Fire effects
| Authors: | Rose-Marie Muzika, Linda S. Heath |
| Year: | 2012 |
| Type: | General Technical Report |
| Station: | Southern Research Station |
| Source: | Bechtold, William A.; Bohne, Michael J.; Conkling, Barbara L.; Friedman, Dana L.; Tkacz, Borys M., eds. 2012. A synthesis of evaluation monitoring projects by the forest health monitoring program (1998–2007). Gen. Tech. Rep. SRS-159. Asheville, NC: U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service, Southern Research Station. 140 p. |
Abstract
Evaluation Monitoring (EM) projects under the national Forest Health Monitoring (FHM) Program of the Forest Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, explored approaches to better understand the role and effect of fire, specific targets for determining the ecological and economic effects of fire, and the relationship of fire to forest health conditions. Since fire is strongly related to forest health in ecological, social, cultural, and political ways, investigations of fire effects must also be multifaceted. Furthermore, quantifying the spatiotemporal association of fire and fire effects represents a constant work-in-progress. Changes in management activity, climate conditions, and stochastic patterns of disturbance in natural forests present challenges to the development of overarching predictive models. As fundamental and applied research efforts contribute results, models will improve and corresponding management decisions will rely on those advancements.