Fire in California's Ecosystems

Fire in California’s Ecosystems describes fire in detail—both as an integral natural process in the California landscape and as a growing threat to urban and suburban developments in the state. Written by many of the foremost authorities on the subject, this comprehensive volume is an ideal authoritative reference tool and the foremost synthesis of knowledge on the science, ecology, and management of fire in California. Part One introduces the basics of fire ecology, including overviews of historical fires, vegetation, climate, weather, fire as a physical and ecological process, and fire regimes, and reviews the interactions between fire and the physical, plant, and animal components of the environment. Part Two explores the history and ecology of fire in each of California's nine bioregions. Part Three examines fire management in California during Native American and post-Euro-American settlement and also current issues related to fire policy such as fuel management, watershed management, air quality, invasive plant species, at-risk species, climate change, social dynamics, and the future of fire management. This edition includes critical scientific and management updates and four new chapters on fire weather, fire regimes, climate change, and social dynamics.

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 California’s 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 California’s 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 California’s 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