More evidence that we don't know enough to know what we don't know when it comes to how to combat "global warming."
Wildfires May Improve Forests' Ability to Sequester Carbon
When saving trees means less carbon storage
By Keren Blankfeld Schultz
Wildfires wreaked havoc across southern California last year, resulting in billions of dollars in irreparable damage. Not surprisingly, land managers and agencies this season have mobilized fire crews and equipment to stop the flames before they spread. In the meantime, however, researchers studying the amount of carbon that forests and vegetation harbor have stumbled on a finding that presents an added quandary to fire management: suppressing fires means that less carbon is stored in trees.
The team, led by Michael L. Goulden of the University of California, Irvine, compared the...(complete article here).
Showing posts with label fire. Show all posts
Showing posts with label fire. Show all posts
Friday, August 1, 2008
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
Brush, Water, Grass and Carbon Sequestration
The article below is one that opens a lot of issues for me. Juniper, mesquite and other woody brush referred to in the article are invasive species overrunning grassland. One of the reasons the grassland has been overrun is fire suppression practices.
The article discusses the concept that allowing the brush to remain is a method for sequestering carbon in an effort to combat "global warming." The natural order would be to allow fire to periodically remove large portions of the brush and sculpt a mixed prairie grassland with patches of brush interspersed with large open areas of grassland and occasional oak trees. Of course fire would release carbon into the atmosphere. It seems that failure to burn brush in California has created an extreme fire hazard.
I keep getting the feeling that we don't know enough to know what we don't know....
Research Could Change Perception of Woody Species Use of Water in Edwards Plateau
July 30, 2008
Writer(s): Blair Fannin, 979-845-2259,b-fannin@tamu.edu
Contact(s): Dr. Jim Heilman, 979-845-7169, j-heilman@tamu.edu
COLLEGE STATION – New research suggests that juniper, mesquite and other woody brush that have overrun grasslands on the Edwards Plateau of west-central Texas aren’t the water hogs that they were thought to be.
Further, bulldozing this brush may not be wise, because it would remove plants that take in lots of carbon from the atmosphere, making them a potential ally in efforts to counter global warming.
These are the findings of Dr. Jim Heilman, a Texas AgriLife Research scientist and professor of environmental physics in the Department of Soil and Crop Sciences at Texas A&M University.
“People have this idea that trees are suction pumps, that if you have all of this landscape and big trees, much more water is used,” he said. “Not true. What drives water use is...(complete article here).
The article discusses the concept that allowing the brush to remain is a method for sequestering carbon in an effort to combat "global warming." The natural order would be to allow fire to periodically remove large portions of the brush and sculpt a mixed prairie grassland with patches of brush interspersed with large open areas of grassland and occasional oak trees. Of course fire would release carbon into the atmosphere. It seems that failure to burn brush in California has created an extreme fire hazard.
I keep getting the feeling that we don't know enough to know what we don't know....
Research Could Change Perception of Woody Species Use of Water in Edwards Plateau
July 30, 2008
Writer(s): Blair Fannin, 979-845-2259,b-fannin@tamu.edu
Contact(s): Dr. Jim Heilman, 979-845-7169, j-heilman@tamu.edu
COLLEGE STATION – New research suggests that juniper, mesquite and other woody brush that have overrun grasslands on the Edwards Plateau of west-central Texas aren’t the water hogs that they were thought to be.
Further, bulldozing this brush may not be wise, because it would remove plants that take in lots of carbon from the atmosphere, making them a potential ally in efforts to counter global warming.
These are the findings of Dr. Jim Heilman, a Texas AgriLife Research scientist and professor of environmental physics in the Department of Soil and Crop Sciences at Texas A&M University.
“People have this idea that trees are suction pumps, that if you have all of this landscape and big trees, much more water is used,” he said. “Not true. What drives water use is...(complete article here).
Monday, July 14, 2008
Wildfire Fighting: Symptoms vs Causes
There are some underlying issues here that need to be addressed. 1) The suppression of fire over the last forever is part of the problem. Fire keeps the brush and trash clear. It is part of the natural order in the ecosystems in question. 2) People need to quit building in high fire risk areas or take steps to decrease their risk. It's like building in a flood plain. One of these days you will wake up with water in your house.
Don't treat the symptoms Mr. Secretary, deal with the root causes.
