United States

Department of

Agriculture

Forest Service

Pacific Northwest

Research Station

General Technical

Report

PNW-GTR-776

March 2009

Effects of Timber Harvest

Following Wildfire in Western

North America

David L. Peterson, James K. Agee, Gregory H. Aplet, Dennis P. Dykstra,

Russell T. Graham, John F. Lehmkuhl, David S. Pilliod, Donald F. Potts,

Robert F. Powers, and John D. Stuart
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Authors

David L. Peterson is a biological scientist, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest

Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station, 400 N 34th Street, Suite 201, Seattle,

WA 98103; James K. Agee is a professor emeritus with the College of Forest

Resources, University of Washington, Box 352100, Seattle, WA 98195; Gregory H.

Aplet is a forest ecologist with The Wilderness Society, 1660 Wynkoop St., Ste.

850, Denver, CO 80202; Dennis P. Dykstra is a research forest product technologist, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research

Station, 620 SW Main, Suite 400, Portland, OR 97205; Russell T. Graham is a

research forester, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain

Research Station, 1221 S Main, Moscow, ID 83843; John F. Lehmkuhl is a

research wildlife biologist, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific

Northwest Research Station, 1133 N Western Ave., Wenatchee, WA 98801; David

S. Pilliod is a research ecologist, U.S. Department of the Interior, Geological

Survey, Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center, Snake River Field Station,

970 Lusk St., Boise, ID 83706; Donald F. Potts is a professor, College of Forestry

and Conservation, University of Montana, Missoula, MT 59812; Robert F. Powers

is an emeritus research forester, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service,

Pacific Southwest Research Station, 3644 Avtech Parkway, Redding, CA 96002; and

John D. Stuart is a professor, Department of Forestry and Watershed Management,

Humboldt State University, 1 Harpst Street, Arcata, CA 95521.
Abstract

Peterson, David L.; Agee, James K.; Aplet, Gregory H.; Dykstra, Dennis P.;

Graham, Russell T.; Lehmkuhl, John F.; Pilliod, David S.; Potts, Donald

F.; Powers, Robert F.; Stuart, John D. 2009. Effects of timber harvest

following wildfire in western North America. Gen. Tech. Rep. PNW-GTR-776.

Portland, OR: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station. 51 p.

Timber harvest following wildfire leads to different outcomes depending on the

biophysical setting of the forest, pattern of burn severity, operational aspects of tree

removal, and other management activities. Fire effects range from relatively minor,

in which fire burns through the understory and may kill a few trees, to severe, in

which fire kills most trees and removes much of the organic soil layer. Postfire

logging adds to these effects by removing standing dead trees (snags) and disturbing

the soil. The influence of postfire logging depends on the intensity of the fire, intensity of the logging operation, and management activities such as fuel treatments. In

severely burned forest, timing of logging following fire (same season as fire vs.

subsequent years) can influence the magnitude of effects on naturally regenerating

trees, soils, and commercial wood value. Removal of snags reduces long-term fuel

loads but generally results in increased amounts of fine fuels for the first few years

after logging unless surface fuels are effectively treated. By reducing evapotranspiration, disturbing the soil organic horizon, and creating hydrophobic soils in some

cases, fire can cause large increases in surface-water runoff, streamflow, and erosion. Through soil disturbance, especially the construction of roads, logging with

ground-based equipment and cable yarding can exacerbate this effect, increasing

erosion and altering hydrological function at the local scale. Effects on aquatic

systems of removing trees are mostly negative, and logging and transportation systems that disturb the soil surface or accelerate road-related erosion can be particularly harmful unless disturbances are mitigated. Cavity-nesting birds, small mammals, and amphibians may be affected by harvest of standing dead and live trees,

with negative effects on most species but positive or neutral effects on other species,

depending on the intensity and extent of logging. Data gaps on postfire logging

include the effects of various intensities of logging, patch size of harvest relative

to fire size, and long-term (10+ years) biophysical changes. Uncertainty about the

effects of postfire logging can be reduced by implementing management experiments to document long-term changes in natural resources at different spatial scales.

