Fire in California's Ecosystems

"The authors synthesize the theoretical and practical aspects of fire issues in a well-organized structure that makes it easy for the readers to find information on specific aspects of fire. This comprehensive volume will definitely improve understanding of fire regimes and their ecological impacts in order to 'manage wildlands and fire in harmony with nature.' " * Conservation Biology *

Jan W. van Wagtendonk is Research Forester Emeritus with the National Park Service, Yosemite National Park. Neil G. Sugihara is Program Coordinator, Wildfire Training and Education, at Northern Arizona University. Scott L. Stephens is Professor of Fire Science, Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management, at the University of California, Berkeley. Andrea E. Thode is Professor of Fire Ecology and Management, School of Forestry, at Northern Arizona University. Kevin E. Shaffer is Fisheries Chief at the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. Jo Ann Fites-Kaufman is a private consultant.

LIST OF CONTRIBUTORS ix FOREWORD xi JAMES K. AGEE PREFACE xv 1 Introduction: Fire and California Vegetation / 1 NEIL G. SUGIHARA, TODD KEELER-WOLF, AND MICHAEL G. BARBOUR PART ONE Introduction to Fire Ecology 2 California Fire Climate / 11 RICHARD A. MINNICH 3 Fire Weather Principles / 27 BRENDA L. BELONGIA AND RICHARD A. MINNICH 4 Fire as a Physical Process / 39 JAN W. VAN WAGTENDONK 5 Fire as an Ecological Process / 57 NEIL G. SUGIHARA, JAN W. VAN WAGTENDONK, AND JO ANN FITES-KAUFMAN 6 Characterizing Fire Regimes / 71 BRANDON M. COLLINS, JAY D. MILLER, JEFFREY M. KANE, DANNY L. FRY, AND ANDREA E. THODE 7 Fire and Physical Environment Interactions: Soil, Water, and Air / 87 PETER M. WOHLGEMUTH, KEN R. HUBBERT, TRENT PROCTER, AND SURAJ AHUJA 8 Fire and Plant Interactions / 103 AMY G. MERRILL, ANDREA E. THODE, ALEXANDRA M. WEILL, JO ANN FITES-KAUFMAN, ANNE F. BRADLEY, AND TADASHI J. MOODY 9 Fire and Animal Interactions / 123 KEVIN E. SHAFFER, SHAULA J. HEDWALL, AND WILLIAM F. LAUDENSLAYER, JR. PART TWO The History and Ecology of Fire in Californias Ecosystems 10 North Coast Bioregion / 149 SCOTT L. STEPHENS, JEFFREY M. KANE, AND JOHN D. STUART 11 Klamath Mountains Bioregion / 173 CARL N. SKINNER, ALAN H. TAYLOR, JAMES K. AGEE, CHRISTY E. BRILES, AND CATHY L. WHITLOCK 12 Southern Cascades Bioregion / 197 CARL N. SKINNER AND ALAN H. TAYLOR 13 Northeastern Plateaus Bioregion / 221 GREGG M. RIEGEL, RICHARD F. MILLER, CARL N. SKINNER, SYDNEY E. SMITH, CALVIN A. FARRIS, AND KYLE E. MERRIAM 14 Sierra Nevada Bioregion / 251 JAN W. VAN WAGTENDONK, JO ANN FITES-KAUFMAN, HUGH D. SAFFORD, MALCOLM P. NORTH, AND BRANDON M. COLLINS 15 Central Valley Bioregion / 281 ROBIN WILLS 16 Central Coast Bioregion / 299 MARK I. BORCHERT AND FRANK W. DAVIS 17 South Coast Bioregion / 319 JON E. KEELEY AND ALEXANDRA D. SYPHARD 18 Southeastern Deserts Bioregion / 353 MATTHEW L. BROOKS, RICHARD A. MINNICH, AND JOHN R. MATCHETT PART THREE Fire Management Issues in Californias Ecosystems 19 The use of Fire by Native Americans in California / 381 M. KAT ANDERSON 20 Fire Management and Policy since European Settlement / 399 SCOTT L. STEPHENS AND NEIL G. SUGIHARA 21 Fire and Fuel Management / 411 SCOTT L. STEPHENS, SUE J. HUSARI, H. TOM NICHOLS, NEIL G. SUGIHARA, AND BRANDON M. COLLINS 22 Fire, Watershed Resources, and Aquatic Ecosystems / 427 JAN L. BEYERS, ANDREA E. THODE, JEFFREY L. KERSHNER, KEN B. ROBY, AND LYNN M. DECKER 23 Fire, Air Quality, and Greenhouse Gases / 439 SURAJ AHUJA AND TRENT PROCTER 24 Fire and Invasive Plants / 459 ROBERT. C. KLINGER, MATTHEW L. BROOKS, AND JOHN M. RANDALL 25 Fire and At-Risk Species / 477 KEVIN E. SHAFFER AND SHAULA J. HEDWALL 26 Fire and Climate Change / 493 CHRISTINA M. RESTAINO AND HUGH D. SAFFORD 27 Social Dynamics of Wildland Fire in California / 507 SARAH M. MCCAFFREY, GUY L. DUFFNER, AND LYNN M. DECKER 28 The Future of Fire in Californias Ecosystems / 517 NEIL G. SUGIHARA, JAN W. VAN WAGTENDONK, SCOTT L. STEPHENS, KEVIN E. SHAFFER, ANDREA E. THODE, AND JO ANN FITES-KAUFMAN APPENDIX 1 523