Secretary Kempthorne Strengthens Interior's Wildland Firefighting Efforts for California, the West
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Secretary of the Interior Dirk Kempthorne today issued two orders that will strengthen Interior’s wildland firefighting resources to help address severe conditions in California and bolster efforts across the West during this year’s wildfire season. The actions could make several hundred additional employees available to assist in wildland fire suppression and support activities.
“With the National Preparedness Level at its highest level, the...(complete article here).
Don't treat the symptoms Mr. Secretary, deal with the root causes.
Secretary Kempthorne Strengthens Interior's Wildland Firefighting Efforts for California, the West
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Secretary of the Interior Dirk Kempthorne today issued two orders that will strengthen Interior’s wildland firefighting resources to help address severe conditions in California and bolster efforts across the West during this year’s wildfire season. The actions could make several hundred additional employees available to assist in wildland fire suppression and support activities.
“With the National Preparedness Level at its highest level, the...(complete article here).
Monday, December 10, 2007
Prescribed Burning School
I thought this to be especially interesting since I posted about range burning just the other day.
Academy teaches use of prescribed fires
By SUSAN MONTOYA BRYAN,
Associated Press Writer
Sun Dec 9, 12:34 PM ET
CERRO GRANDE PEAK, N.M. - Wildland firefighters come here to the Southwest Fire Use Training Academy to learn not how to stop fires but how to start them, using prescribed burns to clean out overgrown forests and reduce the threat of catastrophic wildfires.
The academy gets its students at a time when the wildfire season is winding down in late autumn, when many firefighters are heading home after grueling weeks on the fire lines.
"We get folks...(complete article here).
Academy teaches use of prescribed fires
By SUSAN MONTOYA BRYAN,
Associated Press Writer
Sun Dec 9, 12:34 PM ET
CERRO GRANDE PEAK, N.M. - Wildland firefighters come here to the Southwest Fire Use Training Academy to learn not how to stop fires but how to start them, using prescribed burns to clean out overgrown forests and reduce the threat of catastrophic wildfires.
The academy gets its students at a time when the wildfire season is winding down in late autumn, when many firefighters are heading home after grueling weeks on the fire lines.
"We get folks...(complete article here).
Thursday, December 6, 2007
Prescribed Burning for Rangeland
Extremely low humidity, dry conditions and an abundance of grass from excellent summer rains have created conditions of high fire risk in our area. Besides the risk to property and to life, wildfires can potentially damage pastures.
Fire was one of the principal forces that formed and maintained the Great Plains grasslands. Before European settlement of the plains, fires were generally set by lightening or by Indians. Unchecked, the fires typically burned extensive acreages before encountering natural barriers such as streams or green vegetation. Such fires helped to suppress the growth of woody plants and cacti.
In the 1960’s range managers began to examine the use of fire as a tool for manipulating plant communities. They saw prescribed burning as a way to rid pastures of invasive species and as a way to rejuvenate grasslands that had become overburdened with old growth. In studying the use of fire as a management tool, it was found that the timing of the fires was critical in achieving the desired results. Burning at the wrong time of year can in fact damage beneficial species, exacerbate erosion by wind and water, and create opportunities for invasive species to enter.
Prescribed burning has gained credence as a management tool for pastureland in recent years. It has been used extensively in the Flint Hills of Kansas since the 1880’s when it was found that steer weight gains increased on burned areas. It was not until recently however that the reasons for the increased gains were understood. Removing the old-growth overburden allowed tender new shoots to become readily available to the grazing cattle. These new shoots were both higher in nutritive value and more palatable. Other benefits included increased grass yield and suppression of woody species.
In short-grass species such as blue grama, black grama, and buffalograss that are common to our area, there is typically little benefit to burning. Such grasses do not form the heavy overburden of dried stems that are common in mid-height and tall grasses. In short-grass pastures, burning can be used to control invasive weeds such as kochia and Russian thistle. Timing of such burning is critical. Due to the typical low humidity, dry soil conditions and wind, burning at the wrong time may cause heavy erosion and general degradation of the pasture.
It has been found that prescribed burns should be conducted on entire pastures rather than spot-burning. This is because the new growth in burned areas attracts cattle and is typically overgrazed while unburned areas are underutilized. The result is damage to the grasses in the burned areas and establishment of invasive species in unburned areas. This brings us back to fire damage to pastures.
