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Flashcards in Prescribed burning Deck (8)
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1
Q

What are the main ways in which fire affects ecosystem composition, structure and processes?

A

Altering Seral stages

Altering chemistry of soils

2
Q

How does fire alter seral stages?

A

Reducing fir tolerant species
Stimulating germination of seeds of fire adapted species
reduce woody vegetation while creating wildlife trees and LWD

3
Q

How does fire alter soil chemistry?

A

Releasing nutrients in vegetation, both living and dead

Increasing the soil’s pH

4
Q

What are two criteria necessary to conduct prescribed burns?

A
  1. Matching Natural/historic regimes
    • frequency, time of year, intensity, size, patchiness
  2. Ensuring abiotic conditions are condusive to human safety
    - low wind and temp, high moisture
5
Q

Which criteria is more important?

A

Human safety

  • prescribed burn schedules different from historic
  • concern over similarity between prescribed and historic.
  • safety measure cause prescribed burns to be done at different times than natural
6
Q

What needs to be considered with the 2nd criteria

A

Could lead to adverse effects on vegetation and wildlife

- fire evolved ecosystems have species resilient to out of season burns

7
Q

What is the advantage of a variable fire regime?

A

Multiple burns at different times of year may alleviate the potential for undesired changes and maximize biodiversity

8
Q

What is the advantage of conducting prescribed burns in multiple seasons

A

Improved ecological outcomes

-better able to select conditions in which to conduct burns (not multiple in one season)