Keywords: Fire effects, postfire logging, postfire management, salvage logging,

soil disturbance.
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Effects of Timber Harvest Following Wildfire in Western North America

Introduction

Timber harvest following large wildfires is typically conducted to capture the

economic value of wood and sometimes may achieve other resource management

objectives (e.g., reduced stand densities). This practice (often referred to as “salvage logging”) has been conducted for many decades in forests of western North

America. The social value of economic benefits versus potential changes in resource conditions has been debated in scientific and policy forums for two decades,

but little has been resolved. Recently, several authors have raised concerns about the

ecological effects of postfire logging (Beschta et al. 2004, Donato et al. 2006,

Lindenmayer and Noss 2006, Noss and Lindenmayer 2006), and McIver and Starr

(2001) and Lindenmayer et al. (2008) have synthesized the scientific literature on

postfire logging effects. Here, we expand on this literature to provide a broad

scientific basis for decisionmaking about timber harvest as a component of

postfire management.

In this paper, we synthesize scientific findings on the effects of logging following large wildfires, with emphasis on forests in western North America. Our objective is to clarify the extent to which different issues are supported by scientific data,

with a focus on reducing uncertainty in decisionmaking. We infer general principles where possible, while recognizing that biogeographic variability influences

local ecological responses and management decisions.

The 25 or so studies that have been conducted on the effects of postfire logging

in western North America (table 1) are disparate in geographic setting, study

design, sampling, and analytical approach (McIver and Starr 2000, 2001), but do

provide some basis for evaluation. In addition, the effects of wildland fire on forest

ecosystems in western North America have been described in considerable detail in

the scientific literature (e.g., Schmoldt et al. 1999), and the effects of logging on

forest ecosystems have been well described at spatial scales from stands to landscapes (e.g., Hunter 1999). We draw on all these sources of literature to consider

scientific issues relevant to timber harvest in postfire forest landscapes in western

North America. We synthesize information relevant to inferences about postfire

logging, and confine our analysis to the effects of large wildfires (typically >1000

ha) and subsequent harvest in the postfire environment.

This paper focuses on forests of western North America, extending from

roughly the coastal ranges, Cascade Range, and Sierra Nevada eastward to the

Rocky Mountains and associated ranges, and from southwestern Canada to the

Southwestern United States. These forests include (1) dry forests dominated by

ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa Dougl. ex Laws.) and Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga
2

GENERAL TECHNICAL REPORT PNW-GTR-776

Table 1—Summary of scientific literature on the effects of postfire timber harvest in western North Americaa

Citation Forest type (locationb) Effect studied

Roy (1956) Douglas-fir (California) Tree regeneration

Klock (1975) Ponderosa pine–mixed conifer Soil erosion, vegetation cover

(Washington)

Helvey (1980) Ponderosa pine–mixed conifer Soil erosion, water runoff

(Washington)

Blake (1982) Ponderosa pine (Arizona) Shrub abundance and cover

Helvey et al. (1985) Ponderosa pine–mixed conifer Soil erosion, soil nutrients

(Washington)

Potts et al. (1985) Conifer forest (Rocky Mountains) Water yield, soil erosion

Grifantini (1990) Douglas-fir–hardwood (California) Grass cover

Marston and Haire (1990) Conifer forest (Wyoming) Soil erosion, water runoff, organic

matter and litter

Grifantini et al. (1992) Douglas-fir–hardwood (California) Shrub and forb cover, plant diversity

Stuart et al. (1993) Douglas-fir–hardwood (California) Vegetation cover (shrubs, forbs, ferns,

grasses, hardwoods, conifers)

