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Natural History of Fire
Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks
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Role of Wildland Fire Fire is a disturbance that initiates change
Functions to create and maintain a mosaic of different vegetation (species, size, age, etc.)
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Causes of Past Wildland Fire
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Fire Regimes Categories to describe typical fires in an area (frequency, season, and size) Regimes are general because of variability Information is often based on fire history data
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4 General Fire Regimes Understory Stand-replacement Mixed-Severity
Non-Fire
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Ecosystem Elements Fire interacts with what?
Plants Animals Soil Water
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Fire Effects on Plants How do plants react?
Mortality Resistance Recovery: Vegetative Regeneration (sprouting) Seed Establishment
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Fire Effects on Animals How do animals react?
Immigrate Predictable Responses Immediate Mortality, Injury, Escape Long-term Emigration Immigration Burned Area Emigrate
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Fire Effects on Soil Physical Chemical Biotic
water repellency, infiltration capacity, porosity, temperature, erosional processes, and sedimentation rates Chemical nitrogen is most readily lost due to volatization at low temperatures Biotic declines in soil invertebrates and fungi while microorganisms such as bacteria increase
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Fire Effects on Water Quantity of water in streams Chemistry
Increased streamflow post-fire Chemistry Increased nutrient flows post-fire Sediment yields Usually highest in first years post-fire
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Life Zones Foothills Mixed-Conifer Subalpine (and above)
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Foothills 500 to 5,000 ft. Mild, wet winters Dry, hot summers
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Foothills Fire Regimes
Understory (Oak Woodland) Stand-replacement (Chaparral)
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Post-fire Resprouters
Blue Oak Chamise Flannelbush
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Post-fire Seed Germinators
Whiteleaf Manzanita Deer brush Chia California poppy Golden eardrops
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Which animals move in after fire?
Mule Deer Grasshopper Deer mouse Bewick’s Wren Bobcat Scrub Jay
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Mixed-Conifer 5,000 – 9,000 ft.
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Mixed Conifer Fire Regimes
Understory Mixed Severity
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Post-fire Resprouters
Black Oak Fireweed Bracken Fern Mountain Misery
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Post-fire Seed Germinators
Greenleaf manzanita Gooseberry / currant Red fir Giant sequoia
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Which animals move in after fire?
Rainbow Trout Beetle Rock Beetle Black-backed woodpecker Red-tailed Hawk Black bear
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Subalpine 9,000 + ft.
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Understory Regime Lodgepole pine Foxtail pine
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Post-fire Animal Responses
Bighorn Sheep Marmot
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Human Responses Attraction and Use Fear Desire to Control
Understanding and co-existence
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