After the Burn Assessing and Managing Your Forestland After a Wildfi re Station Bulletin No. 76 August, 2006 By Yvonne C. Barkley Idaho Forest, Wildlife and Range Experiment Station Moscow, Idaho Director Steven B. Daley Laursen Acknowledgements After the Burn was written by Yvonne C. Barkley, Associate Extension Forester, University of Idaho Extension. Special thanks to the following people for their professional review of this publication: Steve Cook, Associate Professor - Forest Entomology, University of Idaho, Moscow, ID Deb Dumroese, Research Soil Scientist: Project Leader, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Moscow, ID Gregg DeNitto, Forest Health Protection: Group Leader, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Missoula, MT Dennis Ferguson, Research Scientist, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Moscow, ID Mary Fritz, Private Forestry Specialist, Idaho Department of Lands, Orofi no, ID Frank Gariglio, State Forester, Natural Resource Conservation Service, Lewiston, ID Nick Gerhardt, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Nez Perce National Forest, Grangeville, ID Terrie Jain, Silviculturist, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Moscow, ID Tim Kennedy, Private Forestry Specialist, Idaho Department of Lands, Boise, ID Brian Kummet, Fee Lands Forester, Nez Perce Tribal Forestry, Lapwai, ID Ron Mahoney, Professor and Extension Forester, University of Idaho, Moscow, ID Marci Nielsen-Gerhardt, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Nez Perce National Forest, Grangeville, ID Jeff Olson, Associate Director, Publications, University Communications & Marketing, University of Idaho, Mosocw, ID Kerry Overton, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Boise, ID David Powell, Silviculturist, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Umatilla National Forest, Pendleton, OR Peter R. Robichaud, Research Engineer, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Moscow, ID Sue Rodman, Forester, Anchorage Fire Department, Anchorage, AK Bruce Sims, Regional Hydrologist, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Missoula, MT Mark Story, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Gallatin National Forest, Boseman, MT Pamela Town, Private Wildlife Consultant, Anaconda, MT Jill Wilson, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Panhandle National Forest, Coeur d’Alene, ID Photography: Special thanks to Karen Wattenmaker Photography, Wison, WY for her generous support. Cover photo: Karen Wattenmaker Design and Production: Beth Case, University of Idaho, Creative Services This publication was supported by a grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service and by the Renewable Resource Extension Act (RREA). Table of Contents Introduction .............................................................3 Fire & Wildlife ..........................................................18 The Inland Northwest .......................................................................3 Mortality .................................................................................................. 18 Moist Forests ...........................................................................................4 Habitat Modifi cation ........................................................................ 18 Cold Forests ............................................................................................4 Invertebrates ........................................................................................ 19 Dry Forests ..............................................................................................5 Fire & Soils .............................................................. 20 Fire in the Forest ......................................................6 Physical Changes ................................................................................ 20 Fire-Based Ecosystems ......................................................................6 Chemical Changes ............................................................................ 21 Fire Regimes ............................................................................................7 Biological Changes ............................................................................ 22 Fire Suppression ....................................................................................8 Productivity ........................................................................................... 22 Fire Mechanics & Behavior ......................................9 Fire & Watersheds ................................................. 23 Wildland Fuels ........................................................................................9 The Hydrologic Cycle ..................................................................... 23 Conduction, Radiation & Convection ................................... 10 Erosion ..................................................................................................... 24 Climate .................................................................................................... 11 Fire & Aquatic Environments .............................. 26 Topography .......................................................................................... 11 Pulse Disturbances ............................................................................ 26 Fuel Volatility ........................................................................................ 11 Channel Erosion & Sedimentation .......................................... 27 Stages & Types of Wildfi res ........................................................ 12 Nutrients, Dissolved Oxygen Fire & Vegetation ...................................................13 & Temperature ............................................................................ 27 Adaptive Traits .................................................................................... 13 Large Woody Debris ...................................................................... 27 Plant Mortality ..................................................................................... 13 After the Burn ....................................................... 28 Fire & Vegetative Regeneration ................................................ 15 Damages vs. Benefi ts ....................................................................... 28 Fire & Plant Reproduction ............................................................ 16 Emergency Rehabilitiation Treatments ................................. 29 Postfi re Plant Communities ......................................................... 17 Assessment ........................................................................................... 29 (continued on next page) 1 Table of Contents (continued) Postfi re Assessment ..............................................31 Appendix I – Using Individual Tree General Information ........................................................................ 31 Characteristics to Predict Mortality .................. 50 Unit Evaluation .................................................................................... 33 Ponderosa pine ................................................................................... 50 Postfi re Management ...........................................37 Western larch ...................................................................................... 52 Salvage Logging ................................................................................... 37 Douglas-fi r ............................................................................................. 53 Bark beetles .................................................................................... 38 Grand fi r ................................................................................................. 54 Fungi ................................................................................................... 39 Lodgepole pine ................................................................................... 55 Other Forms of Deterioration ............................................ 40 Engelmann spruce ............................................................................. 56 Rates of Deterioration ............................................................. 40 Subalpine fi r .......................................................................................... 57 Reforestation ........................................................................................ 41 Western white pine ......................................................................... 58 Species Selection ......................................................................... 42 Western redcedar ............................................................................ 59 Type of Stock ................................................................................ 43 Western hemlock ............................................................................. 60 Number of Trees Needed .................................................... 43 Quaking aspen .................................................................................... 60 Ordering Trees ............................................................................ 43 Appendix II – Erosion Control .............................. 62 Site Preparation ..........................................................................