Prescribed burning following wildfire: Effects on fuel loading and regeneration in a ponderosa pine forest

Friday, October 27, 2023

3:00pm - 4:00pm PST

Location: Expo Hall

Poster Presenter(s)

CW

Cristina L. Winters

Student
California State Polytechnic University, Humboldt
Albion, California, United States

Co-Author(s)

MB

Mike A. Battaglia, PhD (he/him/his)

Research Forester
USDA Forest Service Rocky Mountain Research Station
Fort Collins, Colorado, United States
LA

Lance Asherin, n/a

Forester
USDA Forest Service Rocky Mountain Research Station, United States

Prescribed fire initially reduced fuels and post-wildfire regeneration within moderate and high severity wildfire areas. In high severity areas, we observed high seedling mortality, paired with high fuels reductions. In contrast, in the moderate severity areas, we observed fuels reductions, but maintained pre-prescribed burn regeneration densities.

Learning Objectives:

describe the changes in woody fuel loads following a prescribed fire in the burn scar of a wildland fire.
describe the changes in ponderosa pine regeneration following a prescribed fire in the burn scar of a wildland fire.