DOCSLIB.ORG

Redwood Forests:Climate Champions

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Redwood Forests:Climate Champions D V E A NATURE’S NEWSLETTER S P E C I A L O N L I N E E D I T I O N G L O B A L W A R M I N G A N D T H E E N V I R O N M E N T Nature’s Newsletter Volume 14 1 / Issue 4 www.dveaglealliance.org Usal Redwood Forest. © Joaquin Quintana, Photographer R E D W O O D F O R E S T S C L I M A T E C H A M P I O N S by Lin Morgan Barrett Community Development Director, Redwood Forest Foundation Although all trees pull carbon dioxide from the air and release oxygen, helping to stabilize the climate, old-growth redwood forests store more carbon above-ground per acre than any other forest on earth! The loud, incessant hammering of the pileated woodpecker Despite 150 years of aggressive over-harvesting, the brought back memories of growing up in California’s remaining redwood forests still provide vital habitat for a majestic redwoods. It was there, as a child, I first heard that variety of fish and wildlife. Old growth redwood treetops hammering and was amazed to see “Woody Woodpecker” contain an array of canopy dwellers, some of whom never at work on a nearby snag. While most of the ancient giants were gone even then, the remaining goliaths of my childhood were enthralling. The quiet in the redwoods, the world’s tallest trees, is other- worldly. Winter then brought vast runs of steelhead and salmon that dwarfed the small riverbed they spawned in. These beautiful redwood forests are climate champions! Although all trees pull carbon dioxide from the air and release oxygen, helping to stabilize the climate, old-growth redwood forests store more carbon above-ground per acre than any other forest on earth. Coast redwood, Sequoia Sempervirens, occur naturally only on a narrow strip of land, stretching along the Pacific Ancient Redwood misshapened by the wind. Ocean from Monterey, California to southwest Oregon. © Eric Mulder, Photographer continued on page 17 www.dveaglealliance.org 16 Nature’s Newsletter continued from page 16 REDWOOD FORESTS C L I M A T E C H A M P I O N S touch the ground. Redwood forests industrial and environmental interests are home to mountain lions, black rocked the redwood region. The bear, Roosevelt elk, bald eagles, and Timber Wars saw neighbor pitted my old friend the pileated woodpecker. against neighbor; fights broke out Some species, however, are barely at local youth soccer games. Earth hanging on: Northern Spotted Owls, First! and others, outraged at the marbled murrelets, salmon, steelhead assault on these magnificent forests and various amphibians struggle to and ecosystems, staged Redwood survive in logged-over stands. Summer. Deadly violence ensued. The scene was comparable to today’s Redwood giants, one of the world’s pipeline and fracking confrontations, fastest growing conifers, reach conflicts that significantly impact local heights of more than 350 feet, and communities. can live 2,000 years. Some redwoods are 24 feet wide and weigh 1.6 million Fortunately, local leaders emerged pounds. Hyperion, the world’s tallest recognizing that the resource was tree, is a 379.7 ft. tall redwood. threatened, along with the economy, Redwoods have existed on this planet ecology and the social fabric of the for more than 240 million years. As region. Warring northern California their name suggests, coast redwoods coastal residents begrudgingly came need a moderate, coastal climate to together to seek non-violent solutions survive. The region’s frequent fog is to protect and restore the forests, crucial. Like the Sequoia Gigantea in to provide jobs, and support local the Sierras, redwoods have shallow economies. A tall order! root systems that require abundant water. Coast redwoods, however, In 1997, after nearly a decade of typically get their water from rain contentious meetings, the Redwood and fog, not snowmelt. They get Forest Foundation, Inc. (RFFI) was 30-40% of their moisture from fog. born. Leaders of this remarkable Their large root systems often extend grassroots movement worked with 100 feet, intertwining with roots of warring factions, all neighbors and other redwoods. Interestingly, a cut forest stakeholders, for almost a redwood can clone itself, and young decade to find common ground. redwoods often sprout from their Art Harwood, a local mill owner parents’ base, drawing nutrients from and RFFI’s first President, RFFI their roots. Founder, Henry Gundling, a