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Author(s):
Jolie Pollet, Philip N. Omi
Year Published:

Cataloging Information

Topic(s):
Fire Effects
Ecological - First Order
Ecological - Second Order
Vegetation
Fire Regime
Fire Intensity / Burn Severity
Fuels
Fuel Treatments & Effects
Mechanical treatments
Prescribed Fire-use treatments
Management Approaches
Recovery after fire
Ecosystem(s):
Ponderosa pine woodland/savanna

NRFSN number: 8121
FRAMES RCS number: 4906
Record updated:

Fire exclusion policies have affected stand structure and wildfire hazard in north American ponderosa pine forests. Wildfires are becoming more severe in stands where trees are densely stocked with shade-tolerant understory trees. Although forest managers have been employing fuel treatment techniques to reduce wildfire hazard for decades, little scientific evidence documents the success of treatments in reducing fire severity. Our research quantitatively examined fire effects in treated and untreated stands in western United States national forests. Four ponderosa pine sites in Montana, Washington, California, and Arizona were selected for study. Fuel treatments studied include: prescribed fire only, whole-tree thinning, and thinning followed by prescribed fire. On-the-ground fire effects were measured in adjacent treated and untreated forests. We developed post facto fire severity and stand structure measurement techniques to complete field data collection. We found that crown fire severity was mitigated in stands that had some type of fuel treatment compared to stands without any treatment. At all four of the sites, the fire severity and crown scorch were significantly lower at the treated sites. Results from this research indicate that fuel treatments, which remove small diameter trees, may be beneficial for reducing crown fire hazard in ponderosa pine sites.

Citation

Pollet, Jolie; Omi, Philip N. 2002. Effect of thinning and prescribed burning on crown fire severity in ponderosa pine forests. International Journal of Wildland Fire. 11(1): 1-10.

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