Fire Management Assessment of the Songshan Nature Reserve, China
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GLOBAL FIRE INITIATIVE Technical Report Fire Management Assessment of the Songshan Nature Reserve, China April 2008 GFI technical report 2008-1a Citation: Myers, R., D. Johnson and M. Krawchuk. Fire Management Assessment of the Songshan Nature Reserve, China. GFI technical report 2008-1a. The Nature Conservancy, Arlington, VA. For more information: Ronald L. Myers Latin America and Caribbean Fire Director Global Fire Initiative The Nature Conservancy Tall Timbers Research Station 13093 Henry Beadel Drive Tallahassee, FL 32312 USA 850-668-5569 [email protected] www.tncfuego.org Cover Photo: Old-growth Chinese red pine (Pinus tabuliformis) in Songshan Nature Reserve. ©Ronald Myers 2 contents contents Section Page Introduction . .1 Purpose . .1 Fire Management Assessment Framework & Process . .2 Focus & Constraints . .3 Vegetation, Fire Environment & Disturbances . .5 General Information . .5 Vegetation . .5 Fire Response Categories, Fire Regimes & Fuels . .6 Disturbance History . .13 Characteristics of Pinus tabuliformis . .16 Distribution . .16 Adaptations to Fire & Other Disturbances . .16 Fire Management at Songshan . .26 Conclusions & Recommendations . .27 Future of Chinese Red Pine Under Current Management Regime . .27 Current Fire Management Approach at Songshan . .27 Ecological Disturbance Model for Songshan Nature Reserve . .28 Future Fire Management Options at Songshan . .28 Fire Management Options in China . .28 Next Steps . .30 References . .31 iii 1introduction introduction Purpose During 27–31 August 2007, a team of fire north of Beijing to assess the role of fire, management and fire ecology experts from if any, in the dynamics and maintenance of the United States traveled to Beijing to Chinese red pine (Pinus tabuliformis Carr. ) meet with Chinese foresters, ecologists and associated vegetation. Preliminary and geographers interested in fire manage- Nature Conservancy conservation planning ment issues. The Team also made a field in the area pointed to the lack of regenera- visit to Songshan National Nature Reserve tion of red pine in the Reserve. Team Members - Darren Johnson, Fire Ecologist, Global Fire Team, The Nature Conservancy, USA - Meg Krawchuk, PhD., Post-doctoral Researcher, Center for Fire Research & Outreach, University of California at Berkeley, USA - Ronald Myers, PhD., Fire Director, Latin America & the Caribbean, Global Fire Team, The Nature Conservancy, USA - Yu Guangzhi, Protected Area Strategy Manager, The Nature Conservancy, China - Matthew Durnin, PhD., Conservation Scientist. The Nature Conservancy, China - Xiaorui Tian, PhD., Research Institute of Forest Protection, Chinese Academy of Forestry, China The team was accompanied by Ruiyi Chen, Lili Li and Wanjie Jiang from the Conservation Sector at Songshan Nature Reserve. During the trip, the Assessment Team met with: Hu Yuanhui, Division Director, International Forestry Cooperation Center, State Forestry Administration, Beijing, China Fu Yuling, Institute of Geographic Sciences & Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Science (CAS) Beijing, China Zheng Du, Professor, Institute of Geographic Sciences & Natural Resources Research, CAS, Beijing, China Guirui Yu, PhD., Synthesis Center of Chinese Ecosystem Research Network, CAS, Beijing, China Ying Sun, PhD., Chief, Office of International Cooperation, Institute of Geographical Sciences & Natural Resources Research, CAS, Beijing Wu Shaohong, PhD., Professor, Institute of Geographical Sciences & Natural Resources Research, CAS, Beijing Keping Ma, PhD., Director & Professor, Institute of Botany, CAS, Beijing Yang si qi, Journalist of Current Events, The Beijing News 1 The objectives of the assessment were to: Fire Management Assessment Framework & Process (1) Gather information on fire manage- Prior to arriving in China and visiting ment needs and issues at Songshan Songshan Nature Reserve, the assessment National Nature Reserve that may be team gathered background information on important in biodiversity conservation and the Reserve and the fire situation in north- management of the Reserve. west China. Key areas of inquiry were: (1) Review of ecological/environmental introduction (2) Assess whether fire plays a role in the regeneration and maintenance of Chinese and socio-economic information of the red pine at the site. assessment area. (2) Identification of ecological and socio- (3) Evaluate fire management planning, economic equivalents elsewhere in the training, research and information needs at world which the assessment team was the Songshan Nature Reserve, and gain familiar with or where there already exists some preliminary insights into the status considerable information and management of fire management