financial advisor and forest owner, University Only five percent of the ancient of California science advisors Pete redwood forest remains. Redwood Passof and Greg Giusti, portable mill forests are magnificent; the wood operator, Bill Heil, and environmental they provide is an unequaled building leaders, Linda Perkins and Meca product. It is durable, resistant to Wawona, moved into the forefront of rot and termites, non-warping, and the highly contentious conversation. © Photograph of Painting by Judith Hope relatively soft. Beginning with the Others joined, and over time loggers, Old Growth Redwood. California Gold Rush and through foresters, scientists, environmental th of natural resources, principally the the 20 century, redwoods were activists, financiers, and residents coast redwood ecosystem. They cut rapaciously to build homes and carefully crafted an agreement to wanted to ensure local ownership, commercial buildings. A successful establish a nonprofit organization eschewing the loss of local control logging industry grew to meet building to: acquire, protect, restore, and that accompanies absentee industry needs that, along with fishing, manage forestlands and other or government ownership. The created prosperous rural areas. related resources in the Redwood th ultimate goal was to establish Over the 20 century, however, Region for the long-term benefit of working community forests managed both resources dwindled severely, the communities located there. They sustainably to protect and restore the enraging environmentalists. By sought to establish local control over ecosystem, provide wood products, the 1980s, violent conflict between the protection, restoration and use continued on page 18 Nature’s Newsletter 17 www.dveaglealliance.org continued from page 17 REDWOOD FORESTS C L I M A T E C H A M P I O N S © LEFT: Photograph provided by www.rffi.org RIGHT: Mark Welther, Photographer LEFT: RFFI’s Joaquin Quintana assessing road damage from epic winter storm.. RIGHT: RFFI Community Redwood Planting in Redwood Regional Park. support the local economy and eventually invest any forest in perpetuity. RFFI helped secure funding from the excess revenue into the community. California Coastal Conservancy to preserve an ocean-front 1,000-acre parcel containing old-growth redwoods-then The founders engaged Tom Tuchmann, President US part of Usal. This transaction protected these ancient Forest Capital, to help them craft a sophisticated market- trees forever. The conservation easement sale, funded based strategy that would use private capital to leverage by the California Wildlife Conservation Board, and the public and philanthropic dollars to acquire, restore and preservation sale of 1,000-acres of ancient redwoods, retain control of local forests. The strategy also required were used to pay-down the debt - examples of using “monetizing ecosystem services.” This is fancy jargon for private capital to leverage public and philanthropic dollars creating funding for ‘services’ a forest provides: e.g., clean to protect forests. water, clean air, carbon storage, fish and wildlife habitat and recreation. They met with policy makers to help shape During the past decade, under the leadership of President policies that would bring these ideas to fruition. Mark Welther, RFFI has improved the ecology and economy, while supporting social equity in the redwood One successful policy change was the creation of region. Our work simultaneously addresses climate California’s carbon credit program. In 2006, the State of disruption, forest resilience, drought and prevention of California enacted AB32, the “Global Warming Solutions catastrophic forest fires. RFFI owns the Usal Forest through Act.” This law empowered the California Air Resources its subsidiary, Usal Redwood Forest Company (URFC), Board to create a market-driven system to reduce led by Chief Forester Linwood Gill. We have completed California’s carbon dioxide emissions, an act that led to the $5,000,000 of forest and watershed restoration in two state’s pioneering, cap-and-trade climate action program. major watersheds, including northern California’s most AB 32’s goal was to reduce carbon emissions in CA to the significant salmon-bearing streams. Since 2007, we have 1990-level by the year 2020. In 2017, AB32 was extended removed silt-producing roads, improved salmon habitat, to 2030 with a mandate to reduce carbon emissions an additional 40% below 1990-levels by 