Journal article
Megafires: an emerging threat to old‐forest species
Frontiers in ecology and the environment, Vol.14(6), pp.300-306
08/2016
DOI: 10.1002/fee.1298
Abstract
Increasingly frequent “megafires” in North America's dry forests have prompted proposals to restore historical fire regimes and ecosystem resilience. Restoration efforts that reduce tree densities (eg via logging) could have collateral impacts on declining old‐forest species, but whether these risks outweigh the potential effects of large, severe fires remains uncertain. We demonstrate the effects of a 2014 California megafire on an iconic old‐forest species, the spotted owl (Strix occidentalis). The probability of owl site extirpation was seven times higher after the fire (0.88) than before the fire (0.12) at severely burned sites, contributing to the greatest annual population decline observed during our 23‐year study. The fire also rendered large areas of forest unsuitable for owl foraging one year post‐fire. Our study suggests that megafires pose a threat to old‐forest species, and we conclude that restoring historical fire regimes could benefit both old‐forest species and the dry forest ecosystems they inhabit in this era of climate change.
Details
- Title: Subtitle
- Megafires: an emerging threat to old‐forest species
- Creators
- Gavin M Jones - University of Wisconsin–MadisonR J Gutiérrez - University of MinnesotaDouglas J Tempel - University of Wisconsin–MadisonSheila A Whitmore - University of Wisconsin–MadisonWilliam J Berigan - University of Wisconsin–MadisonM Zachariah Peery - University of Wisconsin–Madison
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Publication Details
- Frontiers in ecology and the environment, Vol.14(6), pp.300-306
- DOI
- 10.1002/fee.1298
- ISSN
- 1540-9295
- eISSN
- 1540-9309
- Number of pages
- 7
- Grant note
- US Fish and Wildlife Service, California Department of Water Resources University of Minnesota Agricultural Experiment Station University of Wisconsin–Madison USFS Pacific Southwest Research Station California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection Sierra Nevada Conservancy USFS Region 5 California Department of Fish and Wildlife
- Language
- English
- Date published
- 08/2016
- Academic Unit
- School of Earth, Environment, and Sustainability
- Record Identifier
- 9985219857702771
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