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Thinning of a Ponderosa Pine - Douglas Fir Forest in South Central BC Impacts on Understorey Vegetation
This study investigates the effects of forest thinning on the understory vegetation in ponderosa pine and Douglas-fir forests of south-central British Columbia. The study addresses the problem of forest in-growth due to fire suppression, which reduce...This study investigates the effects of forest thinning on the understory vegetation in ponderosa pine and Douglas-fir forests of south-central British Columbia. The study addresses the problem of forest in-growth due to fire suppression, which reduces grazing land and increases wildfire risk. Through a four-year data collection period at two sites, the researchers examined how thinning, which reduces tree density, impacts understory species diversity and biomass production. The findings indicate that while thinning may not consistently increase species diversity in the short term, it does lead to a significant increase in total understory biomass within a few years, suggesting its potential as a tool for ecological restoration and enhancing forage for livestock. -
The Shelterwood Silvicultural System in British Columbia - A Practitioner's Guide. Part 3 Operational Implementation
This guide serves as a practical manual for foresters looking to implement the shelterwood cutting method in British Columbia. As the third part of a three-part series, this guide builds upon previous parts by focusing on the specific harvesting oper...This guide serves as a practical manual for foresters looking to implement the shelterwood cutting method in British Columbia. As the third part of a three-part series, this guide builds upon previous parts by focusing on the specific harvesting operations involved in this silvicultural system. The guide emphasizes that each harvest entry is a deliberate silvicultural treatment designed to manipulate the forest environment to achieve regeneration and stand-tending objectives, highlighting key considerations like protecting the soil, existing trees, and new growth while promoting a favorable environment for the next forest generation. -
Harvesting Options in Highly Constrained IDF Stand in the Rocky Mountain Trench
This docuemnt details a case study on harvesting options in a highly constrained forest stand within the Rocky Mountain Trench, focusing on an experimental forest management pilot project. The primary goal was to evaluate different harvesting methods...This docuemnt details a case study on harvesting options in a highly constrained forest stand within the Rocky Mountain Trench, focusing on an experimental forest management pilot project. The primary goal was to evaluate different harvesting methods such as conventional, single tree, and group selection on soil disturbance and armillaria root disease. The study describes the site's characteristics, experimental design, and the specific silvicultural prescriptions implemented to achieve objectives like maintaining water levels and reducing disease susceptibility. It further outlines the harvesting operations conducted and presents preliminary results regarding the impact of each method on stand health and soil integrity. -
Partial Cutting to Restore Old Growth Forest Conditions in the East Kootenay Trench
This document details a case study on varaible retention as a method to restore old-growth forest conditions in British Columbia's East Kootenay region. It explains how historical land management, including fire suppression, drastically altered fores...This document details a case study on varaible retention as a method to restore old-growth forest conditions in British Columbia's East Kootenay region. It explains how historical land management, including fire suppression, drastically altered forest structures, leading to a decline in biodiversity and an increase in fire risk. The study outlines a silvicultural prescription designed to mimic natural disturbances by strategically removing timber, aiming to re-establish the characteristics of pre-settlement old-growth stands, such as varied tree sizes and increased light penetration. The purpose of this study is to demonstrate a sustainable management approach that not only mitigates fire hazards but also enhances wildlife habitat and supports the long-term health of the forest ecosystem. -
Interior wet fire weather zone
This guidance document outlines best management practices for fuel treatment within British Columbia's Interior-Wet Fire Weather Zone, a region characterized by its productive forests and diverse tree species like western cedar and hemlock. While typ...This guidance document outlines best management practices for fuel treatment within British Columbia's Interior-Wet Fire Weather Zone, a region characterized by its productive forests and diverse tree species like western cedar and hemlock. While typically experiencing higher precipitation and less frequent stand-replacing wildfires, drier subzones are prone to mixed-severity fire regimes. The guide emphasizes managing surface fuels, ladder fuels that allow fire to climb, and crown fuels to reduce the intensity and spread of wildfires, especially given the increased risk from climate change-induced drought and successful fire suppression efforts near communities. The document aims to provide professional guidance for mitigating wildfire threats through strategic fuel management and maintaining forest health. -