Chou et al. (1994a,1994b) Montane conifer (California) Soil erosion

Caton (1996) Mixed conifer (Montana) Cavity-nesting birds

Hitchcox (1996) Mixed conifer (Montana) Cavity-nesting birds

Hejl and McFadzen (1998) Mixed conifer (Idaho, Montana) Cavity-nesting birds

Saab and Dudley (1998) Ponderosa pine, Douglas-fir (Idaho) Cavity-nesting birds

Sexton (1998) Ponderosa pine (Oregon) Vegetation biomass and diversity, tree

and shrub growth and diversity, soil

moisture

Haggard and Gaines (2001) Douglas-fir, ponderosa pine Cavity-nesting birds

Khetmalas et al. (2002) Subalpine fir (British Columbia) Ectomycorrhizae and bacteria in soil

McIver (2004) Ponderosa pine (Oregon) Soil disturbance and erosion

Hanson and Stuart (2005) Douglas-fir–hardwood (California) Vegetation composition and structure

Donato et al. (2006) Douglas-fir (Oregon) Tree regeneration, woody debris

McIver and McNeil (2006) Ponderosa pine (Oregon) Soil disturbance and erosion

Macdonald (2007) Aspen–mixed conifer (Alberta) Vegetation composition

McIver and Ottmar (2007) Ponderosa pine (Oregon) Tree regeneration, woody debris, fuels

a

 From McIver and Starr (2001) and other recent sources.

b

All locations are in the United States except for Khetmalas et al. (2002) and Macdonald (2007).
3

Effects of Timber Harvest Following Wildfire in Western North America

menziesii (Mirb.) Franco), (2) moist forests dominated by Douglas-fir, grand fir

(Abies grandis (Dougl. ex D. Don) Lindl.), western redcedar (Thuja plicata Donn

ex D. Don), and western hemlock (Tsuga heterophylla (Raf.) Sarg.), (3) cold forests dominated by Engelmann spruce (Picea engelmannii Parry ex. Engelm.), fir

species (Abies spp.), and lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta var. latifolia var.

murrayana (Grev. & Balf.) Engelm.), and (4) woodlands such as pinyon pinejuniper (Pinus spp./Juniperus spp.) in the American Southwest.

When these forests burn, the primary effects are mortality of trees and other

plants, emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases, altered soil organic

layers including complete removal in some cases, and mineral soil heating that can

cause chemical transformations such as release of soluble nutrients. In many dry

forests, fire historically burned through the understory consuming plants, killing

seedlings, saplings, and some trees, and creating patches of bare soil. In many of

these forests, dense stands of ponderosa pine and/or Douglas-fir and understory

species such as grand fir have developed following grazing, removal of larger

pines, and/or fire exclusion (Agee 1993, Taylor and Skinner 1998). Dense forest

canopies and horizontal and vertical fuel continuity tend to favor crown fires rather

than the low-intensity surface fires that historically occurred in many of these

forests. In cold and moist forests, crown fire remains the norm, as it was historically, killing large patches of vegetation and altering soil properties over large

areas. Forests intermediate between dry and cool/moist often burn with a mix of

surface and crown fire.

The ecological effects of postfire logging are influenced by various combinations and intensities of the fire itself and management activities that affect (1)

ground disturbance by equipment and road use, (2) number of living and dead

trees and their spatial pattern following harvest, (3) postharvest fuel treatment, and

(4) in some cases, grass seeding and placement of various structures and materials

to mitigate the effects of fire and logging. Ground disturbance depends on the

yarding system used for logging, with tractor logging generally causing the most

soil disturbance, followed by cable yarding (which fully or partially suspends logs

above the forest floor during extraction), followed by helicopter logging (Dykstra

1976, McIver and Starr 2001, Rice et al. 1972). The number and arrangement of

residual trees, slash treatment, and postlogging treatments are determined during

planning of postfire logging operations.
4

GENERAL TECHNICAL REPORT PNW-GTR-776

Another factor influencing the effects of postfire logging is the spatial scale of

both the fire and the logging operation (Peterson and Parker 1998). Fires may be

large or small, as may be the area affected by logging. Measuring the combined

effects of fire and management activities on soils and water is difficult because (1)

erosion and sedimentation are in some cases high at the scale of forest stands but

undetectable at the watershed scale, and (2) it is difficult to distinguish fire effects

from management effects (Chou et al. 1994a). Similarly, deleterious effects on

wildlife species may occur at the stand scale, but effects on viability in the larger

landscape may be minimal. As a result, effects of postfire logging on natural

resources may depend on the scale at which the effects are measured. Unfortunately, we are aware of no research that allows us to adequately quantify these scale

effects or to address comprehensively the range of effects that are produced by all

combinations of fire and logging intensity.

