Southwestern ponderosa forest structure: changes since Euro-American settlement.

doi:10.1093/JOF/92.1.39

Journal Article•DOI•

Southwestern ponderosa forest structure: changes since Euro-American settlement.

W. Wallace Covington¹, Margaret M. Moore¹•Institutions (1)

01 Jan 1994-Journal of Forestry (Oxford Academic)-Vol. 92, Iss: 1, pp 39-47

About: This article is published in Journal of Forestry.The article was published on 1994-01-01 and is currently open access. It has received 801 citations till now. The article focuses on the topics: Secondary forest & Settlement (structural).

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Journal Article•DOI•

Fire as a global 'herbivore': the ecology and evolution of flammable ecosystems.

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William J. Bond¹, Jon E. Keeley², Jon E. Keeley³•Institutions (3)

University of Cape Town¹, University of California, Los Angeles², United States Geological Survey³

01 Jul 2005-Trends in Ecology and Evolution

TL;DR: The recent literature is reviewed, drawing parallels between fire and herbivores as alternative consumers of vegetation, and pointing to the common questions and some surprisingly different answers that emerge from viewing fire as a globally significant consumer that is analogous to herbivory.

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Abstract: It is difficult to find references to fire in general textbooks on ecology, conservation biology or biogeography, in spite of the fact that large parts of the world burn on a regular basis, and that there is a considerable literature on the ecology of fire and its use for managing ecosystems. Fire has been burning ecosystems for hundreds of millions of years, helping to shape global biome distribution and to maintain the structure and function of fire-prone communities. Fire is also a significant evolutionary force, and is one of the first tools that humans used to re-shape their world. Here, we review the recent literature, drawing parallels between fire and herbivores as alternative consumers of vegetation. We point to the common questions, and some surprisingly different answers, that emerge from viewing fire as a globally significant consumer that is analogous to herbivory.

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1,942 citations

Cites background from "Southwestern ponderosa forest struc..."

...However, primary productivity in conifer forests is lower than in mesic savannas owing to their greater aridity and this translates into lower fire frequency, lower fire intensity and greater heterogeneity in ‘feeding patterns’ of the fire [ 22 ]....
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Journal Article•DOI•

Applied historical ecology: using the past to manage for the future

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Thomas W. Swetnam¹, Craig D. Allen², Julio L. Betancourt²•Institutions (2)

University of Arizona¹, United States Geological Survey²

01 Nov 1999-Ecological Applications

TL;DR: A montane grassland restoration project in northern New Mexico is described that was justified and guided by an historical sequence of aerial photographs showing progressive tree invasion during the 20th century, and a south- western network of fire histories illustrates the power of aggregating historical time series across spatial scales.

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Abstract: Applied historical ecology is the use of historical knowledge in the man- agement of ecosystems. Historical perspectives increase our understanding of the dynamic nature of landscapes and provide a frame of reference for assessing modern patterns and processes. Historical records, however, are often too brief or fragmentary to be useful, or they are not obtainable for the process or structure of interest. Even where long historical time series can be assembled, selection of appropriate reference conditions may be com- plicated by the past influence of humans and the many potential reference conditions encompassed by nonequilibrium dynamics. These complications, however, do not lessen the value of history; rather they underscore the need for multiple, comparative histories from many locations for evaluating both cultural and natural causes of variability, as well as for characterizing the overall dynamical properties of ecosystems. Historical knowledge may not simplify the task of setting management goals and making decisions, but 20th century trends, such as increasingly severe wildfires, suggest that disregarding history can be perilous. We describe examples from our research in the southwestern United States to illustrate some of the values and limitations of applied historical ecology. Paleoecological data from packrat middens and other natural archives have been useful for defining baseline conditions of vegetation communities, determining histories and rates of species range expansions and contractions, and discriminating between natural and cultural causes of environmental change. We describe a montane grassland restoration project in northern New Mexico that was justified and guided by an historical sequence of aerial photographs showing progressive tree invasion during the 20th century. Likewise, fire scar chronologies have been widely used to justify and guide fuel reduction and natural fire reintroduction in forests. A south- western network of fire histories illustrates the power of aggregating historical time series across spatial scales. Regional fire patterns evident in these aggregations point to the key role of interannual lags in responses of fuels and fire regimes to the El Nino-Southern Oscillation (wet/dry cycles), with important implications for long-range fire hazard fore- casting. These examples of applied historical ecology emphasize that detection and expla- nation of historical trends and variability are essential to informed management.

