Full text of this article is only available in PDF format.

Kevin C. Ryan (email)

Dynamic interactions between forest structure and fire behavior in boreal ecosystems

Ryan K. C. (2002). Dynamic interactions between forest structure and fire behavior in boreal ecosystems. Silva Fennica vol. 36 no. 1 article id 548. https://doi.org/10.14214/sf.548

Abstract

This paper reviews and synthesizes literature on fire as a disturbance factor in boreal forests. Spatial and temporal variation in the biophysical environment, specifically, vegetative structure, terrain, and weather lead to variations in fire behavior. Changes in slope, aspect, elevation, and soil affect site energy and water budgets and the potential plant community. These terrain features also have a major influence on fire-caused disturbance through their role in determining moisture conditions and flammability of fuels on hourly, seasonal, and successional time-scales. On fine time scales (minutes to hours), changes in weather, specifically wind and relative humidity, significantly affect a fire’s intensity and aboveground effects. Normal seasonal changes in dryness and periodic drought influence fire intensity and severity principally by affecting the depth of burn and belowground effects. On decades-long time scales changes in vegetative structure affect the mass of fuel available for burning and therefore the potential energy that can be released during a fire. The severity of fire varies in time and space depending not only on the biophysical environment, but also on the location on the fire’s perimeter (head vs. flank vs. rear). Spatial and temporal variation in severity within a fire can have long-lasting impacts on the structure and species composition of post-fire communities and the potential for future disturbances. Characteristic temperature histories of ground, surface, and crown fires are used to illustrate variations in fire severity. A soil-heating model is used to illustrate the impact of varying depth of burn on the depth at which various fire effects occur in the soil profile. A conceptual model is presented for the effects of fire severity on fire-plant regeneration interactions. The conceptual model can be used by restoration ecologists to evaluate the differential effects of controlled or prescribed fires and wildfires and to plan and implement fire treatments to conserve biodiversity.

Keywords
boreal forest; disturbance dynamics; stand structure; fire behavior; fire severity

Author Info
  • Ryan, USDA Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Fire Sciences Laboratory, P.O. Box 8089, Missoula, Montana 59807, USA E-mail kryan@fs.fed.us (email)

Received 22 November 2000 Accepted 8 March 2002 Published 31 December 2002

Views 5120

Available at https://doi.org/10.14214/sf.548 | Download PDF

Creative Commons License CC BY-SA 4.0

Register
Click this link to register to Silva Fennica.
Log in
If you are a registered user, log in to save your selected articles for later access.
Contents alert
Sign up to receive alerts of new content

Your selected articles
Send to email
Tanttu A., (1915) Development of the hummocks and hummock ridges o.. Acta Forestalia Fennica vol. 4 no. 1 article id 7533 (remove) | Edit comment
Klemola V. M., (1938) Wildlife management Silva Fennica vol. no. 46 article id 4539 (remove) | Edit comment
Koskenmaa E. J., (1951) Use of machines in construction of roads and flo.. Silva Fennica vol. no. 69 article id 4604 (remove) | Edit comment
de Lera Garrido A., Gobakken T. et al. (2022) Estimating forest attributes in airborne laser s.. Silva Fennica vol. 56 no. 2 article id 10695 (remove) | Edit comment
Gorshkov V. V., Bakkal I. J. (1996) Species richness and structure variations of Sco.. Silva Fennica vol. 30 no. 2–3 article id 5599 (remove) | Edit comment
Lihtonen V., (1942) Determination of felling value Acta Forestalia Fennica vol. 50 no. 10 article id 7363 (remove) | Edit comment
Kangas A. S., Kangas J. (1999) Optimization bias in forest management planning .. Silva Fennica vol. 33 no. 4 article id 651 (remove) | Edit comment
Ruha T., Varmola M. (1997) Precommercial thinning in naturally regenerated .. Silva Fennica vol. 31 no. 4 article id 5635 (remove) | Edit comment
Oleksyn J., Tjoelker M. G. et al. (1998) Adaptation to changing environment in Scots pine.. Silva Fennica vol. 32 no. 2 article id 691 (remove) | Edit comment
Maatalousväestön taloudellista asemaa selvittävä komitea ., (1957) Proceedings of the committee on economic status .. Silva Fennica vol. no. 91 article id 4670 (remove) | Edit comment
Siipilehto J., (2011) Local prediction of stand structure using linear.. Silva Fennica vol. 45 no. 4 article id 99 (remove) | Edit comment
Finnish Society of Forest Science ., (1989) Instructions to authors Silva Fennica vol. 23 no. 1 article id 5374 (remove) | Edit comment
Hartikainen T., (1997) Late-industrial sawmill customers Acta Forestalia Fennica vol. 0 no. 257 article id 7518 (remove) | Edit comment
Wegelius T., (1959) Survey of forest technology research in Finland Acta Forestalia Fennica vol. 70 no. 8 article id 7498 (remove) | Edit comment
Čugunovs M., Tuittila E.-S. et al. (2017) Recovery of boreal forest soil and tree stand ch.. Silva Fennica vol. 51 no. 5 article id 7723 (remove) | Edit comment
Gendreau C., (1986) Historical considerations and evolution of the f.. Silva Fennica vol. 20 no. 4 article id 5293 (remove) | Edit comment
Venäläinen M., Ruotsalainen S. (2002) Procedure for managing large-scale progeny test .. Silva Fennica vol. 36 no. 2 article id 539 (remove) | Edit comment
Westman C. J., (1977) Nutrient cycle in tree stands - Nordic symposium. Silva Fennica vol. 11 no. 3 article id 4977 (remove) | Edit comment
Suviranta Br., (1954) The way to war indemnities in kind Acta Forestalia Fennica vol. 61 no. 17 article id 7429 (remove) | Edit comment
Yli-Vakkuri P., Räsänen P. K. (1971) The influence of covering and tramping the seeds.. Silva Fennica vol. 5 no. 1 article id 4832 (remove) | Edit comment
Mehtätalo L., (2005) Height-diameter models for Scots pine and birch .. Silva Fennica vol. 39 no. 1 article id 395 (remove) | Edit comment
Ryan K. C., (2002) Dynamic interactions between forest structure an.. Silva Fennica vol. 36 no. 1 article id 548 (remove) | Edit comment
Your search results