We therefore focus most of our discussion on the effects of relatively intense

logging on severely burned landscapes. We generally do not address partial harvest

of burned forest (with the exception of the wildlife section), and we only briefly

consider the effects of postfire or postlogging mitigation. Many possible outcomes

exist between intense logging/severe burns and no logging/light burns, and future

studies will hopefully improve our understanding of these intermediate outcomes.

We refer throughout the paper to a conceptual model of forest growth and succession as a context for temporal patterns of overstory development, understory

development, standing dead trees (snags), and woody debris (≈ surface fuels)

following postfire logging (fig. 1). This model describes ecological trends for

general postfire management scenarios, and actual responses and trends are likely

to differ among different forests, fires, and management situations.

Effects of Postfire Timber Harvest on Vegetation

An important effect of fire on vegetation is to kill plants, which, in the case of

trees, generally occurs within 2 years following wildfire (Peterson and Arbaugh

1986). In addition to this primary mortality, fire can induce bark beetle-caused

mortality in residual and adjacent green trees, which may last for several years

following the fire (Amman and Ryan 1991, Edmonds et al. 2005, Furniss and

Carolin 1977). When a tree is killed, dead needles not consumed by fire fall to

the forest floor within a year or two, followed by branches and eventually boles.

Snags provide important habitat features and long-term delivery of carbon (C) and

nutrients to the forest floor when they fall (Harmon et al. 1986), which may take

several decades.

Effects of postfire

logging on natural

resources may

depend on the scale

at which the effects

are measured.
5

Effects of Timber Harvest Following Wildfire in Western North America

Figure 1—Conceptual diagram of temporal progression in biomass accumulation following wildfire

with various management scenarios. General stand structural stages are indicated on the x-axis. No

management action (upper diagram): no logging or surface fuel treatment; new forest grows through

natural regeneration or planting; surface fuel accumulates primarily as a result of falling snags and dead

understory. Postfire logging, no fuel treatment (middle diagram): most snags of commercial value

removed, leaving unmerchantable trees in the stand; new forest grows through natural regeneration or

planting; slash created by the logging operation not removed or treated. Postfire logging, fuel treatment (lower diagram): most snags of commercial value removed, leaving unmerchantable trees in the

stand; new forest regrows through natural regeneration or planting; slash created by the logging operation is removed from the site. Actual biomass trajectories will differ considerably, depending on

vegetation characteristics and management actions.
6

GENERAL TECHNICAL REPORT PNW-GTR-776

Trees killed or badly damaged by fire or insects begin to deteriorate immediately, and commercial value declines as wood decays or is blemished owing to

insects, stain fungi, and decay fungi (Lowell et al. 1992). Insect and woodpecker

activity provides a mechanism for introducing fungal agents into sapwood (Farris

et al. 2004). Once initiated, sapwood decay progresses quickly, and sapwood of

some species may be completely stained within a few months. Insects and staining

fungi generally reduce product grade (and value) but seldom render wood unusable. Decay fungi also infect sapwood within the first year, and sapwood usually

deteriorates beyond commercial use by the second or third year (Kimmey 1955).

By the second year, the heartwood is colonized by decay fungi, and heart rot

begins to spread. Decay fungi affect wood properties, especially strength, thus

reducing volume of wood that can be converted into structural products. Wood

borers may also move into the heartwood, although damage from these insects is

seldom extensive and usually results in grade reductions rather than volume loss.