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1,372 citations

Cites background from "Southwestern ponderosa forest struc..."

...These thickets are now a key factor contributing to catastrophic, stand-replacing fires in some areas (Covington and Moore 1994)....
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...In the Southwest, there is no better example than blanket acceptance that grazing and fire suppression triggered wholesale encroachment of trees and shrubs into rangelands (Archer 1994) and higher stem densities across woodlands and forests (Covington and Moore 1994)....
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...Other historical data supporting this interpretation include forest age structure and stand density reconstructions from dendrochronology, repeat photographs, historical writings, and early land survey records (Covington and Moore 1994)....
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...9, No. 4 lous, dense stands of dog hair thickets (Covington and Moore 1994, Fulé et al. 1997)....
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Journal Article•DOI•

Disturbance and landscape dynamics in a changing world

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Monica G. Turner¹•Institutions (1)

University of Wisconsin-Madison¹

01 Oct 2010-Ecology

TL;DR: This paper synthesizes current understanding of disturbance with an emphasis on fundamental contributions to contemporary landscape and ecosystem ecology, then identifies future research priorities and addresses questions related to disturbances as catalysts of rapid ecological change.

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Abstract: Disturbance regimes are changing rapidly, and the consequences of such changes for ecosystems and linked social-ecological systems will be profound. This paper synthesizes current understanding of disturbance with an emphasis on fundamental contributions to contemporary landscape and ecosystem ecology, then identifies future research priorities. Studies of disturbance led to insights about heterogeneity, scale, and thresholds in space and time and catalyzed new paradigms in ecology. Because they create vegetation patterns, disturbances also establish spatial patterns of many ecosystem processes on the landscape. Drivers of global change will produce new spatial patterns, altered disturbance regimes, novel trajectories of change, and surprises. Future disturbances will continue to provide valuable opportunities for studying pattern-process interactions. Changing disturbance regimes will produce acute changes in ecosystems and ecosystem services over the short (years to decades) and long-term (centuries and beyond). Future research should address questions related to (1) disturbances as catalysts of rapid ecological change, (2) interactions among disturbances, (3) relationships between disturbance and society, especially the intersection of land use and disturbance, and (4) feedbacks from disturbance to other global drivers. Ecologists should make a renewed and concerted effort to understand and anticipate the causes and consequences of changing disturbance regimes.

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1,160 citations

Cites background from "Southwestern ponderosa forest struc..."

...Similarly, historic fire suppression in some forests (e.g., ponderosa pine) characterized by frequent, low-severity fires produced unnaturally high fuel loadings that increased the risk of high-severity fires (Covington and Moore 1994, Allen et al. 2002)....
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Journal Article•DOI•

Ecological restoration of southwestern ponderosa pine ecosystems: a broad perspective

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Craig D. Allen¹, Melissa Savage², Donald A. Falk³, Kieran Suckling⁴, Thomas W. Swetnam³, Todd Schulke⁴, Peter B. Stacey⁵, Penelope Morgan⁶, Martos Hoffman, Jon T. Klingel⁷ - Show less +6 more•Institutions (7)

United States Geological Survey¹, University of California, Los Angeles², University of Arizona³, Center for Biological Diversity⁴, University of New Mexico⁵, University of Idaho⁶, New Mexico Department of Game and Fish⁷

01 Oct 2002-Ecological Applications

TL;DR: A broad and flexible perspective on ecological restoration of Southwestern (U.S.) ponderosa pine forests has been discussed in this article, where the authors suggest principles for ecologically sound restoration that immediately reduce crown fire risk and incrementally return natural variability and resilience to Southwestern forests, and present ecological perspectives on several forest restoration approaches.