2030. In 2007, RFFI purchased the Usal Redwood Forest in northern California. With an environmental loan from the Bank of America, they now owned and sustainably manage a 50,000-acre forest that is almost twice the size of the city of San Francisco, establishing the largest working community forest in California, and perhaps the nation. In 2020, RFFI is now embarking on a second forest purchase, the Reist Ranch. (rffi.org/ReistRanch). From the outset, Bank of America cast this loan as an investment aimed at addressing climate change. RFFI © Mitzi Rider, Photographer RFFI’s Usal Redwood Forest forestry staff; l-r: Karen Youngblood, Linwood protected the land with a conservation easement, assuring Gill, Travis Munoz, Joaquin Quintana, absent Jeff Houser. it will remain an unfragmented, sustainably managed continued on page 19 www.dveaglealliance.org 18 Nature’s Newsletter continued from page 18 REDWOOD FORESTS C L I M A T E C H A M P I O N S LEFT: Biochar machine.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Timber Cruising Products and Standards Guide
    Michigan Department of Natural Resources www.michigan.gov/dnr PRODUCT STANDARDS AND CRUISING MANUAL Forest Resources Division IC4057 (01/18/2021) TABLE OF CONTENTS Product Standards ................................................................................................................................................1 Species .............................................................................................................................................................1 Diameter at Breast Height (DBH) ......................................................................................................................1 Products ................................................................................................................................................................5 Pulpwood ..........................................................................................................................................................5 Sawlogs .............................................................................................................................................................8 Log Rule ...............................................................................................................................................................9 Height Measurements .....................................................................................................................................15 Cruising Standards .............................................................................................................................................17
    [Show full text]
  • Simulations of Snag Dynamics in an Industrial Douglas-Fir Forest
    Forest Ecology and Management 174 (2003) 521–539 Simulations of snag dynamics in an industrial Douglas-fir forest George F. Wilhere* Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, Wildlife Program, 600 Capitol Way North, Olympia, WA 98501, USA Received 24 September 2001 Abstract Industrial silviculture is known to reduce snag density, but snag dynamics in industrial forests are poorly understood. I developed a simulation model that integrated a snag model and a well-known forest growth model, the forest vegetation simulator (FVS). A new snag model was developed by averaging the outputs of four independently created snag models. The four models were for Douglas-fir snags in forests west of the Cascade Crest in Oregon, Washington, and British Columbia. Forest growth and snag dynamics were simulated under a typical silvicultural regime and current occupational safety and environmental regulations. The results indicate that management practices like those simulated yield: (1) small and medium diameter snags at moderate densities (20 snags per hectare (sph)) for short periods of time (5–10 years); (2) a snag population with high temporal variation fluctuating between 4.2 and 22.5 sph; (3) mean densities of small, medium, and large snags equal to approximately 3.9, 6.2, and 0.1 sph/decade; and (4) a soft snag density of 0.1 sph/decade. Snag recruitment curves generated through simulations showed that to increase mean snag density per decade by 1 sph, the number of snags retained must be increased by about 1.4 sph. The mean density of snags per decade produced under the typical silvicultural regime was projected to be about 20% that found in unmanaged stands.