Weather deterioration causes longitudinal splits in wood by differential shrinkage

where bark is missing or thin, or on the ends of logs after felling. This damage is

usually minor in large standing dead trees, but smaller trees or species with thin

bark may be affected more extensively, reducing the grade of smaller logs (Lowell

and Cahill 1996). Progression of decay is similar in most conifer species, although

decay rate differs considerably: ponderosa pine, grand fir (fast) > Douglas-fir >

subalpine fir (Abies lasiocarpa (Hook.) Nutt.), Engelmann spruce, western larch

(Larix occidentalis Nutt.), and lodgepole pine (slow) (Hadfield and Magelssen

2006). Rate of volume loss is considerably lower for large logs than for small logs

(fig. 2).

Postfire logging modifies snag dynamics by lowering the density and average

size of dead trees (size distribution differs from site to site) and by altering site

conditions such as soil bulk density and windflow. Following fires in the Blue

Mountains of Oregon, snag biomass on harvested areas was generally <50 percent

of that on unharvested sites (McIver and Ottmar 2007). Following fires in Idaho,

the predicted half-life of ponderosa pine snags was 7 to 8 years (harvested) and 9

to 10 years (unharvested), and predicted half-life of Douglas-fir snags was 12 to 13

years (harvested) and 15 to 16 years (unharvested) (Russell et al. 2006). In this

case, postfire logging reduced the persistence of snags, at least partially because the

remaining snags were smaller and fell to the ground sooner than large snags.

Initial responses of the plant community to wildfire depend on prefire vegetation, seed banks, and the ability of plants to colonize the postburn environment.

After severe fires, invaders (highly dispersive, pioneering fugitives), endurers
7

Effects of Timber Harvest Following Wildfire in Western North America

(sprouting from the crown, roots, and stem base), and evaders (with adaptations

such as serotinous cones that open following fire) are likely to be the dominant

species (Rowe 1981). Resisters have adaptations (e.g., thick bark and high, open

crowns) that reduce fire injury during fires of low to moderate intensity. Avoiders

(species with no fire adaptations) may be locally extirpated from the site for

undetermined periods. Vegetation development following fire depends on the

prevalence in prefire vegetation of species with each of these strategies, site conditions following fire, postfire management actions, and outside seed sources.

Many historically low-severity fire regimes in western dry forests were dominated by resisters like ponderosa pine and Douglas-fir. In mixed-severity fire

regimes, resister and evader species (e.g., knobcone pine, Pinus attenuata Lemm.)

are common, and in high-severity fire regimes with long fire-return intervals,

evaders (e.g., lodgepole pine) and avoiders (e.g., subalpine fir) are present.

Following severe fires, only evader species may be able to dominate early successional vegetation. Where severe fire kills all the trees in low-severity fire regimes,

resister-type conifers behave like avoiders; regeneration (without replanting) may

take a long time, because seed must be blown in from adjacent unburned forest.

Figure 2—Average rate of loss from general deterioration of the original wood volume in Douglas-fir trees of several diameter at breast

height classes for (A) second-growth wood (60 to 200 years old) and (B) old-growth wood (200 to 400 years). Note that the horizontal

axis for A covers only half as many years as that for B, indicating a much faster average deterioration rate for young trees as compared to

old-growth trees. From Kimmey and Furniss (1943).
8

GENERAL TECHNICAL REPORT PNW-GTR-776

Species that sprout or germinate from seed following heating, removal of surface organic material, or exposure to light tend to dominate the first few years

following fire. Postfire seedling densities may be high when a reliable seed source

occurs in conjunction with favorable soil and weather conditions (e.g., Donato et

al. 2006); seedling densities may be low under poor conditions, especially if competition with other plants is high, resulting in low germination and/or high seedling

mortality over time.

The effects of postfire management on vegetation recovery are complex because of multiple successional pathways among forest species and structures following wildfires (Frelich and Reich 1995). For example, Stickney (1986) recognized

four distinct successional sequences after the Sundance Fire (Idaho) of 1967, with

short- and long-duration herb- or shrub-dominated phases. Logging and mitigation

for the effects of fire and logging create additional successional pathways for vegetation and fuels (Macdonald 2007). Nonetheless, some generalizations about

vegetation development following postfire logging can be made.