Potential of Partial Cutting Silvicultural Systems to Affect Stand Productivity and Wood Flow - Technical Report MIT-005
This technical report investigates the potential of variable retention silvicultural systems to manage forests in British Columbia's Nelson Forest Region, aiming to mitigate anticipated reductions in wood supply due to new environmental regulations. ...This technical report investigates the potential of variable retention silvicultural systems to manage forests in British Columbia's Nelson Forest Region, aiming to mitigate anticipated reductions in wood supply due to new environmental regulations. The study specifically evaluates how different variable retention methods impact stand productivity and overall wood flow despite the widespread presence of Armillaria root disease. Using the PROGNOSIS growth model, the authors identify low-risk timber types and develop management guidelines to balance timber harvesting with objectives like biodiversity and visual quality and reccomend a more balanced mixture of clearcutting and variable retention approaches to ensure sustainable forest management. -
Short-Term Impacts of Operational Fuel Treatments on Modelled Fire Behaviour and Effects in Seasonally Dry Forests of British Columbia Canada
This paper investigates the effectiveness of various fuel treatments in mitigating wildfire behavior in British Columbia's seasonally dry forests, a region increasingly vulnerable to extreme fires. Through field measurements and fire behavior modelin...This paper investigates the effectiveness of various fuel treatments in mitigating wildfire behavior in British Columbia's seasonally dry forests, a region increasingly vulnerable to extreme fires. Through field measurements and fire behavior modeling, the study assessed how different combinations of thinning, pruning, and residue fuel management impact the potential for crown fires and tree mortality. Key findings suggest that high-intensity thinning is more effective at reducing both passive and active crown fire potential and tree mortality compared to low-intensity thinning, while pruning after thinning offered little additional benefit. The study also highlights that chipping or pile burning residue fuel can reduce crown fire risk, but cautions that chipping may lead to delayed tree mortality not captured by current models, indicating a need for further research on its long-term effects. -
Perspectives Six Opportunities to Improve Understanding of Fuel Treatment Longevity in Historically Frequent-Fire Forests
This paper addresses the critical need for improved understanding of the long-term effectiveness of fuel reduction treatments in dry, fire-prone forests of western North America. The authors highlight that current knowledge limitations lead to ineffi...This paper addresses the critical need for improved understanding of the long-term effectiveness of fuel reduction treatments in dry, fire-prone forests of western North America. The authors highlight that current knowledge limitations lead to inefficient maintenance and inaccurate wildfire forecasting. They propose six key research opportunities designed to refine our grasp of how long treatments remain effective. These opportunities include evaluating longevity within specific management goals, referencing desired ecological conditions, accounting for natural forest variability, exploring internal treatment factors, increasing post-treatment sampling frequency, and incorporating spatial heterogeneity into analyses. The paper aims to foster climate-adaptive management that enhances dry forest resilience to wildfire through more efficient and informed treatment strategies. -
Science Basis for Changing Forest Structure to Modify Wildfire Behaviour and Severity
This report compiles over 80 years of fire research to explain how human interventions have altered natural fire regimes, particularly in dry Western U. S. forests. The document emphasizes that accumulated fuels and dense forest structures, a departu...This report compiles over 80 years of fire research to explain how human interventions have altered natural fire regimes, particularly in dry Western U. S. forests. The document emphasizes that accumulated fuels and dense forest structures, a departure from historical conditions, lead to more intense and severe wildfires, posing risks to both ecosystems and human communities. It details various fuel treatments, such as thinning and prescribed fire, as crucial strategies for restoring fire-resilient forests by reducing surface, ladder, and crown fuels. The report advocates for a landscape-level approach to fuel management, acknowledging that while models and observations inform these efforts, uncertainties remain in predicting exact fire behavior. -
To Masticate or Not Useful Tips for Treating Forest Woodland and Shrubland Vegetation
