Merschel Andrew G, Beedlow Peter A, Shaw David C, Woodruff David R, Lee E Henry, Cline Steven P, Comeleo Randy L, Hagmann R Keala, Reilly Matthew J
Department of Forest Ecosystems and Society, Oregon State University, 321 Richardson Hall, 3180 SW Jefferson Way, Corvallis, OR. 97331, USA.
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 200 SW 35th Street, Corvallis, OR 97333, USA.
Trees For People. 2021 Jun 1;4. doi: 10.1016/j.tfp.2021.100074.
Wildland fires (WLF) have become more frequent, larger, and severe with greater impacts to society and ecosystems and dramatic increases in firefighting costs. Forests throughout the range of ponderosa pine in Oregon and Washington are jeopardized by the interaction of anomalously dense forest structure, a warming and drying climate, and an expanding human population. These forests evolved with frequent interacting disturbances including low-severity surface fires, droughts, and biological disturbance agents (BDAs). Chronic low-severity disturbances were, and still are, critical to maintaining disturbance resistance, the property of an ecosystem to withstand disturbance while maintaining its structure and ecological function. Restoration of that historical resistance offers multiple social and ecological benefits. Moving forward, we need a shared understanding of the ecology of ponderosa pine forests to appreciate how restoring resistance can reduce the impacts of disturbances. Given contemporary forest conditions, a warming climate, and growing human populations, we predict continued elevation of tree mortality from drought, BDAs, and the large high-severity WLFs that threaten lives and property as well as ecosystem functions and services. We recommend more comprehensive planning to promote greater use of prescribed fire and management of reported fires for ecological benefits, plus increased responsibility and preparedness of local agencies, communities and individual homeowners for WLF and smoke events. Ultimately, by more effectively preparing for fire in the wildland urban interface, and by increasing the resistance of ponderosa pine forests, we can greatly enhance our ability to live with fire and other disturbances.
野火（WLF）变得更加频繁、规模更大且更严重，对社会和生态系统造成了更大影响，消防成本也急剧增加。俄勒冈州和华盛顿州黄松分布范围内的森林因异常密集的森林结构、气候变暖和干燥以及人口增长的相互作用而受到威胁。这些森林在频繁的相互作用干扰下演化，包括低强度地表火、干旱和生物干扰因子（BDA）。长期的低强度干扰过去是、现在仍然是维持干扰抗性的关键，干扰抗性是生态系统在维持其结构和生态功能的同时抵御干扰的特性。恢复这种历史抗性可带来多种社会和生态效益。展望未来，我们需要对黄松森林的生态有共同的理解，以认识到恢复抗性如何能减少干扰的影响。鉴于当代森林状况、气候变暖和人口增长，我们预计干旱、生物干扰因子以及威胁生命财产以及生态系统功能和服务的大型高强度野火导致的树木死亡率将持续上升。我们建议进行更全面的规划，以促进更多地使用规定火烧，并对已报告的火灾进行生态效益管理，同时增强当地机构、社区和个体房主对野火和烟雾事件的责任意识和应对准备。最终，通过更有效地为城乡交错带的火灾做好准备，并提高黄松森林的抗性，我们能够大大增强与火灾及其他干扰共存的能力。