An immediate effect of postfire logging is soil disturbance. In unburned forest,

soil-disturbing activities can, in some cases, enhance establishment of species that

require mineral soil (Sessions et al. 2004). However, in the postfire environment,

logging is more likely to reduce resisters and evaders through direct mortality, if it

occurs after significant establishment has occurred (Donato et al. 2006, McIver and

Starr 2001, Roy 1956). Alternatively, logging may reduce serotinous evaders if it

results in the removal of cones prior to seed dispersal (Greene et al. 2006). The

functional effect of logging depends on subsequent establishment and mortality of

tree seedlings, and on timing of logging (same season as fire vs. subsequent years;

winter vs. other seasons); in many cases tree planting (and associated site preparation) replaces or supplements natural regeneration (Newton et al. 2006).

In an analysis of successional pathways and understory diversity in Douglas-fir/

hardwood forests in California, Stuart et al. (1993) found lower forb and shrub

cover on burned/logged sites than on burned/unlogged sites (2 years following

treatments). In contrast, hardwood cover was higher and shrub cover lower on

burned/logged sites than on burned/unlogged sites 12 years following treatments.

Douglas-fir regeneration (which included planting) was inhibited in both cases,

but by different competing understory species. In boreal mixed-wood forest in

Alberta, Macdonald (2007) found that single-tree and patch-retention harvest

following wildfire had no significant effects on plant species richness and betweenhabitat (beta) diversity. Several environmental factors related to plant composition

The effects of

postfire management on vegetation

recovery are complex because of

multiple successional pathways

among forest species and structures

following wildfires.
9

Effects of Timber Harvest Following Wildfire in Western North America

reflected variation in burn severity rather than logging, and they concluded that

the legacy of prefire plant species composition combined with burn severity had

a greater influence on postfire plant communities than the effects of logging.

In addition to the impacts of soil disturbance, the removal of trees themselves

can affect the postfire plant community (e.g., Maser and Trappe 1984). Trees and

large woody debris provide perches for seed-dispersing birds, and their removal

may change the composition of the seed rain and therefore the plant community.

Woody debris also provides protected “safe sites” for germination and establishment of some species, especially in the postfire environment, and their eventual

decay can facilitate recruitment of understory species long after the initial disturbance. When snags fall over, they create tip-up mounds, an important source of

seedbed diversity that can affect understory species composition.

Effects of Postfire Timber Harvest on Fuels

Fuels and potential fire behavior in forests burned by wildfire differ over time,

with or without logging (e.g., Graham et al. 2004) (fig. 1). Surface fuel dynamics

following wildfires are a function of (1) prefire live and dead biomass; (2) tree

species, which have different rates of litterfall, tree fall, and decay; (3) time,

because standing fuels decay and become surface fuels; and (4) events following

fire such as logging, windstorms, and delayed mortality owing to insects (Agee

1993). Fuel mass, fuelbed depth, and moisture content of available fuels contribute

to the postfire and postharvest fuel complex. Because postfire logging occurs at

various locations and times and applies a variety of standards, effects on fuels and

subsequent fire behavior may be specific to local conditions. Trees can be wholetree harvested, different size classes of trees can be removed, and remaining fine

fuels can be treated or not. These actions, in addition to tree species, affect the

amount and timing of fuels reaching the ground, as well as the successional trajectory (Johnson et al. 2007).

Larger fuels (>7.6 cm diameter) follow a predictable pattern after crown fire

(Agee 2002b) (fig. 1). Following initial mortality, snag biomass decreases over

time (Agee and Huff 1987, Spies et al. 1988), and smaller snags usually fall first

(Everett et al. 1999, Lehmkuhl et al. 2003). Biomass from fallen trees correspondingly increases for decades, especially in dry and cold environments, but may

decline as the original snags that fell and created the woody debris begin to decay.

Tree mortality from self-thinning in the new forest increases the amount of smaller,

more easily decayed material (Harmon et al. 1986).