and fire ecology in experience. China as a whole. (3) Identification of key ecological and fire (4) Provide fire managers and conservation management experts: (1) within the specif- management specialists with recommenda- ic area or region to be visited and (2) in tions on long-term strategies and actions ecologically equivalent ecosystems else- to reduce fire-related threats at the where in the world. Reserve. (4) Determination of current approach to (5) Introduce ecological concepts related fire management in the area by reviewing to fire that could be adapted to conserva- existing management plan, fire policies, tion management strategies throughout and fire staffing, etc. China. (5) Understanding how the socio-econom- (6) Provide The Nature Conservancy ic and political systems in China influence (TNC) in China with a conceptual frame- the type, approaches and effectiveness of work for identifying and addressing fire- fire management. related threats to biodiversity conservation at their priority conservation areas. Once in China, the assessment team pur- sued information about: fire management at the Reserve, national and local fire poli- This assessment was conducted as part of cies and laws, and perceptions of the pub- the Global Fire Partnership, which lic, scientists and land managers about includes the Conservancy’s Global Fire wildland fire and fire management, includ- Initiative and the University of California ing their basic understanding of fire at Berkeley’s Center for Fire Research & regimes and fire as an ecological process. Outreach. 2 introduction These issues and questions included: change, or how are they changing now, as a result of fire prevention and suppression (1) Based on meetings with key area man- and/or fire use practices? agers, Nature Conservancy staff, country or regional decision makers, scientists and (7) Be prepared to address concerns about natural historians, and community-level fire effects on fauna, specific plant species, stakeholders: What are current views about and soils. What are current local views? fire? What are current policies? Are poli- How do these relate to what we know cies effectively applied? Ignored? Counter about ecologically equivalent ecosystems productive? and species elsewhere? (2) What is the general perception about (8) How is fire related to climate change, fire in different levels of society in the area invasive species, watersheds and water or region? quality/quantity, etc. at the site? (3) What is the fire history of the area- (9) Evaluate the role of human burning in long-, medium- and short-term? Have creating, maintaining and negatively recent fires been mapped and fire effects impacting existing vegetation, desired con- evaluated? Are there old photographs of ditions and fire regimes. the area? Have fire ignition sources been documented? Given fuel conditions, plant (10) What broad economic and social poli- adaptations, climatic conditions and local cies and cultural traditions are affecting capacity, is there evidence that lightning fire regimes and fire management effec- ignitions are appropriately identified or tiveness, e.g. agricultural policies, land under-reported? tenure issues, forestry and logging prac- tices, industrial agriculture, energy explo- (4) Ecological review: General classifica- ration, urbanization or domestication of tion of vegetation/ecosystem responses to the landscape? fire, i.e. dependent, sensitive, independent. Are these categories accepted by scientists Focus & Constraints and fire managers? Identify adaptations to Information in this report is based on fire of keystone and dominant species in observations made at Songshan National fire-dependent ecosystems. Nature Reserve and through discussions with: (1) Reserve staff, an ecologist with (5) Assess current and desired conditions the Chinese Academy of Sciences, staff and fire regimes, and define role of fire and from The Nature Conservancy’s China potentially acceptable fire regimes in each program, and a local resident living in the ecological state, and fire regimes or actions village of Dazhuangke located within the that cause shifts, i.e. create a preliminary Reserve (during a day and a half visit in conceptual ecological model. What is the the Reserve); and (2) State Forestry long-term prognosis of the area under Administration officials, and scientists existing management and fire regimes? with the Chinese Academy of Science (during a three-day visit in Beijing). The (6) Brief qualitative assessment of fire Team’s observations in the Reserve were danger, fire risks, and values at risk to fire limited to the main trail in the Reserve in and around area. How might these that follows one of the primary drainages 3 and is open to the public. The Team was from scientific studies in similar ecosys- also able to enter a