The ecological importance of mixed-severity fires: Nature's phoenix [Book Review]

Abstract

The stated goal of a recent book, The Ecological Importance of Mixed-Severity Fires: Nature’s Phoenix, edited by Dominick A. DellaSala and Chad T. Hansen, is to provide a global reference on the benefits of mixed- and high-severity fires. Note that the goal is not to provide an objective reference on the ecological aspects of mixed- and high-severity fires. Rather, the book appears to be mostly about convincing the reader that large severe fires occur in perhaps all forest types and provide important biological legacies and rare early-seral habitats and further that postfire logging degrades a highly valued habitat and postfire conifer planting sets forests up for severe fires in the future.

Citation

Sieg, Carolyn H. 2016. The ecological importance of mixed-severity fires: Nature's phoenix [Book Review]. Forest Science. 62(6): 710-711.