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Posts Tagged: fire
UCCE report: Local forest restoration teams effective at rapid response
Quickly planting trees after wildfires crucial for communities, ecosystems, carbon goals
As the climate crisis fuels more high-severity wildfires, many forests – adapted to bounce back from frequent but less-intense fires – are struggling to recover quickly.
“In a lot of locations, forests in the Sierra Nevada that burn at high severity are not regenerating on their own,” said Susie Kocher, University of California Cooperative Extension forestry and natural resources advisor for the Central Sierra. “They need to have living trees to drop seeds; if everything dies in an intense fire, then there's a high likelihood in those locations that trees might not return for a while.”
According to Kocher, a forest may take multiple decades to grow back on its own, seeding in very slowly from the edges of a burn. To speed up that regeneration process, a pilot program of local “Emergency Forest Restoration Teams,” or EFRTs, have been helping forest landowners rapidly remove dead trees, plant new seedlings and expedite other vital tasks after wildfires.
Kocher is a co-author of a recently released report evaluating the EFRTs, which appear to be effective in assisting often-overwhelmed private landowners navigate competitive funding programs and complicated permitting pathways after wildfire. Small private landowners in California own 7 million acres, comprising 22% of forested land across the state.
“None of our current assistance programs were really designed to rapidly respond to high-severity fire disasters,” Kocher said. “And we're just getting so much more high-severity fire now that there needed to be a different way of helping people, besides business as usual.”
Lead agencies improve coordination of restoration efforts
Drawing from a successful model in Washington, Kocher and other members of the Governor's Forest Management Task Force recommended the formation of EFRTs in 2019 and this recommendation made it into the California Wildfire and Forest Resilience Action Plan of 2021.
Following the Caldor, Dixie and Tamarack fires during that year, disaster relief funds from CAL FIRE and the U.S. Forest Service enabled the establishment of pilot EFRTs in each of the affected regions. A key innovation was designating a local lead agency to coordinate restoration efforts: the El Dorado Resource Conservation District (Caldor), the Feather River Resource Conservation District (Dixie) and Alpine County (Tamarack).
“The idea is that one well-established local agency gets the funds to carry out all the reforestation work,” Kocher said. “They find contractors for the landowners and plan and carry out all the work needed, including dead tree removal, site preparation and replanting; this helps it be more coordinated across the landscape and reduces competition for contractors.”
“Also, for most of that work, there's no cost to the landowner – which is a huge benefit to them, because these things can get really expensive, like many thousands of dollars an acre,” Kocher added.
Although there was an initial steep learning curve for the local lead agencies on the complexities of reforestation and the maze of required permits, they quickly executed a significant number of forest restoration treatments. Within two years, the three pilot teams had collectively completed over 2,500 acres of dead tree removal and 1,400 acres of conifer planting.
“The overwhelming benefit of the pilots was that a lot of work got done on the ground, that otherwise would not have been done – at least not in the timeframe that was made possible by the EFRTs,” said Daylin Wade, a UCCE staff research associate and co-author of the recent report, who synthesized feedback from interviews of professionals involved in the program.
Rapid reforestation better financially, ecologically
Both Wade and Kocher underscored how the EFRTs were crucial in completing restoration tasks in a timely manner. Removal of dead wood becomes trickier and more expensive over time, as the trees decay and are dangerous to cut down.
“A major accomplishment was getting trees out of there while it was both safe and economically viable to remove those trees – and getting trees in the ground before shrubs dominate the site,” Wade explained.
It's also imperative to quickly remove the dead trees to reduce the fuel load and minimize the chances of re-burn in the area.
“If you're not doing this work, then you're actually endangering the investment that you're putting into rebuilding communities that burned, because they're in danger of burning again if you have huge piles of dead trees everywhere,” Kocher said.
Furthermore, expediting those tasks helps restore the forest cover that is crucial for sequestering carbon and achieving the goals of California's sweeping climate action plan – such as attaining carbon neutrality by 2045.
“We have very ambitious carbon goals for our forests in California, and so reestablishing them – even on private lands – is a public benefit,” Kocher said.
Evaluation of EFRTs by UC Cooperative Extension continues
In addition to enumerating the progress of the three EFRT case studies, the evaluation report also lists recommendations to further enhance the program, such as securing rapid and flexible funding for future EFRTs, improving guidance for local lead agencies and streamlining permitting processes.
