The Value of Prescribed Fire in Colorado’s Front Range Rob Addington The Nature Conservancy.

Slides:



Advertisements
Similar presentations
Managing Northern Spotted Owl Habitat in Dry Forest Ecosystems Presented By Cindy Donegan U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
Advertisements

Using FFE-FVS to estimate potential fire behavior in early settlement Black Hills ponderosa pine Mike Battaglia, Colorado State University Skip Smith,
Longleaf Maintenance Condition Class 1 Revised Draft for Longleaf Partnership Council Discussion Clay Ware April 7, 2014.
Uneven-aged beech stand, Germany. Uneven-aged mixed-hardwood stand, Michigan.
Land. Land Use in the World US Public Lands Types of Forests 1) Old-growth (primary) forests – uncut or regenerated forest not hugely impacted by.
Changes in fire regime, forest structure, and tree spatial patterns in ponderosa pine forests of the northern Colorado Front Range, 1860 to 2012 Peter.
SCRUB Ecosystem Scrub is a community composed of a dominance of evergreen shrubs with frequent patches of bare, white sand With or without a canopy of.
Stand Structure and Ecological Restoration Charles W. Denton Ecological Restoration Institute John D. Bailey, Associate Professor of Forestry, Associate.
Restoring Ecological Health of America’s Forests Wally Covington Regents’ Professor, School of Forestry and Executive Director, Ecological Restoration.
SECTION 11.5 FOREST RESOURCES AND MANAGEMENT IN THE U.S. Jonathan Wigfall & Tyrone Curtis.
Fire regimes and the World’s biomes 23 September 2010.
Forest Health: Forest Ecology, Tree Vigor, and Landowner Objectives Karen Ripley, Forest Entomologist Washington Department of Natural Resources December,
Pinyon Juniper Community. Microbiotic Crust Ecological roles for biological crusts 1. Fix carbon and nitrogen 2. Trap dust 3. Increase water retention.
Balancing Fire Hazard Reduction and Sensitive Resources in Suburban Forests and Open Space PLACER COUNTY PARKS DIVISION FIRE HAZARD REDUCTION PROGRAM Placer.
Demonstration: FVS-FEE with SVS1 Forest Change and Fire in Colorado’s Front Range A presentation that uses computer-generated drawings and animations to.
CLASS UPDATES Office hours: Fridays 9AM-12noon (or me for an appointment) Powerpoints – on class website Schedule changes: thesis statement, outline,
Introduction to Fire Ecology 5/25/07. What is Fire? Rapid oxidation reaction in which heat and light are produced. Exothermic Three ingredients – Fuel.
Most Common Conservation Practices Forestry Illinois.
Restoring Fire to the Mountains. a presentation by… your National Forests in North Carolina.
LAND MANAGEMENT AND RESPONSE TO FIRE Dr. Stephen Bunting and Lovina Roselle Rangeland Center, University of Idaho.
Wildland Fire: A Natural Process Wildland Fire Education Working Team.
Nick Goulette, The Watershed Center Growing the “Trinity Integrated Fire Management Partnership”
Schmidt et al GTR RMRS-87.
Colorado Front Range Collaborative Forest Landscape Restoration Project : Initial Pre and Post-Treatment Stand Structure Analysis for the Pike and San.
UPPER MONUMENT CREEK LANDSCAPE RESTORATION Allan Hahn – District Ranger Mike Picard – ID Team Leader.
These three elements form a “fire triangle.” Heat Oxygen Fuel.
4 Forest Restoration Initiative Overview of Vegetation Data, Modeling and Strategies Used to Develop the Proposed Action Neil McCusker Silviculturist 4FRI.
Fire Ecology and Fire Regimes in Boreal Ecosystems Oct 19, 2010.
Wade A. Wall ERDC-CERL Janet B. Gray Fort Bragg Endangered Species Branch Matthew G. Hohmann ERDC-CERL NMFWA Annual Meeting 14 March 2012 Atlanta, GA Courtesy.
Impact of Climate Change on NA Forests Fire Courtesy of Tom Swetnam, U of Arizona, LTRR.