Because postfire

logging occurs at

various locations

and times and applies a variety of

standards, effects

on fuels and subsequent fire behavior

may be specific to

local conditions.
10

GENERAL TECHNICAL REPORT PNW-GTR-776

Postfire logging, without subsequent fuel treatment, has two effects on fuels:

(1) the deposition of fine fuels (<7.6 cm diameter) on the forest floor, resulting in

an increase in fire hazard in the short term, and (2) the removal of snags, resulting

in a reduction of large fuels in the long term (figs. 1 and 3). Using empirical data

for three stand treatments in the Blue Mountains (Oregon), McIver and Ottmar

(2007) projected fine fuel loading over 30 years (fig. 4). Whole-tree yarding

increased fine fuel loading above that in unlogged stands, an increase that persisted

over 30 years, although levels in all treatments were similar after 20 years. Using

empirical data for northern California forests, Weatherspoon and Skinner (1995)

found that when wildfire in natural stands spreads to adjacent plantations, fire

intensity and damage to the overstory are much lower in plantations where slash

has been removed following logging.

Figure 3—Patterns of fine fuel (<7.6 cm) after stand-replacing wildfire simulated by the Fire and Fuels Extension of the Forest

Vegetation Simulator (Reinhardt and Crookston 2003) for a dry forest stand on the Bitterroot National Forest (Montana). The

harvest treatment here consisted of removing snags >30 cm d.b.h. and <15 cm d.b.h., with fuels treated by slashing, piling, and

burning. From Brown et al. (2003).
11

Effects of Timber Harvest Following Wildfire in Western North America

In dry forests of interior western North America, large woody debris was

limited historically by frequent fire that consumed logs (Agee 2003, Skinner 2002).

Following a stand-replacement wildfire in a contemporary ponderosa pine forest,

large woody debris of 10 to 100 Mg/ha may be present (Agee 2002b, McIver and

Ottmar 2007, Passovoy and Fulé 2006) compared to historical woody debris

biomass of 5 Mg/ha for dry ponderosa pine forest (Agee 2002b). Even higher

woody debris has been measured in Douglas-fir forest with a mixed-severity fire

regime (Wright 1998). Without treatment or removal, such high fuel loads may

complicate the reintroduction of low-severity fire to the recovering forest.

The forest developing after wildfire or postfire logging may, over time, also

constitute a fire hazard because trees can act as part of the understory fuelbed. As

crowns emerge from the shrub layer, the low canopy base height creates torching

potential (cf. Scott and Reinhardt 2003). If the stand is dense (e.g., 10-cm d.b.h.

trees at a density of >1200 per ha), canopy bulk density may be high enough

Figure 4—Simulated fine fuel load (<7.6 cm) in a dry forest in the Blue Mountains, Oregon. “Commercial” harvest

was defined as removal of most merchantable trees, while “10 cm” harvest was defined as removing most trees <10

cm d.b.h. No slash fuel treatment was applied to either harvest option, but whole trees (including tops and branches)

were cable-winched to landings. Scale of x-axis has been altered for display purposes. From McIver and Ottmar

(2007).
12

GENERAL TECHNICAL REPORT PNW-GTR-776

(>0.12 kg/m3) to carry independent crown fire under severe fire weather. Canopy

base height will eventually increase, reducing torching potential. Fuel dynamics can

also be affected by site productivity. For example, in the Olympic Mountains

(Washington), fine fuel mass following fire at a productive site (Agee and Huff

1987) was higher than short-term fine fuel mass following fire on drier sites (table

2). In southwestern Oregon, sites burned with high-severity fire had lower fine fuel

loads than unburned sites, but on the Olympic site, fuel mass in the first year postfire was twice that of unburned forest primarily owing to branch fall caused by a

windstorm during the first postfire winter.

