Fire performance in traditional silvicultural and fire and fire surrogate treatments in Sierran mixed-conifer forests: a brief summary

Mixed conifer forests cover 7.9 million acres of California’s total land base. Forest structure in these forests has been influenced by harvest practices and silvicultural systems implemented since the beginning of the California Gold Rush in 1849. Today, the role of fire in coniferous forests, both in shaping past stand structure and its ability to shape future structure, is a central force driving both the direction and political debate around forest management on public lands. The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate stand structures which contribute to effective fuel treatments and to provide data which will help managers design desired conditions for future fuel treatment projects. Dr. Jim Agee and Carl Skinner have outlined four principles of fuel treatments which should be integrated when implementing treatments with a goal of enhancing fire resiliency. Stand structures which performed the best with respect to potential fire behavior incorporated most or all of the four principles of fuel reduction. Modification of fire behavior and severity will likely continue to be a driving force in forest management. In most cases, this goal will have to be integrated with multiple forest values and uses, particularly on public lands.

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