Fire Effects on Ecosystems

by Debano, Leonard F.; Neary, Daniel G.; Ffolliott, Peter F.

• ISBN13: 9780471163565
• ISBN10: 0471163562
• Edition: 1st
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 1998-03-09
• Publisher: Wiley

Summary

A comprehensive exploration of the effects of fires--in forests and other environments--on soils, watersheds, vegetation, air and cultural resources.

Author Biography

Leonard F. DeBano is professor of watershed management, School of Renewable Natural Resources, University of Arizona.

Daniel G. Neary is the author of Fire Effects on Ecosystems, published by Wiley.

Peter F. Ffolliott is professor of watershed management, School of Renewable Natural Resources, University of Arizona, Tucson.

Table of Contents

PREFACE	xv
Chapter 1 INTRODUCTION	1	(16)
SELECTED FIRE REGIMES	1	(9)
United States	2	(4)
Ponderosa Pine Forests of the Southwest	2	(1)
Douglas-Fir Forests of the Pacific Northwest	3	(1)
Lodgepole Pine Forests in the Rocky Mountains	4	(1)
Loblolly and Shortleaf Pine Forests in the Southeast	4	(1)
Chaparral Shrubs in Southern California	5	(1)
Tallgrass Prairies of the Great Plains	6	(1)
Worldwide	6	(4)
Bog Birch Shrubs in the Canadian Rocky Mountains	7	(1)
Pine Forests in the Sierra Madre of Mexico	7	(1)
The Low Woodlands of Western Australia	8	(1)
Matorral in the Coastal Lowlands of Southwestern Spain	8	(1)
Fynbos Vegetation in South Africa	9	(1)
West African Savannas	10	(1)
DEFINITIONS	10	(3)
REFERENCES	13	(4)
Part I FIRE DYNAMICS	17	(54)
Chapter 2 COMBUSTION PROCESSES AND HEAT TRANSFER	19	(30)
INTRODUCTION	19	(1)
COMBUSTION	20	(11)
Components of Fire Ignition	20	(2)
Combustion Process	22	(6)
Preignition	24	(1)
Flaming	25	(1)
Smoldering	26	(2)
Glowing	28	(1)
Extinction	28	(1)
Combustion Efficiency	28	(3)
HEAT TRANSFER	31	(14)
Processes	31	(4)
Radiation	32	(1)
Convection	33	(1)
Conduction	34	(1)
Mass Transport	34	(1)
Vaporization and Condensation	34	(1)
Heat Transfer Pathways	35	(8)
Heat Transfer Downward to Duff or Mineral Soil	35	(2)
Heating in Duff and Organic Soils	37	(1)
Heat Transfer Through Mineral Soil	38	(5)
Modeling Research	43	(2)
First-Order Fire Effects Model (FOFEM)	44	(1)
Heat Transfer in Soil	44	(1)
Barriers and Opportunities	44	(1)
SUMMARY	45	(1)
REFERENCES	45	(4)
Chapter 3 FUELS AND FIRE BEHAVIOR	49	(22)
INTRODUCTION	49	(1)
FUELS	49	(5)
Description	50	(2)
Properties	50	(1)
Components	51	(1)
Complexes	52	(1)
Classification	52	(1)
Management	53	(1)
FIRE BEHAVIOR	54	(7)
Types of Fire Behavior	55	(1)
Fire Intensity	56	(2)
Rate of Spread	58	(1)
Fire Behavior Patterns	59	(2)
Forest Ecosystems	59	(1)
Shrubland Ecosystems	59	(1)
Grassland Ecosystems	60	(1)
FIRE SEVERITY	61	(5)
Relationship of Fire Severity to Fire Intensity	61	(1)
Classification	62	(2)
A Conceptual Model	64	(2)
PRESCRIBED NATURAL FIRE	66	(1)
National Park Service Fire Policies	66	(1)
Risks	67	(1)
SUMMARY	67	(2)
REFERENCES	69	(2)
Part II SOIL RESPONSES	71	(86)
Chapter 4 SOIL RESOURCE	73	(11)
INTRODUCTION	73	(2)
NATURE OF THE SOIL RESOURCE	75	(1)
SOIL PROFILE	75	(2)
SOIL PROPERTIES	77	(2)
CHANGES IN SOIL PROPERTIES DURING HEATING	79	(1)
ASSESSING FIRE EFFECTS	79	(2)
SUMMARY	81	(1)
REFERENCES	82	(2)
Chapter 5 PHYSICAL SOIL SYSTEM	84	(19)
INTRODUCTION	84	(1)
SOIL TEMPERATURES	84	(7)
Forest Ecosystems	86	(2)
Shrubland Ecosystems	88	(1)
Grassland Ecosystems	89	(2)
SOIL PHYSICAL PROPERTIES	91	(8)
Soil Structure	91	(1)
Porosity	92	(1)
Water Retention	92	(1)
Water Repellency	93	(4)