    [Show full text]
  • TB877 Dynamics of Coarse Woody Debris in North American Forests: A
    NATIONAL COUNCIL FOR AIR AND STREAM IMPROVEMENT DYNAMICS OF COARSE WOODY DEBRIS IN NORTH AMERICAN FORESTS: A LITERATURE REVIEW TECHNICAL BULLETIN NO. 877 MAY 2004 by Gregory Zimmerman, Ph.D. Lake Superior State University Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan Acknowledgments This review was prepared by Dr. Gregory Zimmerman of Lake Superior State University. Dr. T. Bently Wigley coordinated NCASI involvement. For more information about this research, contact: T. Bently Wigley, Ph.D. Alan Lucier, Ph.D. NCASI Senior Vice President P.O. Box 340362 NCASI Clemson, SC 29634-0362 P.O. Box 13318 864-656-0840 Research Triangle Park, NC 27709-3318 [email protected] (919) 941-6403 [email protected] For information about NCASI publications, contact: Publications Coordinator NCASI P.O. Box 13318 Research Triangle Park, NC 27709-3318 (919) 941-6400 [email protected] National Council for Air and Stream Improvement, Inc. (NCASI). 2004. Dynamics of coarse woody debris in North American forests: A literature review. Technical Bulletin No. 877. Research Triangle Park, N.C.: National Council for Air and Stream Improvement, Inc. © 2004 by the National Council for Air and Stream Improvement, Inc. serving the environmental research needs of the forest products industry since 1943 PRESIDENT’S NOTE In sustainable forestry programs, managers consider many ecosystem components when developing, implementing, and monitoring forest management activities. Even though snags, downed logs, and stumps have little economic value, they perform important ecological functions, and many species of vertebrate and invertebrate fauna are associated with this coarse woody debris (CWD). Because of the ecological importance of CWD, some state forestry agencies have promulgated guidance for minimum amounts to retain in harvested stands.
    [Show full text]
  • Fall Rates of Snags: a Summary of the Literature for California Conifer Species (NE-SPR-07-01)
    Forest Health Protection Northeastern California Shared Services Area 2550 Riverside Drive, Susanville, CA 96130 Sheri L. Smith Daniel R. Cluck Supervisory Entomologist Entomologist [email protected] [email protected] 530-252-6667 530-252-6431 Fall Rates of Snags: A Summary of the literature for California conifer species (NE-SPR-07-01) Daniel R. Cluck and Sheri L. Smith Introduction Snags are an important component of a healthy forest, providing foraging and nesting habitat for many birds and mammals. However, excessive tree mortality caused by drought, insects, disease or wildfire can lead to increased surface and ladder fuels as the resulting snags fall over time. Therefore, land managers are often required to balance the needs of wildlife species, by retaining a minimum density of snags, with the need to keep fuels at manageable levels. Knowing how many snags exist in a given area is only part of the information required to meet management objectives. Other information, such as snag recruitment rates and fall rates, are essential to projecting and maintaining a specific snag density over time. Snag recruitment rates are often related to stand density with denser stands experiencing higher levels of mortality due to inter tree competition for limited resources and consequent insect and disease activity. However, episodic events such as wildfires and prolonged droughts which typically result in increases in bark beetle-related tree mortality can create pulses of snags on the landscape. The species and size classes of snags created during these events are mostly determined by the existing component of live trees within the stand.
    [Show full text]
  • The Role of Fire-Return Interval and Season of Burn in Snag Dynamics in a South Florida Slash Pine Forest
    Fire Ecology Volume 8, Issue 3, 2012 Lloyd et al.: Fire Regime and the Dynamics of Snag Populations doi: 10.4996/fireecology.0803018 Page 18 RESEARCH ARTICLE THE ROLE OF FIRE-RETURN INTERVAL AND SEASON OF BURN IN SNAG DYNAMICS IN A SOUTH FLORIDA SLASH PINE FOREST John D. Lloyd1*, Gary L. Slater2, and James R. Snyder3 1 Ecostudies Institute, 15 Mine Road, South Strafford, Vermont 05070, USA 2 Ecostudies Institute, 73 Carmel Avenue, Mt. Vernon, Washington 98273, USA 3 United States Geological Survey, Southeast Ecological Science Center, Big Cypress National Preserve Field Station, 33100 Tamiami Trail East, Ochopee, Florida 34141, USA * Corresponding author: Tel.: 001-971-645-5463; e-mail: [email protected] ABSTRACT Standing dead trees, or snags, are an important habitat element for many animal species. In many ecosystems, fire is a primary driver of snag population dynamics because it can both create and consume snags. The objective of this study was to examine how variation in two key components of the fire regime—fire-return interval and season of burn—af- fected population dynamics of snags. Using a factorial design, we exposed 1 ha plots, lo- cated within larger burn units in a south Florida slash pine (Pinus elliottii var. densa Little and Dorman) forest, to prescribed fire applied at two intervals (approximately 3-year in- tervals vs. approximately 6-year intervals) and during two seasons (wet season vs. dry season) over a 12- to 13-year period. We found no consistent effect of fire season or fre- quency on the density of lightly to moderately decayed or heavily decayed snags, suggest- ing that variation in these elements of the fire regime at the scale we considered is rela- tively unimportant in the dynamics of snag populations.
