School of Environmental Science

Abstract We present data from a study of early conifer regeneration and fuel loads after the 2002 Biscuit Fire, Oregon, USA, with and without postfire logging. Natural conifer regeneration was abundant after the high-severity fire. Postfire logging reduced median regeneration density by 71%, significantly increased downed woody fuels, and thus increased short-term fire risk. Additional reduction of fuels is necessary for effective mitigation of fire risk.

Large-scale wildfires (~ 104-106 ha) have the potential to eliminate seed sources over broad areas and thus may lead to qualitatively different regeneration dynamics than in small burns; however, regeneration after such events has received little study in temperate forests.

Although mixed-severity fires are among the most widespread disturbances influencing western North American forests, they remain the least understood. A major question is the degree to which mixed-severity fire regimes are simply an ecological intermediate between low-and high-severity fire regimes, versus a unique disturbance regime with distinct properties.

Abstract Fuel age (time since last fire) is often used to approximate fire hazard and informs decisions on placement of shrubland management burns worldwide. However, uncertainty remains concerning the relative importance of fuel age and weather conditions as predictors of fire hazard and behaviour.

Abstract We studied the pollination biology of 18 common insect-pollinated plant species on Kent Island, a boreal island in the Bay of Fundy, New Brunswick, Canada. Under natural conditions, fruit set was relatively high in most of the species studied [although it was very low (< 1%) in Maianthemum canadense]. Hand-pollination increased fruit set in five of seven species examined (71%), indicating that fruit set may commonly be limited by the availability or behavior of pollinators on Kent Island.

Summary: Dry forests throughout the United States are fire-dependent ecosystems, and much attention has been given to restoring their ecological function. As such, land managers often are tasked with reintroducing fire via prescribed fire, wildland fire use, and fire-surrogate treatments such as thinning and mastication. During planning, managers frequently are expected to anticipate effects of management actions on wildlife species.

To examine bird response to postfire salvage logging, we used point counts to measure changes in densities and occurrence for 17 common bird species. Response was measured at two spatial scales (20 ha and 2 ha) relative to two measures of salvage logging: proportion of surrounding area logged and logging intensity (basal area removed). The 20-ha scale comprised the logging unit as well as unit edges and surrounding unlogged areas, while the 2-ha scale comprised only the logging unit and not surrounding edges.

Summary 1. Variations in disturbance regime strongly influence ecosystem structure and function. A prominent form of such variation is when multiple high-severity wildfires occur in rapid succession (ie short-interval (SI) severe fires, or 're-burns'). These events have been proposed as key mechanisms altering successional rates and pathways.

Charred biomass generated by wildland fire has attracted increased interest as a functional component of terrestrial ecosystems. Black carbon (C) in the form of char is a widespread but unique material contributing to biogeochemical processes including long-term carbon storage and soil productivity. These functions have long been recognized by the biogeochemical and soil sciences, but have so far received little attention from wildland fire science.

The current conditions of many seasonally dry forests in the western and southern United States, especially those that once experienced low-to moderate-intensity fire regimes, leave them uncharacteristically susceptible to high-severity wildfire. Both prescribed fire and its mechanical surrogates are generally successful in meeting short-term fuel-reduction objectives such that treated stands are more resilient to high-intensity wildfire.

Abstract The capacity of many plant species to resprout in fire-prone shrublands is thought to engender persistence, yet management concerns exist for the long-term persistence of some resprouting species given anthropogenic impacts including shortened fire intervals, long periods of fire exclusion, and/or fires of increasingly high severity.

Fire is a widespread natural disturbance agent in most conifer-dominated forests. In light of climate change and the effects of fire exclusion, single and repeated high-severity (stand-replacement) fires have become prominent land management issues. We studied bird communities using point counting in the Klamath-Siskiyou ecoregion of Oregon, USA at various points in time after one or two high-severity fires.

Abstract: The US Endangered Species Act (ESA) allows listing of subspecies and other groupings below the rank of species. This provides the US Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Marine Fisheries Service with a means to target the most critical unit in need of conservation. Although roughly one-quarter of listed taxa are subspecies, these management agencies are hindered by uncertainties about taxonomic standards during listing or delisting activities.

Abstract We reported that postfire logging 2 to 3 years after the 2002 Biscuit Fire was associated with significant mortality in natural conifer regeneration and elevated potential fire behavior in the short term as a result of increased surface fuel loads. We underscore the strength of our study design and statistical conclusions, provide additional details of the research setting and scope, and address comments pertinent to forest development and fire ecology.

The expedition cruise industry along the remote 3000km Kimberley coast in Australia&#x27;s northwest draws on the area&#x27;s environmental and cultural assets for its tourism product and provides the main means of access for visitors. Cruises involve frequent on-shore excursions to attractions including rock pools, rock art and historic sites. This study used visitor observations and stakeholder interviews to examine potential impacts on environmental and cultural site assets, and visitor safety and experience. Visitor ...

The expectations on tourism as a stimulator for economic opportunities can be high for communities with limited economic activities, particularly in areas with attractive natural values such as spectacular scenery, wildlife, flora and tranquillity. Sustainability has become a buzz word in recent years, particularly with the concept of the triple-bottomline which implies that to build a sustainable industry for the long term, activities need to be balanced not only in terms of their economic impacts, but also on the environmental impacts on the ...