The authors also stressed the need to expand opportunities for the commercial sale of woody material in the aftermath of a wildfire event. Selling logs and wood chips reduces the volume of material that would need to processed onsite by the EFRTs and their contractors, thereby defraying some of the costs for that work.
But there simply hasn't been a sufficient market for that woody biomass.
“It's a big barrier,” Kocher said. “If we had a healthier timber market, it would be easier to make this stuff pay its own way and be less of a subsidized endeavor.”
UC Cooperative Extension's EFRT evaluation work – made possible by funding from the U.S. Forest Service State, Private and Tribal Forestry, Region 5 – will continue for the next couple years. On the heels of this first report, Wade will next gather and summarize feedback from private landowners on whether the EFRTs are meeting their goals.
And, later this summer and fall, researchers will begin assessing the ecological success of the plantings in the restoration areas, surveying seedling survival and gauging the volume of competing vegetation.
“It's hugely encouraging that we've gotten all these trees in the ground, but it's not the end of the process – it's just the beginning,” Kocher said. “Trees and forests need to be maintained over time, so this next step will let us see how successful that has been, and if there are additional steps needed to actually ensure that these trees succeed and thrive.”
The full report, dedicated to the memory of report co-author and UCCE advisor Ryan Tompkins, can be found at https://ucanr.edu/efrt.
Wildfire preparedness strategies for farms covered in UC ANR webinars
UCCE advisors will present webinars on May 21 and 28
Late spring rains have delayed California's fire season this year, which provides farmers and ranchers an opportunity to improve their wildfire preparedness. Barns, wood fencing, hay and other property commonly found on farms have inherent vulnerabilities to wildfire.
Fortunately, buildings and infrastructure can be hardened and maintained to reduce their vulnerability to fire and fire-related damage to agricultural resources. Having a plan in place to keep livestock safe and healthy is essential to maintaining animal health and resume operations as quickly as possible post-wildfire. Join the UC Agriculture and Natural Resources Fire Network team to learn about wildfire preparedness strategies for farms and ranches.
The two-part webinar series will cover hardening structures and managing livestock during wildfire.
Part 1: Ranch Hardening and Wildfire Preparedness Strategies for Agricultural Structures
- May 21 at 6-7 p.m.
- Join UC Cooperative Extension fire advisor Luca Carmignani and UCCE forest advisor Yana Valachovic to discuss best practices for incorporating principles of structure hardening and defensible space into agricultural structures and operations.
- Register by May 20 at https://bit.ly/3y1MbuP. Link to webinar will be emailed to registrants.
Part 2: The Realities of Managing Livestock Health During Wildfire
- May 28 at 6-7:30 p.m.
- Join UCCE livestock and natural resource advisors and our partners for a set of presentations about managing livestock health during wildfire events and what to do if you find yourself trapped by an approaching wildfire.
- Register by May 20 at https://bit.ly/3y1MbuP. Link to webinar will be emailed to registrants.
Car fumes, weeds pose double-whammy for fire-loving native plants
Wildflower displays threatened
Northwest of Los Angeles, springtime brings native wildflowers to bloom in the Santa Monica Mountains. These beauties provide food for insects, maintain healthy soil and filter water seeping into the ground – in addition to offering breathtaking displays of color.
They're also good at surviving after wildfire, having adapted to it through millennia. But new research shows wildflowers that usually would burst back after a blaze and a good rain are losing out to the long-standing, double threat of city smog and nonnative weeds.
A recent study led by Justin Valliere, assistant professor in the UC Davis Department of Plant Sciences, found that native wildflowers and other plants that typically flourish following a fire were, instead, replaced by invasive plants on land that received the kind of nitrogen contained in vehicle emissions.
“Many native plants in fire-prone areas rely on fire, and some are entirely dependent on it. Some are even most abundant after a fire,” said Valliere, a UC Cooperative Extension specialist in invasive weed and restoration ecology. “But we found that these fire-following species may be especially vulnerable to the combination of nitrogen pollution and invasive plants.”
That's part of the reason why native plants in these mountains have been declining.
Seeds – banked in the soil and waiting to sprout
The problem faced by native plants can be compared to a drawn-down bank account: Funds withdrawn are not being replaced.
It starts with fire, an important ecological process, Valliere said. Flames burn through plants on the surface and return their nutrients to the soil. Seeds sleeping in the ground wait for the next rain to sprout, then use those nutrients to grow.
“Plant diversity is often highest in growing seasons immediately after a site burns,” he said.
