Wildfire Effects

The topography of the island is also of note. The west end of the island features a closed-canopy forest with more hardwood trees. The east end of the island is better characterized as a “boreal forest,” a term used to describe regions that are mostly covered by coniferous forests. It is good to note that the balsam fir is found on both ends of the island, but that samples used in the study from the west end of the island were, on average, older, but shorter, than those samples found on the east side of the island.

Every forest has a story to tell. By looking closely at its habitants, that story can be interpreted. Much of this narrative is written in the trees: their age, their tolerance to shade, and the rate at which they grow are all characteristics that can imply a lot about their environment. Exploring these relationships and how they connect with each other can indicate the health and history of the land. Heiberg Forest, located in northern New York, was once used for agricultural purposes in the 1800-1900’s. (Nowak, Lecture Notes) Much of the land once used for farming was left to regrow back into a young forest. The life history of different tree species can be determined by examining the most common species in Heiberg.

Research by Su et al. (1996) revealed that different hardwood content in stands influences balsam fir defoliation and mortality caused by spruce budworm. Defoliation and mortality are less in stand with high hardwood content than in stands with low hardwoods (MacLean 1980; Bergeron et al. 1995; Su et al. 1996). This results in higher canopy openness in stands with high conifer content than in high hardwood content

Anstey Hill Recreation Park proves an interesting area to study the effects of bushfire on native ecosystems as a path winding up the hill provides a fire break. This break is what allows the two differing burn areas to be studied. The 2012 fire was a prescribed burn as the area had previously been unburnt since Ash Wednesday in 1983. Prescribed burns are conducted to reduce the fire danger associated with the fuel that builds up over time in the

In this article, authors William Ripple and Robert Beschta focus on the issue of predation and the way it affects biodiversity and otherwise alters ecosystems. While many other studies have stressed the lethal effects of predation by carnivores, the authors of this study have chosen to focus on how nonlethal outcomes of predation affect the structure and function of ecosystems. The authors give two main objectives to their study: first to provide a short synthesis of the potential ecosystem responses to predation risk in a three-level trophic cascade involving large carnivores, hoofed animals, and vegetation; and secondly to present research that centers on wolves, elk, and woody browse species in the northern area of Yellowstone National

The ancient forests of the Northeast aren’t the only aspect of the bioregion that’s fate have been at perpetual risk since the early settlement of Europeans. There is no question that forests still dominate the landscape of Northeastern region accounting for “60% of the total land area, and in New England alone, the coverage is 80%”. Still the species that exist within the understory of the forests have undergone an equally dramatic transformation because of human interaction with the land and the harvest of its resources. Some species in the understory of the mixed forests of the Northeast have been driven out of the region, are under intense ecological pressure, are on the brink of extinction, or have already gone extinct in the region. Perhaps one of the most harmful and impactful effects colonization of the Northeast has had on the resources of the land is the introduction of non-native species and diseases into the region. Over time the overall makeup of the forests have changed drastically as an example, “…the American chestnut once made up as much as 25% of the trees in some areas and was economically the most important hardwood in the Eastern forests”. The introduction of chestnut blight at the turn of the century accounts for

On September 17th, 2015 our group went on the Orange Trail of the State Botanical Garden of Georgia in Athens, Georgia to collect data for our lab. The biome of this area that we explored fit a temperate deciduous forest type. We walked along the trail and picked random spots to start measuring our transects. We measured DBH size and canopy coverage at 10, 20, 30, and 40 meters respectively along each transect for a total of six transects. We used a densitometer to measure the percent of canopy coverage of the tree closest to the center of the sampling points along each of the transects. We used a measuring tape to measure out 10, 20, 30, and 40 meters respectively along each of the six