This document serves as a comprehensive guide for land managers considering mastication as a vegetation management tool. It synthesizes current scientific knowledge, detailing the characteristics and costs of various mastication equipment, including ...This document serves as a comprehensive guide for land managers considering mastication as a vegetation management tool. It synthesizes current scientific knowledge, detailing the characteristics and costs of various mastication equipment, including carrier machines and cutting heads. The report also summarizes the ecological effects of mastication on vegetation, soils, and wildlife habitat, noting the variability of these impacts across different ecosystems. It provides decision trees and implementation criteria to aid managers in selecting the most appropriate treatment methods and mastication configurations based on their specific site conditions and management objectives. -
Interior-Dry Fire Weather Zone
This document outlines best management practices for fuel treatment within British Columbia's interior-dry fire weather zone, a region characterized by dry ecosystems like Interior douglas fir, ponderosa pine, and bunchgrass zones. It emphasizes how ...This document outlines best management practices for fuel treatment within British Columbia's interior-dry fire weather zone, a region characterized by dry ecosystems like Interior douglas fir, ponderosa pine, and bunchgrass zones. It emphasizes how wildfires significantly influence these forest ecosystems, historically maintaining biodiversity and grasslands through low-intensity burns. The guide details fuel management strategies for surface, ladder, and crown fuels, including thinning, pruning, and species conversion, all aimed at reducing the risk and intensity of high-severity wildfires. Additionally, it provides recommendations for mitigating impacts on forest health from treatments and includes case studies illustrating effective fuel management practices. -
Fire Treatment Effects on Vegetation Structure Fuels and Potential Fire Severity in Western U.S. Forests
This paper investigates the effectiveness of various fire management treatments on western U. S. coniferous forests, which have become more susceptible to severe wildfires due to a century of fire exclusion and altered land use. Researchers analyzed ...This paper investigates the effectiveness of various fire management treatments on western U. S. coniferous forests, which have become more susceptible to severe wildfires due to a century of fire exclusion and altered land use. Researchers analyzed the impacts of mechanical thinning, prescribed burning, and a combination of both across six diverse sites. The study found that mechanical thinning combined with prescribed fire was the most effective strategy for significantly reducing surface fuel loads, decreasing the likelihood of severe crown fires, and lowering predicted tree mortality. While mechanical-only treatments were less consistent, they were effective when whole-tree harvesting systems were used, minimizing residual surface fuels. -
Fire Management Stocking Standards Guidance Document
This document outlines how to integrate wildfire risk reduction into forest regeneration practices. It explains that these standards are modifications of existing reforestation guidelines, tailored to achieve specific fire management objectives, such...This document outlines how to integrate wildfire risk reduction into forest regeneration practices. It explains that these standards are modifications of existing reforestation guidelines, tailored to achieve specific fire management objectives, such as reducing crown fire potential and enhancing fire suppression effectiveness, particularly near communities and high-value infrastructure. The document details considerations for developing these standards, including species selection based on fire resilience, stand density management to influence fire behavior, and structural characteristics like canopy base height. It provides a framework and examples for forest professionals to create stocking standards that balance timber production with proactive wildfire management at both local and landscape levels. -
Forest Thinning and Prescribed Burning Treatments Reduce Wildfire Severity and Buffer the Impacts of Severe Fire Weather
This paper investigates the effectiveness of different forest fuel treatments, such as thinning and prescribed burning, in reducing the severity of subsequent wildfires. Leveraging a unique 1200-hectare experiment that was later impacted by a signifi...This paper investigates the effectiveness of different forest fuel treatments, such as thinning and prescribed burning, in reducing the severity of subsequent wildfires. Leveraging a unique 1200-hectare experiment that was later impacted by a significant wildfire, the authors compared various treatment approaches, including thin-only, burn-only, and a combination of both, against an untreated control. Their analysis of fire severity metrics, considering pre-fire fuel conditions and fire weather, provides strong evidence that proactive fuel management, especially combining thinning and burning, significantly mitigates wildfire intensity and damage to trees, even decades after the treatments were implemented and under a range of weather conditions. The study supports the continued use of these treatments as valuable tools for forest restoration and enhancing resilience to increasingly severe wildfires. -
Applying Resilience Concepts in Forest Management A Retrospective Simulation Approach