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Abstract: The purpose of this paper is to promote a broad and flexible perspective on ecological restoration of Southwestern (U.S.) ponderosa pine forests. Ponderosa pine forests in the region have been radically altered by Euro-American land uses, including livestock grazing, fire suppression, and logging. Dense thickets of young trees now abound, old- growth and biodiversity have declined, and human and ecological communities are in- creasingly vulnerable to destructive crown fires. A consensus has emerged that it is urgent to restore more natural conditions to these forests. Efforts to restore Southwestern forests will require extensive projects employing varying combinations of young-tree thinning and reintroduction of low-intensity fires. Treatments must be flexible enough to recognize and accommodate: high levels of natural heterogeneity; dynamic ecosystems; wildlife and other biodiversity considerations; scientific uncertainty; and the challenges of on-the-ground im- plementation. Ecological restoration should reset ecosystem trends toward an envelope of ''natural variability,'' including the reestablishment of natural processes. Reconstructed historic reference conditions are best used as general guides rather than rigid restoration prescriptions. In the long term, the best way to align forest conditions to track ongoing climate changes is to restore fire, which naturally correlates with current climate. Some stands need substantial structural manipulation (thinning) before fire can safely be reintro- duced. In other areas, such as large wilderness and roadless areas, fire alone may suffice as the main tool of ecological restoration, recreating the natural interaction of structure and process. Impatience, overreaction to crown fire risks, extractive economics, or hubris could lead to widespread application of highly intrusive treatments that may further damage forest ecosystems. Investments in research and monitoring of restoration treatments are essential to refine restoration methods. We support the development and implementation of a diverse range of scientifically viable restoration approaches in these forests, suggest principles for ecologically sound restoration that immediately reduce crown fire risk and incrementally return natural variability and resilience to Southwestern forests, and present ecological perspectives on several forest restoration approaches.

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936 citations

Cites background from "Southwestern ponderosa forest struc..."

...This condition now threatens the remaining large trees through competition and by fueling increasingly extensive crown fires (Covington and Moore 1994, Covington et al. 1994) as in ponderosa pine forests of other regions (Agee 1993, Everett et al. 1997, Smith and Arno 1999)....
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...Understory grasses and forbs have decreased in abundance and diversity (Covington and Moore 1994, Bogan et al. 1998), replaced by deep mats of slowly decomposing pine needles....
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...Only recently, however, has a broad scientific, social, and political consensus emerged that restoration of ecological sustainability in Southwestern ponderosa pine forests is necessary and urgent (Covington and Moore 1994, Covington et al. 1994, 1997, Suckling 1996, Nijhuis 1999)....
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...Incremental adjustment of ecosystems back within an envelope of natural range of variability should achieve this goal (Covington and Moore 1994, Holling and Meffe 1996, Stephenson 1999)....
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...A general consensus has emerged that it is urgent to restore more natural conditions to these forests, but substantial debate persists about how to best achieve this goal (Nijhuis 1999, Covington 2000, Kloor 2000, Jenkins 2001)....
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Journal Article•DOI•

Remote sensing techniques to assess active fire characteristics and post-fire effects

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Leigh B. Lentile¹, Zachary A. Holden¹, Alistair M. S. Smith¹, Michael J. Falkowski¹, Andrew T. Hudak², Penelope Morgan¹, Sarah A. Lewis², Paul E. Gessler¹, Nate Benson³ - Show less +5 more•Institutions (3)

University of Idaho¹, United States Forest Service², National Park Service³

26 Sep 2006-International Journal of Wildland Fire

TL;DR: In this article, a comprehensive review of current and potential remote sensing methods used to assess fire behavior and effects and ecological responses to fire is provided, as well as the potential and limitations of a variety of approaches for remotely measuring active fires and their post-fire ecological effects.

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Abstract: Space and airborne sensors have been used to map area burned, assess characteristics of active fires, and characterize post-fire ecological effects. Confusion about fire intensity, fire severity, burn severity, and related terms can result in the potential misuse of the inferred information by land managers and remote sensing practitioners who require unambiguous remote sensing products for fire management. The objective of the present paper is to provide a comprehensive review of current and potential remote sensing methods used to assess fire behavior and effects and ecological responses to fire. We clarify the terminology to facilitate development and interpretation of comprehensible and defensible remote sensing products, present the potential and limitations of a variety of approaches for remotely measuring active fires and their post-fire ecological effects, and discuss challenges and future directions of fire-related remote sensing research.

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806 citations

Cites background from "Southwestern ponderosa forest struc..."

...ical integrity (Covington and Moore 1994; Morgan et al. 2001), and can influence the rates and processes of ecologi-...
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...Fire is also important in the creation and maintenance of landscape structure, composition, function, and ecological integrity (Covington and Moore 1994; Morgan et al. 2001), and can influence the rates and processes of ecological succession and encroachment....
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Southwestern ponderosa forest structure: changes since Euro-American settlement.

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Cites background from "Southwestern ponderosa forest struc..."

Cites background from "Southwestern ponderosa forest struc..."

Cites background from "Southwestern ponderosa forest struc..."

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