Water Repellency and Fire	94	(2)
Water Repellency and Aggregate Stability	96	(1)
Effect on Infiltration and Runoff	97	(2)
SUMMARY	99	(1)
REFERENCES	99	(4)
Chapter 6 CHEMICAL SOIL SYSTEM	103	(25)
INTRODUCTION	103	(1)
ORGANIC MATTER	103	(5)
Ecological Significance	105	(1)
Nutrient -- Holding Capacity	106	(1)
Responses to Fire	107	(1)
NUTRIENT CYCLING AND LOSSES	108	(10)
Importance of Nutrient Cycling	108	(1)
Nutrient Loss Mechanisms	108	(1)
Nitrogen Cycling and Losses	109	(5)
Nitrogen Response to Burning	109	(2)
Nitrogen Loss by Volatilization	111	(1)
Nitrogen Losses and Ecosystem Productivity	112	(2)
Nitrogen Replacement	114	(1)
Phosphorus and Sulfur Cycling and Losses	114	(1)
Estimating Nitrogen and Phosphorus Losses	115	(3)
NUTRIENT AVAILABILITY	118	(2)
Nitrogen	118	(2)
Phosphorus	120	(1)
CATIONS	120	(1)
OTHER CHEMICAL PROPERTIES	121	(1)
ASH BED EFFECT	121	(2)
SUMMARY	123	(1)
REFERENCES	123	(5)
Chapter 7 BIOLOGICAL SOIL SYSTEM	128	(29)
INTRODUCTION	128	(1)
ROLE OF BIOLOGICAL ORGANISMS	128	(3)
BIOLOGICAL RESPONSES TO FIRE	131	(1)
Direct Effects	131	(1)
Indirect Effects	132	(1)
NUTRIENT CYCLING PROCESSES	132	(8)
Decomposition of Organic Matter	132	(1)
Nitrogen Cycling	133	(4)
Mineralization	133	(2)
Denitrification	135	(1)
Nitrogen Fixation	135	(2)
Coarse Woody Debris	137	(3)
Nutrient Storage	138	(2)
Role of Fire	140	(1)
BACTERIA AND FUNGI	140	(1)
CRYPTOGAMIC CRUSTS	141	(2)
Composition and Functions	141	(1)
Fire Effects	142	(1)
MYCORRHIZAE AND PLANT ROOTS	143	(3)
Mycorrhizae	143	(2)
Ectomycorrhizal Fungi	144	(1)
Endomycorrhizal Fungi	145	(1)
Plant Roots	145	(1)
INVERTEBRATES	146	(2)
AMPHIBIANS AND REPTILES	148	(1)
SMALL MAMMALS	148	(2)
Mortality	149	(1)
Habitat Modification	149	(1)
SUMMARY	150	(1)
REFERENCES	151	(6)
Part III RESPONSES OF OTHER RESOURCES	157	(128)
Chapter 8 WATER	159	(37)
INTRODUCTION	159	(1)
WATERSHED CONDITION	159	(1)
HYDROLOGIC CYCLE	160	(12)
Interception	162	(1)
Hydrologic Significance	162	(1)
Effect of Fire	163	(1)
Evapotranspiration	163	(2)
Hydrologic Significance	164	(1)
Effect of Fire	164	(1)
Infiltration	165	(3)
Hydrologic Significance	165	(2)
Effect of Fire	167	(1)
Soil Water Storage	168	(2)
Hydrologic Significance	168	(1)
Effect of Fire	169	(1)
Snow Accumulation and Melt Patterns	170	(1)
Hydrologic Significance	170	(1)
Effect of Fire	171	(1)
Runoff	171	(1)
Hydrologic Significance	172	(1)
Effect of Fire	172	(1)
STREAMFLOW REGIME	172	(7)
Streamflow Discharge	173	(5)
Effect of Wildfire	174	(2)
Effect of Prescribed Burning	176	(2)
Peak Flow	178	(1)
Timing of Flow	178	(1)
Baseflow	179	(1)
SOIL EROSION AND SEDIMENTATION	179	(4)
Soil Erosion	179	(3)
Surface Erosion	180	(1)
Soil Mass Movement	181	(1)
Sedimentation	182	(1)
WATER QUALITY	183	(5)
Physical Characteristics	183	(1)
Dissolved Chemical Constituents	184	(3)
Bicarbonate Response	185	(1)
Nitrogen Response	185	(1)
Phosphorus Response	185	(1)
Cation Response	186	(1)
Sediment Losses of Nutrients	187	(1)
Biological Quality	188	(1)
CUMULATIVE EFFECTS OF FIRE ON WATER RESOURCES	188	(2)
Cumulative Effects of Fire	188	(1)
Triggering Mechanisms	189	(1)
SUMMARY	190	(1)
REFERENCES	190	(6)
Chapter 9 VEGETATION	196	(33)
INTRODUCTION	196	(1)
PLANTS	196	(6)
Heat Tolerance	197	(1)
Fire Resistance	197	(3)
Status of Food Reserve	197	(1)
Fire Adaptive Traits of Woody Plants	197	(1)
Fire Adaptive Traits of Herbaceous Plants	198	(1)
Natural Fire Regimes	199	(1)
Fire Frequency	200	(2)
Fire-Free Intervals	200	(2)
Effects of Management Practices	202	(1)