This paper investigates how different forest management strategies impact the resilience of forests facing climate change, specifically a mountain pine beetle outbreak in British Columbia. The authors use a retrospective simulation approach from 1980...This paper investigates how different forest management strategies impact the resilience of forests facing climate change, specifically a mountain pine beetle outbreak in British Columbia. The authors use a retrospective simulation approach from 1980 to 2060 to compare business as usual practices with two alternative strategies: one focused on increasing the diversity of replanted trees, and another that combined early harvesting of susceptible pine with diversified reforestation. The study assesses resilience by examining ecological factors like growing stock and tree species diversity, alongside socio-economic indicators such as timber flow stability and net revenue, concluding that proactive management enhancing diversity and reducing high-risk species leads to greater overall forest resilience in the face of climate-related disturbances. -
Reburn in the Rain Shadow
This paper investigates the long-term effects of post-wildfire logging in dry coniferous forests east of the Cascade Range. It addresses a key debate by presenting findings that post-fire logging effectively reduces future surface woody fuel levels ...This paper investigates the long-term effects of post-wildfire logging in dry coniferous forests east of the Cascade Range. It addresses a key debate by presenting findings that post-fire logging effectively reduces future surface woody fuel levels over several decades, thereby potentially mitigating the severity of subsequent wildfires. Furthermore, the research indicates that when best management practices are employed, post-fire logging has minimal lasting negative impacts on the recovery of understory vegetation. The purpose of this publication is to provide scientific information to land managers making decisions about post-fire forest management, particularly regarding fuel reduction and ecological impacts. -
Mitigating Old Tree Mortality in Long-Unburned Fire-Dependent Forests A Synthesis
This report addresses the critical issue of maintaining large, old trees in United States forests that historically experienced frequent fires but have been subjected to long periods of fire suppression. The document synthesizes existing research to ...This report addresses the critical issue of maintaining large, old trees in United States forests that historically experienced frequent fires but have been subjected to long periods of fire suppression. The document synthesizes existing research to understand how reintroducing fire through prescribed burning impacts these venerable trees, particularly concerning injury and mortality. It delves into the causes of tree death from fire, including heat damage to crowns, cambium, and roots, with a specific focus on the role of accumulated duff and subsequent bark beetle attacks. Furthermore, the report examines management options and treatment effects aimed at enhancing old tree resilience during prescribed burns, offering practical guidance on techniques like duff raking and burning under specific conditions, ultimately striving to balance ecological restoration with the conservation of these keystone forest components. -
A Field Guide to Predict Delayed Mortility of Fire - Damaged Ponderosa Pine Application and Validation of Malheur Model
This technical report presents a field guide based on the Malheur model, a tool developed to predict the probability of delayed mortality in fire-damaged ponderosa pine trees. The report details the application and validation of this model, which use...This technical report presents a field guide based on the Malheur model, a tool developed to predict the probability of delayed mortality in fire-damaged ponderosa pine trees. The report details the application and validation of this model, which uses observable characteristics like bole and crown scorch to estimate mortality risk via a user-friendly graph. Findings from validation studies across different locations and fire types suggest the model offers a reliable way for land managers to assess post-fire tree survival for various management objectives, including evaluating burn success and planning post-fire activities. -
Successional Responses to Natural Disturbance Forest Management and Climate Change in British Columbia's Forests
This extension note outlines the successional pathways of various forest ecosystems in British Columbia and how these natural trajectories are influenced by natural disturbances, forest management practices, and projected climate change. The authors ...This extension note outlines the successional pathways of various forest ecosystems in British Columbia and how these natural trajectories are influenced by natural disturbances, forest management practices, and projected climate change. The authors describe typical disturbance regimes like fire and insect outbreaks within different Ecoprovinces and their characteristic Ecosystem Types. Furthermore, the note discusses how human interventions, particularly logging, have altered these successional patterns, and it concludes by considering the potential future impacts of changing temperature and precipitation on these vital forest dynamics, emphasizing the need for management that fosters resilient and resistant forests.
