Treesearch
publication access with no paywall
Check to see if this document is available for free in the USDA Forest Service Treesearch collection of publications. The collection includes peer reviewed publications in scientific journals, books, conference proceedings, and reports produced by Forest Service employees, as well as science synthesis publications and other products from Forest Service Research Stations.