But invading plants have many advantages over native ones. They often sprout earlier, grow faster and create more seeds, all while tolerating drought.
“They're like cheaters,” Valliere said. “They don't follow the same rules.”
Nitrogen, too, is an important piece of every plant's nutrition. They all get a fertilizing boost from nitrogen that floats up in vehicle emissions and falls to the ground. But the invaders use nitrogen and other nutrients to grow faster, winning the race for water and sunlight. As a result, fewer native plants reach maturity, producing fewer seeds that keep their populations thriving.
When the bank balance reaches zero
The 2013 Springs Fire gave Valliere a unique opportunity to study the combined impacts of wildfire and extra nitrogen. He and colleagues from UC Riverside and the National Park Service created test plots in the Santa Monica Mountains where the fire had burned. Then, they added nitrogen to the soil to mimic the amount and type that LA's smog would deposit. Over the study's three years, native plants that typically would have flourished after wildfire instead declined even faster in the plots with added nitrogen.
Native seeds sprouted, but didn't flower. Over time, the soil's bank of seeds drew down.
“Each seed has one chance to flower and reproduce,” Valliere said. “If a seed grows and gets outcompeted, that seed has lost its chance to replenish the seed bank.”
Without the chance to replenish their bank account, native plants will die out, and the whole ecosystem will be thrown out of balance.
“There is inherent value in biodiversity,” Valliere said. “These invasive weeds could prevent the re-establishment of native shrubs after fire, sometimes forever altering the plant community.”
The loss of native plants can have cascading effects on the larger environment, he added. Problems can include the loss of native bees that feed on the flowers, and mudslides when rain makes hillsides unstable.
This problem is likely to repeat in similar areas where biodiversity is highest after wildfires – including parts of the Mediterranean basin, southern Africa and Australia. The addition of city smog “could have serious consequences for the biodiversity of fire-prone ecosystems worldwide,” Valliere warned.
Read the paper, “Nitrogen deposition suppresses ephemeral post-fire plant diversity,” by Justin Valliere, Irina Irvine and Edith Allen.
This article was first published on the UC Davis Department of Plant Sciences website.
20-year study confirms California forests are healthier when burned or thinned
Surrogates to wildfire
Trial by fire
More than 800 wildland fire professionals gather for international conference in Monterey
UC ANR among sponsors of 10th International Fire Ecology and Management Congress
Scientists, land managers, educators and students from a variety of organizations worldwide will gather from Dec. 4-8 in Monterey, California for the 10th International Fire Ecology and Management Congress. The conference is hosted by the Association for Fire Ecology in cooperation with the California Fire Science Consortium.
Major sponsors include University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources, with the Esselen Tribe of Monterey County as the host tribe. There are more than 25 additional sponsors and exhibitors representing federal and state agencies, universities, nonprofits, tribal organizations and companies.
“As we know from recent fire events across the globe, wildland fire issues are complex and there is an urgent need to work together in new and creative ways to address wildfire-related challenges,” said Lenya Quinn-Davidson, Fire Network director at UC ANR. “We need to identify opportunities to promote fire-resilient communities and environments.”
This event will include workshops, field trips and three full days of presentations, discussion groups and networking opportunities around the theme, “Igniting Connections: Celebrating Our Fire Family Across Generations, Cultures and Disciplines.”
On Monday, Dec. 4, the Fire Congress will kick off with 10 workshops and trainings, offering opportunities for participants to build and apply new skills in modeling, collaborative planning, risk management and more. From Tuesday morning to Thursday afternoon, the Fire Congress program is filled with innovative plenary sessions, more than 500 oral and poster presentations, and opportunities for sharing information through discussion groups and meetings.
For the first time, the conference will also feature an Indigenous Culture and Art Showcase, taking place on Tuesday, Dec. 5. The entire event concludes on Friday, Dec. 8 with field trips to explore nearby natural areas to see how the concepts discussed at the Fire Congress are being applied in California.
Participants will be encouraged to share and explore proactive solutions that apply Western science and Indigenous knowledge to meet desired management and societal outcomes.
More conference information at http://afefirecongress.org.
MEDIA CONTACTS
Lenya Quinn-Davidson (University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources): lquinndavidson@ucanr.edu, 707-272-0637
Morgan Varner (Tall Timbers Research Station): mvarner@talltimbers.org, 707-845-1659
Jeffrey Kane (Cal Poly Humboldt): Jeffrey.Kane@humboldt.edu, 928-637-4128
