Forest ecosystems providing habitat for species whose populations are in decline (e.g. moose, grizzly bears, caribou, birds) are affected in various ways by fire, post-fire salvage and intensive reforestation. Changing climatic conditions are expected to lead to an increase in these activities; indeed, the last few years have witnessed significant increases in mega fires in North America. Efforts to reduce GHG and protect communities and resources will likely lead to increased use of prescribed fire and managed wildfire to reduce the likelihood of mega fires, and to intensive salvage and reforestation to fast track post-disturbance carbon sequestration. To date there has been limited synthesis to help resource managers avoid adverse implications for wildlife. With the Burning Questions project, we identified all in situ plant-fire datasets from central British Columbia and collated them into a single database (db2020). Next, we consulted land managers to identify their foremost questions about ecosystem response to fire. Meta-analysis of db2020 addressed many of those Burning Questions, and we relayed our results back to the land managers involved in the consultation process.
Results/Conclusions
Our database included 78 North and Central Interior sites including the wet South-Central Interior (ICH, ESSF, and wetter SBS) and the fire-prone Northern Interior (drier SBS, SBPS, and BWBS). Our results span scales from species to ecosystems, are targeted, and present future directions for management. For example, in the wet South-Central Interior, cover of plants associated with mature forests increased forming >40% cover by year 20; there was faster recovery and conifer growth and greater, more persistent deciduous tree & tall shrub cover in SBS compared to ESSF forest; and ericaceous shrubs were prominent in ESSF forest by year 20. Soapberry (an important food plant for First Nations and wildlife) on drier SBS and BWBS sites increased in cover over the 20 years after fire or clearing, and average cover is slightly higher on burned compared to unburned sites. Results are consistent with studies that found it moderately fire resistant and enhanced by burning. Overall management implications: moderate to low severity broadcast burning is consistent with maintaining ecological values in these ecosystems. Future outcomes include providing fully accessible information to guide management decisions such as: 1) which wildfires to target in suppression actions, 2) when and where to prescribe burn to reduce flammability, 3) what areas should be left un-salvaged after wildfire, and 4) where intensive reforestation should be avoided. Additional information: See db2020.net.