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Effects of post-fire logging on fuel dynamics in a mixed-conifer forest, Oregon, USA: a 10-year assessment
Journal article   Peer reviewed

Effects of post-fire logging on fuel dynamics in a mixed-conifer forest, Oregon, USA: a 10-year assessment

J.L. Campbell, D.C. Donato and J.B. Fontaine
International Journal of Wildland Fire, Vol.25(6), pp.646-656
2016
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Abstract

Removal of fire-killed trees (i.e. post-fire or salvage logging) is often conducted in part to reduce woody fuel loads and mitigate potential reburn effects. Studies of post-salvage fuel dynamics have primarily used chronosequence or modelling approaches, with associated limitations; longitudinal studies tracking fuels over time have been rare. We resampled a network of post-fire plots, comprising a range of logging intensities, 10 years after the 2002 Biscuit Fire (Oregon, USA). For surface woody fuels, which started from large treatment differences immediately following logging (stepwise increases with harvest intensity), we found converging trends among treatments at 10 years, with convergence nearly complete for fine fuels but not for coarse fuels. Fire-killed snags for the dominant species (Pseudotsuga menziesii) decayed while standing at a statistically significant rate (single-exponential k≤0.011), similar to or only slightly slower than down wood, suggesting that not all snag biomass will reach the forest floor. Live vegetation (largely resprouting sclerophyllous vegetation) is beginning to dominate surface fuel mass and continuity (>100% cover) and likely moderates differences associated with woody fuels. Post-fire logging had little effect on live fuels or their change over time, suggesting high potential for stand-replacing early-seral fire regardless of post-fire harvest treatments.

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UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

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#13 Climate Action
#15 Life on Land

Source: InCites

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Collaboration types
Domestic collaboration
International collaboration
Citation topics
3 Agriculture, Environment & Ecology
3.40 Forestry
3.40.55 Forest Dynamics
Web Of Science research areas
Forestry
ESI research areas
Plant & Animal Science
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