Many of the grass fires during the winter months are due to careless burning of trash or from cigarettes thrown out the windows of vehicles. They typically are suppressed before burning large areas. This results in a “patchy” burn across pasture. When the new spring growth occurs, these burned areas are typically the first areas in which the new grasses are visible and available for grazing. The shoots are tender and free of dried stems from the previous season. Cattle gravitate to such areas in the pasture and not only keep the grass cropped extremely short, their hooves damage the new shoots and destroy many plants. This causes bare areas in which invasive weed species may become established.
The best way to manage such problems is to prevent them from happening. It is a good idea to keep roadside areas free of heavy growth during seasons of high fire risk. Reducing the available fuel supply can prevent wildfires from occurring because there is no fuel to sustain them. If however, you experience accidental fire damage to your pasture, consider a controlled burn in the spring to reduce the potential damage from overgrazing of the spot-burn. Burning the entire pasture can rejuvenate the grasses, reduce many unwanted species and stimulate new growth. If you have burned areas, or use prescribed burning, make certain that you hold off grazing until sufficient growth has occurred to prevent damage by the cattle.
Prescribed burning is an excellent management tool when used properly. Wildfire is not. Prevent range fires by taking steps to reduce your risk.
Fire was one of the principal forces that formed and maintained the Great Plains grasslands. Before European settlement of the plains, fires were generally set by lightening or by Indians. Unchecked, the fires typically burned extensive acreages before encountering natural barriers such as streams or green vegetation. Such fires helped to suppress the growth of woody plants and cacti.
In the 1960’s range managers began to examine the use of fire as a tool for manipulating plant communities. They saw prescribed burning as a way to rid pastures of invasive species and as a way to rejuvenate grasslands that had become overburdened with old growth. In studying the use of fire as a management tool, it was found that the timing of the fires was critical in achieving the desired results. Burning at the wrong time of year can in fact damage beneficial species, exacerbate erosion by wind and water, and create opportunities for invasive species to enter.
Prescribed burning has gained credence as a management tool for pastureland in recent years. It has been used extensively in the Flint Hills of Kansas since the 1880’s when it was found that steer weight gains increased on burned areas. It was not until recently however that the reasons for the increased gains were understood. Removing the old-growth overburden allowed tender new shoots to become readily available to the grazing cattle. These new shoots were both higher in nutritive value and more palatable. Other benefits included increased grass yield and suppression of woody species.
In short-grass species such as blue grama, black grama, and buffalograss that are common to our area, there is typically little benefit to burning. Such grasses do not form the heavy overburden of dried stems that are common in mid-height and tall grasses. In short-grass pastures, burning can be used to control invasive weeds such as kochia and Russian thistle. Timing of such burning is critical. Due to the typical low humidity, dry soil conditions and wind, burning at the wrong time may cause heavy erosion and general degradation of the pasture.
It has been found that prescribed burns should be conducted on entire pastures rather than spot-burning. This is because the new growth in burned areas attracts cattle and is typically overgrazed while unburned areas are underutilized. The result is damage to the grasses in the burned areas and establishment of invasive species in unburned areas. This brings us back to fire damage to pastures.
Many of the grass fires during the winter months are due to careless burning of trash or from cigarettes thrown out the windows of vehicles. They typically are suppressed before burning large areas. This results in a “patchy” burn across pasture. When the new spring growth occurs, these burned areas are typically the first areas in which the new grasses are visible and available for grazing. The shoots are tender and free of dried stems from the previous season. Cattle gravitate to such areas in the pasture and not only keep the grass cropped extremely short, their hooves damage the new shoots and destroy many plants. This causes bare areas in which invasive weed species may become established.
The best way to manage such problems is to prevent them from happening. It is a good idea to keep roadside areas free of heavy growth during seasons of high fire risk. Reducing the available fuel supply can prevent wildfires from occurring because there is no fuel to sustain them. If however, you experience accidental fire damage to your pasture, consider a controlled burn in the spring to reduce the potential damage from overgrazing of the spot-burn. Burning the entire pasture can rejuvenate the grasses, reduce many unwanted species and stimulate new growth. If you have burned areas, or use prescribed burning, make certain that you hold off grazing until sufficient growth has occurred to prevent damage by the cattle.
Prescribed burning is an excellent management tool when used properly. Wildfire is not. Prevent range fires by taking steps to reduce your risk.
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