A new publication, Effects of Timber Harvesting Following Wildfire in Western North America, seems to conclude something we assumed was true, and some other facts that we already knew.
The publication’s lead author, David Peterson, found, in the first category:
- If postfire logging is conducted, the sooner it can be done after the fire, the fewer the negative effects and the higher the value of the wood.
And in the second category:
- Each wildfire and management situation is different, and should be evaluated with respect to local soils, vegetation, hydrology, and wildlife—there is no standard formula.
- It’s critical to consider postfire logging in the context of the entire landscape of the wildfire to minimize the potential effects of logging.
- Logging can kill naturally regenerating trees if the soil is disturbed after the trees have been established.
- Crown fire reduces the probability of future fire for years to decades.
- Fire and logging—separately or combined—affect soil properties.
- Severe, large, fires reduce water uptakes by vegetation, causing streamflow to increase and water quality to decrease.
- Short-term effects of removing trees near aquatic systems are mostly negative.
- Most cavity-nesting birds and other animals that live in cavities are impacted by the harvesting of large standing dead trees.
The entire publication can be found HERE.
