1 / 9

Fire and Water

Fire and Water. Dr. Carolyn Hunsaker Pacific Southwest Research Station , Fresno , CA. Science Synthesis. PSW GTR 247 available 2014 Science Synthesis to Support Socioecological Resilience in the Sierra Nevada and Southern Cascade Range Chapter 4. Fire Chapter 5. Soils

lenka
Download Presentation

Fire and Water

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript


  1. Fire and Water Dr. Carolyn Hunsaker Pacific Southwest Research Station, Fresno, CA

  2. Science Synthesis • PSW GTR 247 available 2014 Science Synthesis to Support Socioecological Resilience in the Sierra Nevada and Southern Cascade Range • Chapter 4. Fire • Chapter 5. Soils • Chapter 6. Water Resources and Aquatic Ecosystems

  3. Fire can be both good and badMuch of the Sierra Nevada has not burned in 80-100years

  4. We have more studies on wildfire than prescribed fire effects • Sierra Nevada has only 2 published studies on prescribed fire effects • North Tahoe • Sequoia/Kings Canyon National Park • In progress • Kings River Experimental Watersheds

  5. Climate Change Effects • Increased storm intensity • Uncharacteristically severe wildfire • Promotes vegetation disturbance • Including insect/pathogen outbreaks • Drought • Wildfire • Air pollution stress • WHICH---

  6. Affect Sediment & Channel Processes • Increased flooding and sediment movement • Could reduce channel stability & habitat quality • Post-fire sediment yields • 2-3 times • Post-fire debris flow—increase • Up to 10 times

  7. Fire: Nutrient (N & C) • Loss by volatilization • Wildfire higher than prescribed fire • N affected more than C • Nutrients can be elevated in streams • Neither fire type detrimental • Could be beneficial where atmospheric N deposition high

  8. Fire: Stream Invertebrates • No negative effects from prescribed fire • Post wildfire effects up to a few years • Difficult to generalize because depends on intensity

  9. Scientist Recommendations • Riparian restoration • Put fire back into headwater streams • Fuels reduction / forest restoration opportunities • Maintain or improve water quantity and quality

More Related