So what are Aspen trees and Pine trees? Aspen trees and Pine trees are a type of trees which are used to make paper or products which relate to paper. For example, tissue, cardboard, matches, paper, wooden furniture, houses, etc. There are quite a lot fo types of Aspen trees, but the main three types of Aspen trees are Quaking Aspen, BigTooth Aspen and European Aspen. (Lovetoknow Corp. "Aspen Trees.") Aspen trees bark are usually white with some black spots, Their logs are also usually really thin. (Lovetoknow Corp. "Aspen Trees.") Their leaves are usually round and is different for different species of the Aspen trees. (Lovetoknow Corp. "Aspen Trees.") Aspens also have small flowers called

The Appalachians span over a distance of 1,600 miles, ranging across 14 states, from Newfoundland in the North, to Alabama in the South. The Appalachians are the oldest chain of mountains on the North American continent. With forest, comes forest fires, some natural and some prescribed by humans. In order to reduce the calamitous damage caused by natural wildfires, the technique of prescribed fires is used. This is done by diminishing the amounts of trees, shrubs, and brush in the intended area. By doing this, new native plant growth is encouraged and it helps maintain some plant and animal species that depend on the periodic fires. With this man made force comes numerous effects on vegetation, wildlife, and the human impact.

The Rim Fire of 2013 ravaged the slopes of the Stanislaus National Forest leaving many areas severely burned and unable to recover. Restoration efforts have been made and 56,000 saplings were planted in 2016 in the most severely burned areas; but the forest still has a long way to recovery. Fires are a naturally occurring hazard in the Stanislaus National Forest, and have contributed to the replenishment, control, and sustainability of the forest; but fires of the Rim Fire's intensity are very rare. The Rim Fire destroyed over 277,314 acres of habitat, harmed many mature trees, and ruined the layers of topsoil, and increased erosion and runoff. The devastation of the Rim Fire would not be have been so intense if it weren’t for past fire

The Wollemi Pine is a unique,, cone-bearing tree that grows to 40m in height it also has a very long life time. This species is often multi-stemmed and have a diameter of up to 1.2 m at breast height Bark is thin, it is fragile and densely covered with dark brown spongy, slightly cushioned tubercles, which looks similar to black Branches are arranged in continuous whorls which extend from the main stem. The side branches terminate in a cone. Wollemi Pine is most commonly located in western Sydney at the Wollemi National Park (NP) with a population of fewer than 100 adult trees in multiple stands and about 200–300 seedlings in total from within the Wollemi National Park, it Is considered an endangered species.

no surprise that wildfires are a huge issue in the western states. Especially on Indian Reservations. Two articles that focus on this issue are called Secretary Zinke Directs Interior Bureaus to Take aggressive Action to Prevent Wildfires, US Department of Interior & Western US Faces Wildfires Explosion by Kieran Cooke, Climate News Network. Both of these articles argue that wildfires shouldn’t become normalized and that something should be done to prevent and/or be better prepared for when wildfires occur. In essence these articles focus primarily on the amount of land burning and the effect it has on vegetation.

The Whitebark Pine is essential to the ecosystem for many reasons. Its large seeds are an important food source to many animals. They also provide shelter to animals. Whitebark pine are a pioneer species that grow and contributes to a community after a disturbance. It acts as a nurse tree the facilities growth. The Whitebark pine can grow in bad soil and in harsh environments. These trees grow in places where other plants can't so their roots hold the soil. They have very strong root so they prevent erosion and landslides in places where other plants can’t. They also hold snow and their shade slows the melting process. If they were gone the snow would melt and the water running off mountains would cause erosion.

Deciduous forests have trees that are very tall, round, and never-ending. Although you may have a fear of bears or cougars, you will be amazed at how beautiful the flowers and birds are. A deciduous forest is a home to many plants and animals. It is crucial that humans do not endanger any of the species, all of which are very important. My paper discusses climate, animals, plant life, and more found in deciduous forest throughout the world.

Humans have been changing the Western forests' fire system since the settlement by the Europeans and now we are experiencing the consequences of those changes. During the summer of 2002, 6.9 million acres of forests was burnt up in the West (Wildland Fires, 1). This figure is two times the ten year annual average, and it does not look like next summer will be any better (Wildfire Season, 1).