August 21, 2019
Human Blog 1: Wildfire and prescribed fire
Hello, we are the group focusing on human issues. Our group members are: Napher, Paul, Yita, Steven and Rose. As the Human Group, we would like to study the relationship between the forest and humans while we are in Washington. We made the video below summarizing some of our thought and ideas about this topic, this is a draft and we are working with our instructors to make a few corrections.
After this first three days, our experiences in Park Forest has helped us learn a lot about issues concerning how human activities impact nature. In this first blog, we are going to introduce a major type of forest disturbance: fire.
Fire includes prescribed fire and wildfire, which are quite different from each other. We will explain what they are, how they happen, and why they happen.
An example of igniting a prescribed fire in a fire adapted forest, this photo was provided by J. Batchelor, UW/SEFS/PFC PhD student who worked on a PFC project in South Carolina and captured this event.
A burned area with fire breaks, this photo was provided by J. Batchelor who worked on a PFC project in South Carolina and captured this event.
Prescribed fire, which is a planned fire, is used to meet some specific purposes to keep the natural balance. First, we need to clarify how prescribed fire is implemented. Not until a carefully planned scheme is conducted can the chosen area of a particular forest be burned. Every step of carrying out a prescribed fire must be supervised carefully. An isolation strip must be strictly drawn so that fire shall be burnt under control. Only when all the steps are in place can the ignition happen. Prescribed fire restores an important function for the ecology of the forest. Firstly, fire creates favorable habitat for an abundance of wildlife and increases local biodiversity. Fire can even contribute to the protection and recovery of some endangered species. Secondly, it enables the settlement of new species and the regeneration of existing species. For example, an area with serotinous species may be unable to produce new seedlings due to the hard-shell of the cone, yet a prescribed fire can make the process much easier as the shell can be burned, allowing the seed to reach the open ground. It aids in removing the humus on the surface of the soil, benefiting the long-term prosperity of the forest. Last but not least, certain concerns must be paid attention to when conducting a prescribed fire. Highly populated areas are not suitable as it exposes risks for the safety of people. Even a prescribed fire may get out of control under the hot and dry climate, attributing to disastrous fire events. Finally, under the scenario of climate change and warming temperatures, the difficulties in managing prescribed fire grow.
Wildfire is another story to tell. We will focus on how human affects it and how it affects humans. Lightning and human direct and indirect activities rank as the top reasons for wildfires, yet we mainly touch on human activities here, along with how wildfire impacts human activities.
2017 Norse Peak Fire seen from Crystal Mountain Resort
Burned area of the 2017 Norse Peak Fire and possible insect damaged trees
At the same time, forest fire has also brought some impact on human life. For example, from the top of the mountain we observed the remains of the 2017 Norse Peak fire by Mount Rainier. Professor Moskal says these sudden wildfires pose a significant safety threat to residents and visitors, and sometimes threaten to spread across the ridges to recreations sites like Crystal Mountain Ski Resort. Megan O’Shea from the PFC, tells us there are special forest fire monitoring posts at the top of the mountain. Workers stationing in the cabin at the top of the mountain would keep a close eye on the forest nearby, ready to report any potential fire. They work on duties for two weeks on turn, serving as the loyal guardians of the surrounding mountains.
Fire outlook seen from Crystal Mountain Resort
