Fire in the forest

Abstract

From ancient philosophies to present day science, the ubiquity of change and the process of transformation are core concepts. The primary focus of a recent white paper on disturbance ecology is summed up by the Greek philosopher Heraclitus who stated, "Nothing is permanent but change." Disturbance processes, such as fire, provide a window into the emerging world of nonequilibrium theory. In contrast to a steady state view of the world, nonequilibrium theory asserts that biological communities are always recovering from the last disturbance. Disturbance is somewhat of a misnomer, connoting disruption of an equilibrium. Disturbance is about death and rebirth, the continuous process of renewal. Incorporating the process of renewal and transformation is the key to creating healthy forests and effective organizations. The process of continuous renewal in organizations is embodied in the concept of learning organizations. Building shared vision is one of the cornerstones of a learning organization and is the first step to incorporating disturbance ecology in land management practices.

Parent Publication

• Forest health through silviculture: Proceedings of the 1995 National Silviculture Workshop

Citation

Saveland, James M. 1995. Fire in the forest. In: L.G. Eskew, comp. Forest health through silviculture: proceedings of the 1995 National Silviculture Workshop, Mescalero, New Mexico, May 8-11, 1995. Gen. Tech. Rep. RM-GTR-267. Fort Collins, CO: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Forest and Range Experiment Station: 14-19