    [Show full text]
  • Comparisons of Coarse Woody Debris in Northern Michigan Forests by Sampling Method and Stand Type
    Comparisons of Coarse Woody Debris in Northern Michigan Forests by Sampling Method and Stand Type Prepared By: Michael J. Monfils 1, Christopher R. Weber 1, Michael A. Kost 1, Michael L. Donovan 2, Patrick W. Brown 1 1Michigan Natural Features Inventory Michigan State University Extension P.O. Box 30444 Lansing, MI 48909-7944 Prepared For: 2Michigan Department of Natural Resources Wildlife Division MNFI Report Number 2009-12 Suggested Citation: Monfils, M. J., C. R. Weber, M. A. Kost, M. L. Donovan, and P. W. Brown. 2009. Comparisons of coarse woody debris in northern Michigan forests by sampling method and stand type. Michigan Natural Features Inventory, Report Number 2009-12, Lansing, MI. Copyright 2009 Michigan State University Board of Trustees. Michigan State University Extension programs and materials are open to all without regard to race, color, national origin, gender, religion, age, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, marital status, or family status. Cover photographs by Christoper R. Weber. TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................................................... 1 STUDY AREA ................................................................................................................................ 2 METHODS...................................................................................................................................... 4 Field Sampling .........................................................................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • Snag a Home FOREST ACTIVITIES
    Section 4 Snag a Home FOREST ACTIVITIES Grade Level: 5 - 12 NGSS: 5-LS2-1, MS-LS2-2., MS-LS2- 3.,HS-LS2-4 Subjects: Science, social studies Skills: Observing, inferring, predict- ing Duration: 50-100 minutes Group Size: Small or individuals Setting: Outdoors & indoors Vocabulary: Detritivores, food webs, habitat, photosynthesis, predator, prey, snags Objective: 1. IN CLASS, discuss the concept of habitat and remind Students will look for evidence that dead trees are habitat students that forests can provide habitat even when some for forest wildlife. trees are dead. At what stages in forest succession are snags present? (Coastal rainforest — in regrowth after floods, Complementary Activities: avalanches, timber harvest, beetle kills, or other disturbance; OUTDOOR: “Fungi,” “Detritivores,“ “Bird Signs,” and also in old-growth stage. Boreal forest – in regrowth after fire, “Animal Signs,” all in Section 2, Ecosystems; “Bird Song shrub thicket stage, and in old growth stage.) Tag” in Section 3, Forest Learning Trail. INDOOR: “Forest Food Web Game” in Section 2, Ecosystems; and “Animal 2. Students will use their detective skills to find as many Adaptations for Succession” in this section. signs as possible of wildlife living in snags and fallen trees. Ask them to be on the lookout for links in the forest food Materials: web. Clipboards and writing paper or field note books, pencils or pens for each student. Hand lens; field guide such as Peterson 3. Give each student or group the “Snag a Home Science Field Guides: Ecology of Western Forests. Copies of “Snag a Card.” Home Science Card” (following). Classroom Follow-Up: Background: 1.
