He also mentions how the lack of fire has affected whitebark pine, a species that supports a variety of high mountain flora and fauna, and attributes this to the fact that there is not sufficient fire to eradicate competing species.
H.E. McLean, writing in 1995 in American Forests, covers a handful of relevant topics. These include stating that there is an inherent risk in using prescribed fires because they are subject to the unpredictable forces of nature, but that this risk is acceptable. He discusses the need for prescribed burns in Alaska, due to the state's climate and corresponding slow decomposition rate. In addition, he outlines briefly the role of prescribed burns in Sequoia NP, Yosemite NP, and Stanislaus NF.
Further examples of controlled burning programs and a recap of the issues discussed above are found in other sources. The article "Wildland Fire in Yellowstone" discusses issues pertaining to that park; and M.T. Haynes writing in 2004 in the Salt Lake City Tribute discusses a plan for a substantial controlled burn in Zion NP.
The conclusion from this body of work is that suppression of burning leads to a variety of problems, including the eradication of certain species, and increasing the risk of catastrophic fire. By using controlled or prescribed burns, forest managers can reduce these negative outcomes, for the long-term health of the forests they manage by fostering conditions closer to those that occur in nature. There are a wide range of examples of successful controlled burn programs that can be drawn on for insight and inspiration.
Kilgore, B.M. (1970). Restoring Fire to the Sequoias. National Parks and Conservation Magazine. 44, 16-22. Retrieved on June 15, 2008 at http://www.nps.gov/archive/seki/fire/restore.htm
No author. (2007). Prescribed Fire as a Fire Management Tool. U.S. Fed News Service (U.S. Forest Service Unit, Coronado NF). Press release in possession of the author.
Ferguson, J.P. (2005) Building a Landscape-Level Prescribed Fire Program. Fire Management Today. Retrieved June 14, 2008 at http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P3-895042421.html
Romme, W.H. And Knight, DH (1982). Landscape Diversity: The Concept Applied to Yellowstone Park. BioScience. 32 (8), 664-670.
Kirkwood, S. (2005) Forest fires leave nothing but a cold, charred, lifeless expanse in their wake. Or do they? National Parks Magazine
Turner, M.G., Hargrove, W.W., Gardner R.H., and Romme, W.H. (1994). Effects of fire on landscape heterogeneity in Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming. Journal of Vegetation Science, 5 (5), 731-742.
Murray, M, (2008). Fires in the High Cascades. Fire Management Today Retrieved at http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qa5413/is_200801/ai_n24393753/pg_1
McLean, H.E. (1995) Fighting fire with fire. American Forests. Retrieved on June 15, 2008 at http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-17099755.html
No author. (2007) Wildland Fire in Yellowstone. National Park Service Retrieved June 11, 2008 at http://www.nps.gov/yell/naturescience/wildlandfire.htm
Havnes, M.T. (2004) Officials set Largest-Ever Planned Burn in Zion National Park in Utah. The Salt Lake Tribune. Retrieved on June 14, 2008 at http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_hb5553/is_200409/ai_n22242861
In many ways, the Vietnam War represented the height of Cold War tensions in much the same way that the decade was giving way to an inevitable breaking point in environmental negligence. Though the years which would follow would see a gradual intensification of environmental protection laws, these have by and large been nullified by the impact of that for which Abbey offers the most criticism. With both Vietnam
The author also refers to the fact that the United Sates uses wood at a very high rate compared to other regions of the world, which also impacts on the available forests and emphasizes the need for more intensive forest management. Furthermore, the article also discusses how legislation in the United States has reduced the extent of deforestation in the country. Despite these attempts at reducing the economic impact
One wilderness management expert notes, "Campsite impact assessments and monitoring methods range from photographic approaches to condition class approaches to a more intensive quantitative measurement of multi-parameters" (Glidden, 2005, p. 1). Managers had to develop methodologies to measure impacts of different areas, and staff must be able to implement these methodologies consistently. There are also many other assessments and needs programs that must be managed throughout the area. This
Helens was for viewing the crater and the experience of the volcano instead of mountain climbing per se and even more of a draw that personal testing or challenge. (Ewert, 1990; paraphrased) Upon completion of group meetings the 300 individuals were randomly selected from a registration list for the period beginning in may and ending in august 1987, totaling 1000 individuals. Each of the 300 chosen in this random selection
The apathy of private landowners discussed earlier may be due to the feeling that one may not feel that individual efforts are important. However, the case in Waldo, Florida demonstrates just how important the actions of one individual can be in averting danger. Bend, Oregon has developed large community efforts to help reduce fuel in the area. They open up the landfill several times a year free of charge to
For the Coconino National Forest during the fee demo program, fee generated revenue paid for 22,296 pounds of garbage to be destroyed and19 abandoned vehicles to be removed. Fee revenue was also responsible for maintaining 42 miles of trail, removing fire rings and transient camps, and initiating interaction with visitors (U.S. Department of the Interior 57). In Arizona, the total amount of fee revenue generated from recreational visits totaled
Our semester plans gives you unlimited, unrestricted access to our entire library of resources —writing tools, guides, example essays, tutorials, class notes, and more.
Get Started Now