Federal Land Management in Western US

Transcription

1 Federal Land Management in Western US Major Objective: Resilience Resistance to disturbance Recovery from disturbance Climate adaptation Ecosystem services: Provisioning Regulating Cultural Manage for Heterogeneity at Multiple Scales

2 1:4,000 Stands to Landscapes Local Landscapes/ Watersheds Stand Neighborhood Unit 82 Stands/Patches Tree Neighborhoods

3 Managing for Spatial Pattern Challenges: Pattern targets directly linked to functional objectives often lacking. Rely on expert opinion & judgement Heterogeneity is not an end in itself!

4 Historical Reference Conditions Provide Baseline Resilient to: Centuries of climatic fluctuation Frequent fire & variable fire regimes Other disturbances: insects, wind, pathogens Supported biodiversity & other ecological functions Tuned to the biophysical template & disturbance regime Must critically evaluate Reference Conditions & potentially modify

5 Spatial Pattern in Active Frequent-Fire Forests Low density, old tree dominated Individual Trees Clumps: small, med, large Openings Other: - Dense regen thickets - Hardwoods - Riparian Areas - Special habitats Patch sizes: 0.01 ~ 2.5 ac Photo by Carl Skinner, from: North, M. et al., An Ecosystem Management Strategy for Sierran Mixed- Conifer Forests. USDA Forest Service: Pacific Southwest Research Station. General Technical Report, PSW-GTR-220.

6 Individual Trees Small Clumps

7 Medium Clumps Large & Super Clumps

8 Openings

9 Dry Forest Reference Sites Reference plots (6-15 ac): Malheur NF 14 Freemont-Winema 12 Colville NF 12 East WA Cascades 9 Total East OR-WA SW Oregon 48 9 Other areas Northern & Central Rockies California Southwest Baja Mexico # #!( #!(# # ##!( # # % ## #!( # #!(!(# #!( # %!( % # % # #!(!(!(!(!( #! #!( ##(!( # ICO Implementation!( Eastside Reconstruction Sites % Westside Reference Sites

10 Dense, High Clumping Plot Plant Association Group Acres Basal Area Ft 2 Ac -1 Trees Ac -1 Avg. DBH (inch) QMD (inch) Openings (%) Naches Cool-Dry PSME

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12 Moderate Density, Moderate Clumping Plot Plant Association Group Acres Basal Area Ft 2 Ac -1 Trees Ac -1 Avg. DBH (inch) QMD (inch) SDI 2 Openings (%) Liberty Cool-Dry PSME

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14 Open, Low Clumping Plot Cougar Creek Plant Association Group Hot Dry PSME Acres Basal Area Ft 2 Ac -1 Trees Ac -1 Avg. DBH (inch) QMD Openings (inch) SDI 2 (%)

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16 Reference Sites

17 S2

18 Treatment Monitoring 38 monitoring sites OR and WA

19 Treatment Monitoring Uniform: - spacing Rx - basal area Rx

20 Treatment Monitoring Uniform: - spacing Rx - basal area Rx

21 Adaptive Management Basal Area Space Meters.4 Reference Pre-Treatment Treat AM BA Space Distance Class from Tree (m)

22 Treatment Monitoring Uniform Too many large clumps: skips

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24 Treatment Monitoring Uniform Too many large clumps In reference envelope

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26 What density & pattern to manage for?

27 Pattern Functions Fire behavior Drought resistance Insect & pathogens Wildlife habitat Forest development Understory diversity Snow retention Soils Heterogeneity is not the objective, functions are!

28 Science Review Fire behavior Drought resistance Insect & pathogens Wildlife habitat Forest development Understory diversity Snow retention Soils

29 Science Review Framework for managers & stakeholders Tradeoffs between different pattern & functions/processes HRV is a guide, but no right or wrong treatments Fire behavior Snow retention Wildlife habitat

30 Parsons SPATIAL VARIABILITY IN FOREST FUELS: SIMULATION MODELING AND EFFECTS ON FIRE BEHAVIOR Fire Behavior Higher density & clumping: more variable fire behavior Clumps, especially multistory: crown torching Openings: - drop crown fire to ground - wind patterns - dry out ground fuels, - higher flame lengths, rate of spread Higher density: higher crown fire potential, lower fuel moisture, wind speeds

31 Fire Behavior

32 Photos: Erin Schneider Snow Retention

33 Snow Retention Snow water equivalent Snow retention: snow disappearance date Erin Schneider Andrew Larson Lower density more snow! Openings: retain more snow Clumps: interception, less snow shade snow in openings More variable pattern > uniform > dense

34 Snow Retention

35 Trade offs