Homes on the Range An Introduction to California Rangelands Photo Credit: Bureau of Land Management.
Involvement in SW Jemez Mountains Landscape Restoration Project (SWJMLRP), under CFLRP March 12, 2015 PUEBLO OF JEMEZ.
Fire in Florida. Themes l The Natural Role of Fire in Florida l Two Kinds of Fire in Florida l Prescribed Fire l Protecting Florida Homes from Fire.
Prescribed Fire: Benefits for wildlife Using fire to provide long-term, ecosystem benefits…
Modeling the effects of forest succession on fire behavior potential in southeastern British Columbia S.W. Taylor, G.J. Baxter and B.C. Hawkes Natural.
Fire, birds, bears and trees Conservation and restoration of whitebark pine ecosystems.
What questions are researchers asking in order to understand fire ecology? Landscape perspectiveSpecies perspective How does the ecosystem, topography.
Treatments and methods to manipulate stand structure suitable for fuel reduction.
Responses of Large Mammals to Prescribed and Wildfires in Southwest Jemez Mountains, New Mexico James W. Cain III 1, Robert Parmenter 2, Mark A. Peyton.
Introduction to Fire Ecology. Consider the statement: “Fire is bad” – What do you think? Why? – Can you think of examples of when fire is good and bad?
Sustaining Front Range Forests & Communities February 26, 2010.
Click to Advance Objectives Students will select the correct characteristics of Sequoia trees from a list of multiple choices Students will list the.
Small Mammals Mark Peyton, Ruth Passernig, Robert Parmenter.
Succession Ecological succession is the gradual process by which ecosystems change and develop over time. Nothing remains the same and habitats are constantly.
“Burn Baby Burn!”.  Evidence of forest fires dates back 350 million years ago  It is a natural phenomenon  Initially, lightning was the sole cause.
Fire, birds, bears and trees Conservation and restoration of whitebark pine ecosystems.
The Road to Recovery at NATL Unhealthy Effects of Fire Suppression Back to a Healthy State Role of Native Americans in setting fires? Fire at NATL: Mother.
The Effect of Fuel Treatments on the Invasion of Nonnative Plants Kyle E. Merriam 1, Jon E. Keeley 1, and Jan L. Beyers 2. [1] USGS Western Ecological.
Changes in ecosystems Biology Stage 1 Biology Stage 3 Chapter 5 Biology ATAR Year 11 Chapter 6.
Ecological Succession Changing Ecosystems. Biodiversity  Biodiversity is the variety of organisms in a given area.  Physical factors (abiotic) have.
POLICY, PLANNING, & MANAGEMENT OBJECTIVES S-244 Field Observer & Fire Effects Monitor Goals Objectives Monitoring.
4FRI Biophysical Monitoring Indicators: Assigning Metrics of Success (or Failure) 4FRI Landscape Strategy & Science and Monitoring Working Groups –
Wild Land Fire Ecology Kaylene Maize
The Yin and Yang of Monitoring: Lessons Learned From Development of Monitoring Programs on Federal and Private Lands Brett Wolk Colorado Forest Restoration.
An Introduction to California Rangelands
Ignition Techniques (adapted from FL DOF)
Fire Behavior Rate of spread Intensity Crown or ground Continuous or
FOR 350 Silvicultural Terminology Review
Tom Parker and Sarah Flynn Geum Environmental Consulting, Inc.
Wildfire Effects on Forest Cover in Ponderosa Pine Forest
Idaho ablaze Pony & Elk Complex and Trinity Ridge Fire
PRESCRIBED FIRE BASICS
NATIVE FORESTS Chapter 14.
Chapter 17 Land Resources.
FIRES IN RIPARIAN AREAS AND WETLANDS
Fire management.
Developing fire regimes and modeling fire restoration for abating the altered fire regime threat at scale Scott Simon, The Nature Conservancy of Arkansas.
Rio Bravo Conservation and
Rancheria Forest Restoration Project
Presentation transcript:

The Value of Prescribed Fire in Colorado’s Front Range Rob Addington The Nature Conservancy

Hayman

Ecosystems of the Front Range are Fire Adapted Passive crown fire Patches of stand torching but fire spread mainly through surface fuels (Mixed-severity fire regime) Active crown fire Mainly aerial fuels involved in fire spread across landscape (High-severity, replacement fire regime) “Types” of Fire Surface fire Mainly surface fuels involved in fire spread (Low-severity fire regime)

Vegetation and Fire Regimes across Elevation Gradients in the Front Range of Colorado Elevations in feet Drawing by Laurie Huckaby Rocky Mountain Research Station Fire rare Infrequent, stand-replacing Moderately frequent, mixed severity Moderately frequent, surface fire

Past Current

What is the role of prescribed fire in changing wildfire outcomes (and providing additional ecological benefits) for Colorado’s Front Range? What can we do about it? We are currently observing “uncharacteristically” severe fire in lower-elevation settings, with undesirable fire effects.

Prescribed fire modifies wildfire dynamics Hayman post-fire assessment (Graham 2003): “Prescribed fire can be expected to moderate subsequent surface fire intensity and reduce the potential for crown fire initiation…” p. 98 “The Hayman’s June 9 run crossed Trout Creek and Highway 67 but stopped at the edge of the Polhemus burn.” p. 108 Polhemus prescribed fire 2001 Hayman fire 2002

Through reduction in surface and ladder fuels; increases in canopy base heights

Protection of seed trees for regeneration This area burned as a surface fire in the Bobcat Gulch burn (2000); it had also burned in 1993.

Prescribed fire maintains open stand structures Photo: Peter Brown

Species such as ponderosa pine need post-fire conditions (reduced competition and bare mineral soil) for seedling germination and establishment Photo: JeffersonConservationDistrict “Site-prep” for regeneration

Necessary for rare wildlife species that depend on old- trees and open, fire-maintained habitats Abert’s squirrel Northern Goshawk Photo: Audubon Society Prescribed fire for wildlife

Prescribed fire stimulates nutrient cycling and nutrient-rich leaf production; stimulates seed production; favors herbaceous species Improves forage for wildlife

Skunkbrush sumac—edible berries, branches good for baskets Mountain mahogany—very palatable to wildlife, especially sprouts Sego Lily— edible roots Chokecherry—edible fruit Yucca—edible flowers and roots, leaves useful for fiber Common useful native plants that respond favorably to burning

Prescribed fire for disease control Dwarf mistletoe Rusts

Maintaining carbon in large, old trees and soils as opposed to losing carbon stores to high-severity fire Prescribed fire for carbon sequestration

Escapes Smoke – health consequences, traffic accidents Slow recovery in low productivity systems… may be aesthetically unappealing Undesirable fire effects, e.g. killing old trees in long-unburned stands… but often adjustable with burn planning, targeting weather conditions to achieve desired fire behavior, ignition patterns Prescribed fire – the benefits are great, but not without risks

But fire will occur one way or another… “The question before public land managers and citizens is not whether there will be fire and smoke in their future, but how they might want their fire and smoke.” Hessburg and Agee (2003) Smoke plume, High Park fire Photo by Ben Wudtke

Colorado Prescribed Fire Council Intent Promote, educate and increase the appropriate use of prescribed fire in Colorado Reduce barriers to Rx fire Improve cooperation and coordination among burners Disseminate technical information to practitioners Monitor and communicate accomplishments annually Prescribed fire initiatives in Colorado

Pikes Peak Fire Learning Network Prescribed fire initiatives in Colorado

Acknowledgements Thanks to Vernon Champlin and the Pikes Peak Wildfire Prevention Partnership for hosting this workshop And to Peter Brown and Laurie Huckaby for providing slides for this presentation

Thank you! Questions?