Using historical aerial imagery to assess non-conifer vegetation type change under fire exclusion

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Using historical aerial imagery to assess non-conifer vegetation type change under fire exclusion

Although vegetation types other than conifer forests make up the majority of burned area in California wildfires, relatively few studies quantify the drivers and patterns of vegetation change in these ecosystems. The impacts of fire exclusion on non-conifer systems remain poorly understood, and the relative influence of fuels compared to factors like climate change or type conversion on fire behavior is largely unknown. To address this knowledge gap, the authors investigated large-scale vegetation change as a possible driver of current trends in fire behavior within mixed-hardwood and shrub-dominated ecosystems in central and coastal Northern California.

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Managing fuel profiles in high severity burns: Research Brief

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Managing fuel profiles in high severity burns: Research Brief

This study measured wildland fuels (shrubs, downed logs, and fine woody debris) eleven years after high-severity fire converted a Sierra mixed-conifer forest to shrub-dominant vegetation. The findings of this study suggest that site preparation and vegetation control is an effective tool to reduce fuel loads and continuity of live and downed woody fuels in early seral environments created by high-severity fire.

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Roles of NGOs in wildfire relief and recovery: Research Brief

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Roles of NGOs in wildfire relief and recovery: Research Brief

Local non-governmental organizations (NGOs) play important roles in community wildfire relief and recovery. This paper identifies challenges and opportunities for local NGOs involved in wildfire recovery drawing on three case studies from recent wildfires in Northern California.

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Using pyrosilviculture to make forests inclusive of fire at larger scales: Research Brief

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Using pyrosilviculture to make forests inclusive of fire at larger scales: Research Brief

This paper suggests pyrosilviculture, a combination of mechanical treatments and prescribed fire and/or managed wildfire, can be used strategically to modify future wildfires at larger spatial scales.

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Burn weather and fuel structure help to determine post-fire tree mortality: Research Brief

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Burn weather and fuel structure help to determine post-fire tree mortality: Research Brief

Understanding post-fire tree mortality is important for planning restoration fire treatments that modify fire behavior and effects and models that reflect multiple spatial and temporal scales are effective tools.

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Post-fire Restoration Framework for California’s National Forests: Research Brief

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Post-fire Restoration Framework for California’s National Forests: Research Brief

Restoration of landscapes affected by uncharacteristically large and severe wildfires in California requires a science-based framework to address a complexity of issues and concerns. The authors describe a set of ecological restoration principles, a landscape assessment process, and a framework for decision-making to plan and implement restoration projects.

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Fire-caused Vegetation Type Conversion in California: A Workshop Summary

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Fire-caused Vegetation Type Conversion in California: A Workshop Summary

In December 2019, partners from the U.S. Geological Survey, University of Arizona, and EcoAdapt hosted a two-day workshop in Sacramento, California, to discuss observations of and management options for fire-caused vegetation type conversion (VTC). A summary of this workshop and a call for resources (through 2021) are included in this summary.

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Prioritizing planting effort and heterogeneity in reforestation: Research Brief

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Prioritizing planting effort and heterogeneity in reforestation: Research Brief

In light of climatic trends, historic fire suppression, increasing incidence of large wildfires, and shrinking budgets, the authors propose a planting strategy that prioritizes accessibility, while reducing efforts within the dispersal range of seed trees and in areas with a high cost to probability-of-success ratio.

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Private landowners in California face loss and choose to reforest after high-severity wildfire: Research Brief

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Private landowners in California face loss and choose to reforest after high-severity wildfire: Research Brief

This brief summarizes qualitative interviews to examine landowner responses to a reforestation program following a devastating wildfire in the central Sierra Nevada.

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How can managers consider bumble bees during post-fire management? Research Brief

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How can managers consider bumble bees during post-fire management? Research Brief

Bumble bees are important pollinators of native plant species. This brief provides information that can support managers in making nuanced decisions to benefit bumble bees during post-fire management.

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Shrub control associated with reforestation in high-severity burn areas promotes understory diversity: Research Brief

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Shrub control associated with reforestation in high-severity burn areas promotes understory diversity: Research Brief

Bohlman et al. conducted a study looking at the effects of post-fire reforestation on understory plant species richness and composition, as well as stand structure. Three different aged fires were selected to assess the role of time since fire on the different stand components.

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Influence of post-fire vegetation and fuels on fire severity patterns in reburns: Research Brief

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Influence of post-fire vegetation and fuels on fire severity patterns in reburns: Research Brief

Results from a 2016 study by Coppoletta and others suggests that in areas where fire regimes and forest structure have been dramatically altered, contemporary fires have the potential to set forests on a positive feedback trajectory with successive reburns, one in which extensive stand-replacing fire could promote more stand-replacing fire.

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Longer-term post fire vegetation dynamics and predicted invasive species habitat suitability: Presentation PDF

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Presented at the Mojave Desert Fire Science and Management Workshop. Barstow, CA 2014.
This presentation explains the use and implication of utilizing modeling tools to predict invasive species distribution after a fire. 
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Effectiveness of post-fire aerial seedings in the Northeastern Mojave Desert: Presentation PDF

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This presentation was given at the Mojave Desert Fire Science and Management Workshop. Barstow, CA 2014.

Results from multiple studies on seeding in the Mojave Desert are presented in this presentation. 

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Assessing postfire conditions in Spain and the Mediterranean: Presentation

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Presentation from the June 2013 Chaparral Restoration Workshop in Arcadia, CA 

This presentation shows detailed examples of the types of activities done in Spain and Mediterranean following a fire to restore the desired ecological conditions and values. Factors that go into the restoration decision process and desired outcomes are also discussed. 

Presenter: V. Ramón Vallejo, University of Barcelona & CEAM-Valencia.
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Assessing post-fire conditions: Burned Area Emergency Response: Presentation

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Presentation from the June 2013 Chaparral Restoration Workshop in Arcadia, CA

This presentation discusses the different types of post-Fire rehabilitation on federal lands: 1) Suppression rehabilitation;  2) Emergency stabilization (a.k.a. BAER) 3) Rehabilitation & restoration. For each, examples of management actions, responsibilities, and costs are noted. 

Presenter: Jan Beyers, USFS Pacific Southwest Research Station. 
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Attempting Restoration on the Angeles National Forest: Presentation

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Presentation from the June 2013 Chaparral Restoration Workshop in Arcadia, CA.

Follow the restoration process in this step-by-step, highly visual story from the Angeles National Forest. This post-fire restoration story discusses challenges including invasive species, environmental conditions, and more. 

Presenter: Katie VinZant, USFS Botanist.
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Erosion and Physical Ecosystem Services in Chaparral: Recorded Presentation

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Presented at the 2nd Annual Southern Chaparral Symposium, 2015. This presentation covers a wide range of potential impacts and considerations for erosion in chaparral ecosystems. Topics include hill and stream erosion processes, post-fire erosion and impacts to ecosystem services caused by erosion. 

Presenter: Pete Wohlgemuth


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Water quality and quantity in chaparral region streams: Recorded Presentation

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Presented at the 2nd Annual Southern Chaparral Symposium, 2015. Watersheds in chaparral regions have many potential impacts from events like fire, climate, human-use, and invasive species. These impacts are explained in detail in this presentation and opportunities to address them are presented. 

Presenter: Chris Solek
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