SUCCESSION	202	(7)
Community Replacement	203	(1)
Individual Plant Species	204	(4)
Fire Frequency	208	(1)
VEGETATIVE RESOURCES	209	(11)
Timber	209	(5)
Mortality	209	(2)
Postfire Growth	211	(1)
Regeneration	212	(2)
Forage	214	(3)
Production	214	(1)
Species Composition	215	(1)
Quality	216	(1)
Wildlife Habitats	217	(3)
Food	217	(1)
Cover	218	(1)
Structural Diversity	218	(1)
Composite Impacts	219	(1)
SUMMARY	220	(1)
REFERENCES	221	(8)
Chapter 10 WETLANDS AND RIPARIAN ECOSYSTEMS	229	(17)
INTRODUCTION	229	(1)
WETLANDS	229	(6)
Ecological Significance	230	(1)
Responses to Fire	231	(3)
Organic Soils	234	(1)
RIPARIAN ECOSYSTEMS	235	(4)
Ecological Significance	236	(1)
Riparian-Watershed Linkages	236	(2)
Responses to Fire	238	(1)
COARSE WOODY DEBRIS	239	(2)
BUFFER STRIPS	241	(1)
INSTREAM FLOW	242	(1)
SUMMARY	242	(1)
REFERENCES	243	(3)
Chapter 11 AIR	246	(20)
INTRODUCTION	246	(1)
SMOKE	246	(7)
Primary Chemical Products	247	(5)
Carbon Dioxide	248	(1)
Water Vapor	248	(1)
Carbon Monoxide	249	(1)
Particulate Matter	249	(1)
Hydrocarbons	249	(1)
Nitrogen and Sulfur Oxides	250	(1)
Free Radicals	251	(1)
Inorganic Fractions	251	(1)
Secondary Emissions	252	(1)
Ozone	252	(1)
Pesticides	253	(1)
SMOKE MANAGEMENT	253	(7)
Visibility	255	(1)
Visibility Risk Indices	255	(1)
Smoke Management Strategies	256	(3)
Emission Reduction	256	(1)
Avoidance and Dilution	257	(1)
Alternative Management Techniques	258	(1)
Education	259	(1)
Smoke Management Guidelines	259	(1)
REGULATORY CONSIDERATIONS	260	(1)
GLOBAL CLIMATE IMPACTS	261	(1)
SUMMARY	262	(1)
REFERENCES	263	(3)
Chapter 12 CULTURAL RESOURCES	266	(19)
INTRODUCTION	266	(1)
ARCHAEOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVE	266	(1)
REGULATIONS AND LEGISLATION	267	(1)
CATEGORIES OF CULTURAL RESOURCES	268	(1)
ARTIFACT DAMAGE BY FIRE	269	(8)
Ceramics	270	(1)
Grinding Stones	271	(1)
Lithic Artifacts and Glass	271	(1)
Architectural Materials	272	(1)
Rock Art Panels	272	(1)
Wood and Other Organics	273	(1)
Heat Effects on Dating Techniques	274	(1)
Archaeological Implications	275	(2)
Direct Effects	276	(1)
Indirect Effects	277	(1)
SCENIC BEAUTY	277	(2)
CULTURAL RESOURCES PROTECTION	279	(3)
Prefire Inventory and Planning of Fire Suppression	279	(1)
Minimizing the Impacts of Wildfire	280	(1)
Planning Prescribed Burns	281	(1)
Other Considerations	281	(1)
SUMMARY	282	(1)
REFERENCES	282	(3)
Part IV MANAGEMENT IMPLICATIONS	285	(34)
Chapter 13 ECONOMIC CONSIDERATIONS	287	(17)
INTRODUCTION	287	(1)
ASSESSMENT OF POSTFIRE CHANGES	287	(6)
Damages and Benefits	289	(1)
Time-Trend Response Functions	290	(3)
ECONOMIC EVALUATION AND FIRE MANAGEMENT DECISIONS	293	(8)
Present Net Worth Criterion	293	(1)
Fire Management Inputs and Fire Outcomes	294	(1)
Value Weights	295	(1)
A Valuation Procedure	296	(1)
Valuation Analysis	297	(3)
Use of Valuation Data	300	(1)
SUMMARY	301	(1)
REFERENCES	302	(2)
Chapter 14 FIRE IN ECOSYSTEM MANAGEMENT	304	(15)
INTRODUCTION	304	(1)
BENEFITS OF FIRE	304	(4)
Reducing Fuel Loads	305	(1)
Disposing of Slash	305	(1)
Preparation of Seedbeds	305	(1)
Thinning Overstocked Stands	306	(1)
Increasing Forage Plant Production	306	(1)
Improving Wildlife Habitats	307	(1)
Changing Hydrologic Processes	307	(1)
Improving Aesthetic Environments	308	(1)
CONCERNS AND CONSTRAINTS	308	(2)
Environmental Factors	308	(1)
Cultural Impacts	309	(1)
Economic Considerations	309	(1)
Public Support	310	(1)
ECOSYSTEM RESTORATION	310	(2)
FIRE EFFECTS INFORMATION SYSTEM	312	(2)
SUMMARY	314	(1)
REFERENCES	314	(5)
INDEX	319