    [Show full text]
  • The Relationship Between Cavity-Nesting Birds and Snags on Clearcuts in Western Oregon
    Forest EcologyandManagement, 50 ( 1992) 299-316 299 Elsevier Science Publishers B.V., Amsterdam The relationship between cavity-nesting birds and snags on clearcuts in western Oregon B. Schreiber” and D.S. deCalestab a30584 Oakview Dr. Corvallis. OR, USA bDepartment ofForest Science, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, USA (Accepted 3 June 1991) ABSTRACT Schreiber, B. and decalesta, D.S., 1992. The relationship between cavity-nesting birds and snags on clearcuts in western Oregon. For. Ecol. Manage., 50: 299-3 16. Relationships between cavity-nesting birds (CNB) and density and characteristics of snags were investigated on 13 clearcuts in central coastal Oregon. Species richness and density of CNB were positively (PcO.05) related to snag density and were still increasing at the maximum snag density evaluated. Cavity-nesting birds selected (PC 0.05) snags taller than 6.4 m and greater than 78-102 cm in diameter, and avoided (PeO.05) snags less than 28 cm in diameter. Snags of intermediate decay stages were used for nesting more (PC 0.05) than snags of early and advanced stages of decay. Cavity-nesting birds selected snags with more (P<O.O5) bark cover (greater than 11%) than the average cover found on available snags. Individual CNB species eL.ibi:id significantly different (PcO.05) selections for snag height, diameter, hardness and bark cover. To optimize density and richness of CNB, forest managers should provide 2 14 snags ha-’ between 28 and 128 cm diameter at breast height (dbh), between 6.4 and 25 m tall, with at least 10% bark cover, and with a majority in hardness stages 3 and 4.
    [Show full text]
  • Tree Data (TD) Sampling Method
    Tree Data (TD) Sampling Method Robert E. Keane SUMMARY The Tree Data (TD) methods are used to sample individual live and dead trees on a fixed-area plot to estimate tree density, size, and age class distributions before and after fire in order to assess tree survival and mortality rates. This method can also be used to sample individual shrubs if they are over 4.5 ft tall. When trees are larger than the user-specified breakpoint diameter the following are recorded: diameter at breast height, height, age, growth rate, crown length, insect/disease/abiotic damage, crown scorch height, and bole char height. Trees less than breakpoint diameter and taller than 4.5 ft are tallied by species-diameter-status class. Trees less than 4.5 ft tall are tallied by species-height-status class and sampled on a subplot within the macroplot. Snag measurements are made on a snag plot that is usually larger than the macroplot. Snag characteristics include species, height, decay class, and cause of mortality. INTRODUCTION The Tree Data (TD) methods were designed to measure important characteristics about individual trees so that tree populations can be quantitatively described by various dimensional and structural classes before and after fires. This method uses a fixed area plot sampling approach to sample all trees that are within the boundaries of a circular plot (called a macroplot) and that are above a user-specified diameter at breast height (called the breakpoint diameter). All trees or shrubs below the breakpoint diameter are recorded by species-height-status class or species-diameter-status class, depending on tree height.
    [Show full text]
  • Tree Size and Species Influence Snag Retention Following Severe Wildfire In
    Extending forest restoration to post-fire management: opportunities and challenges Dave W. Peterson USDA Forest Service Pacific Northwest Research Station Wenatchee, WA [email protected] Most of the discussion about dry forest restoration goes like… Decades of fire exclusion and forest management have changed forest structure, fuels, and fire We need widespread forest restoration to make forests more resilient to fire and other disturbances Thinning and prescribed fire are the primary tools Hard to treat and maintain enough dry forests Forest restoration objectives Create forest landscapes in which fire can occur without devastating consequences (Reinhardt et al. 2008) – Create and maintain fuel beds that support wildfires consistent with natural fire regime – Manage fire intensity and severity (impacts), not frequency, size, or ease of suppression Restore diverse landscapes that are resistant and resilient to current and future stressors (Hessburg et al. (2016) Principles for restoring fire- resistant (resilient) forests Reduce surface fuels Increase height to live crown Decrease crown density Keep big trees of Source: Agee and Skinner, 2005 fire-resistant species But what happens when bad things happen to good forests… Large wildfires don’t always wait for restoration treatments to be completed And sometime weather trumps restoration! We end up with lots of dead trees, burned soils, altered wildlife habitat, and unused planning documents What do we do now? Declare victory and go home. – Fire has reintroduced itself to the ecosystem. – Repair fire suppression damage and walk away. – Let Nature take care of things. Accept defeat and move on to greener forests. – Fire destroyed the forest we wanted to save.
