New Page Nov 4, 2019
To list articles, links etc related to the ecology & environmental impacts of fire in forests
The combustion of sound and rotten coarse woody debris: a review
J Hyde et al., in International Journal of Wildland Fire, 2011. v 20: 163-174 “Coarse woody debris serves many functions in forest ecosystem processes and has important implications for fire management as it affects air quality, soil heating and carbon budgets when it combusts. There is relatively little research evaluating the physical properties relating to the combustion of this coarse woody debris with even less specifically addressing decomposition, a condition that eventually affects all debris. We review studies evaluating the combustion and consumption of coarse woody debris in the field and under controlled conditions. The thermal properties affected by decomposition are also reviewed, as are current modelling tools to represent their combustion. Management implications and suggestions for future research are then presented.
Fuel mass and forest structure following stand-replacement fire and post-fire logging in a mixed-evergreen forest
Daniel C. Donato et al., 2013. International Journal of Wildland Fire 22(5) 652-666 “Following severe wildfires, managing fire hazard by removing dead trees (post-fire logging) is an important issue globally. Data informing these management actions are relatively scarce, particularly how fuel loads differ by post-fire logging intensity within different environmental settings. In mixed-evergreen forests of Oregon, USA, we quantified fuel profiles 3–4 years after stand-replacement fire – assessing three post-fire logging intensities (0, 25–75, or >75% basal area cut) across two climatic settings (mesic coastal, drier interior). Stand-replacement fire consumed ~17% of aboveground biomass. Post-fire logging significantly reduced standing dead biomass…”
Plant traits and wood fates across the globe: rotted, burned, or consumed?
WILLIAM K. CORNWELL et al., 2009. Global Change Biology v15 , 2431–2449 “Wood represents the defining feature of forest systems, and often the carbon in woodydebris has a long residence time. Globally, coarse dead wood contains 36–72PgC, andunderstanding what controls the fate of this C is important for predicting C cycleresponses to global change. The fate of a piece of wood may include one or more ofthe following: microbial decomposition, combustion, consumption by insects, andphysical degradation….”