    [Show full text]
  • Toward Meaningful Snag-Management Guidelines for Postfire Salvage Logging in North American Conifer Forests
    Toward Meaningful Snag-Management Guidelines for Postfire Salvage Logging in North American Conifer Forests RICHARD L. HUTTO Avian Science Center, Division of Biological Sciences, University of Montana, Missoula, MT 59812, U.S.A, email [email protected] Abstract: The bird species in western North America that are most restricted to, and therefore most dependent on, severely burned conifer forests during the first years following a fire event depend heavily on the abundant standing snags for perch sites, nest sites, and food resources. Thus, it is critical to develop and apply appropriate snag-management guidelines to implement postfire timber harvest operations in the same locations. Unfortu- nately, existing guidelines designed for green-tree forests cannot be applied to postfire salvage sales because the snag needs of snag-dependent species in burned forests are not at all similar to the snag needs of snag-dependent species in green-tree forests. Birds in burned forests have very different snag-retention needs from those cavity- nesting bird species that have served as the focus for the development of existing snag-management guidelines. Specifically, many postfire specialists use standing dead trees not only for nesting purposes but for feeding purposes as well. Woodpeckers, in particular, specialize on wood-boring beetle larvae that are superabundant in fire-killed trees for several years following severe fire. Species such as the Black-backed Woodpecker (Picoides arcticus) are nearly restricted in their habitat distribution to severely burned forests. Moreover, existing postfire salvage-logging studies reveal that most postfire specialist species are completely absent from burned forests that have been (even partially) salvage logged.
    [Show full text]
  • Persistence of Fire-Killed Conifer Snags in California, USA Lindsay M
    Grayson et al. Fire Ecology (2019) 15:1 Fire Ecology https://doi.org/10.1186/s42408-018-0007-7 ORIGINAL RESEARCH Open Access Persistence of fire-killed conifer snags in California, USA Lindsay M. Grayson1, Daniel R. Cluck2 and Sharon M. Hood1* Abstract Background: Coarse woody debris has numerous functions in forest ecosystems, including wildlife habitat, fuel loading, and nutrient cycling. Standing dead trees, or snags, are particularly important resources for wildlife, and guidelines for snag recruitment and retention are integral parts of forest management. However, snag persistence is not well understood and existing models are poorly validated. We monitored fire-killed conifer snag persistence after four California wildfires and one prescribed fire. Species sampled included white fir (Abies concolor [Gord. & Glend.] Lindl. ex Hildebr.), incense-cedar (Calocedrus decurrens [Torr.] Florin), Jeffrey pine (Pinus jeffreyi [Balf.]), sugar pine (Pinus lambertiana Douglas), and ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa Lawson & C. Lawson var. ponderosa C. Lawson). Results: Fire-injured trees that survived at least one year post fire were monitored for 10 years after they died. We developed two sets of species-specific snag persistence rates: a simplified model based only on time since death, and a full model that included tree characteristics. The primary factors affecting persistence rates in all models were snag age (years since death) and species. Secondary factors included diameter at breast height, time between fire and tree death, and crown injury. Snag persistence rates decreased with snag age. Yellow pine snags (a combined group of ponderosa pine and Jeffrey pine) fell significantly faster than any other species. Larger-diametersnagspersistedlongerthansmaller-diametersnagsforallspecies.Incense-cedartreesthat survived longer post fire persisted longer as snags.
    [Show full text]