Some historical evidence suggests that fires block the spread of subsequent fires

in low-severity and mixed-severity fire regimes. In ponderosa pine forest, large

historical low-severity fires were generally followed by fires of smaller extent

(Everett et al. 2000), implying a fuel-limiting effect on fire spread. Wright and

Agee (2004) documented a similar phenomenon in mixed-conifer forest where

historical (pre-1900) fires acted as barriers to subsequent fires. In Douglas-fir forest with a mixed-severity fire regime, Taylor and Skinner (2003) showed that most

fires burned different sites than the preceding fire. In the Entiat River watershed in

the Cascade Range (Washington), a series of large fires has burned much of the dry

forest in the lower watershed since 1970 (fig. 5), yet the pattern of fire spread does

Table 2—Fine fuel mass (<7.6 cm diameter) differs by site, over time, and by treatmenta

Treatment

Location (reference) Time since fire No logging Logging Unburned forest

Years – – – – – – – – – – Mg/ha – – – – – – – – – –

Olympic Mountains, NW 1 13.5 6.1

Washington (Agee and 3 9.2 6.1

Huff 1987) 19 5.3 6.1

110 5.2 6.1

Siskiyou Mountains, SW 1 1.2 6.1

Oregon (Raymond 1 3.6 29.7b

and Peterson 2005)

Siskiyou Mountains, SW 3 1.0 6.3 5.9

Oregon (Donato et al. 2006)

Blue Mountains, NE Oregon 3 1.5 4.3 / 5.4c

(McIver and Ottmar 2007)

a

Each line indicates a separate site within the geographic location.

b

 Postthinning windthrow event.

c

Two harvest options (see text).
13

Effects of Timber Harvest Following Wildfire in Western North America

Figure 5—Map of the lower Entiat River, eastern Cascade Range

(Washington), showing dates of wildfires and reburns. Small unburned

patches within the matrix of burned areas are identified with “U.” Black

areas are reburns.

not support reburn potential in previously burned areas. It appears that previously

unburned areas have the highest potential for burning, and that fires have stopped

at or near old burn boundaries.

Although recent crown fire often reduces the probability of burning in the next

fire, it does not guarantee protection. For example, an analysis of fire hazard conducted after the Cerro Grande Fire (New Mexico) of 2000 concluded that much

of the area burned would be at lower risk as a result of the fire, but that some areas

would be exposed to higher fire hazard, at least temporarily, as a result of the

buildup of fallen trees (Greenlee and Greenlee 2002). In addition, large wildfires

(>4000 ha) were found to occur at intervals of 15 to 20 years across any given

location in pine-dominated forests of northeastern California (Norman and Taylor

2003). The Biscuit Fire (Oregon) of 2002 burned through the Silver Fire of 1987
14

GENERAL TECHNICAL REPORT PNW-GTR-776

(mostly wilderness without postfire logging), which suggests that fuels had accumulated sufficiently in 15 years to reburn.

The Tillamook fires of 1933-1951 in the Coast Range of Oregon are another

example of “reburn potential” but in a high-precipitation environment. The first

fire in 1933, started by logging operations in old-growth western hemlock–Douglas-fir forest, spread to older slash, and burned >80 000 ha. In 1939, 76 000 ha

burned with 37 percent of the area a reburn of the 1933 fire. In 1945, 73 000 ha

burned with 50 percent of the area a reburn of the 1933 and 1939 fires. In 1951,

13 000 ha burned within the area burned in 1933 and 1939 (Oregon Department of

Forestry 1983). Repeated harvest operations were conducted, and one-third of the

timber killed in the 1933 through 1945 fires was harvested up to the time of the

1951 fire. Slash from the harvest operations likely helped carry some of the subsequent fires; other sources of fire spread were snags left from previous wildfires

(Oregon Department of Forestry 1983) and a vigorous understory of bracken fern

(Pteridium aquilinum (L.) Kuhn) (Isaac 1940). The Tillamook cycle of reburns was

broken after the 1951 fire–more than 300 km of snag-free fuelbreaks were constructed, some snags were harvested and others were dropped on site, road access

was improved, and fire prevention was promoted.

Understory response by forbs and shrubs is a less appreciated factor in postfire

fuel dynamics. If fire creates a favorable environment for annual grasses, substantial fine fuel can be present within a year of the fire, and the potential for subsequent fire exists (Weatherspoon and Skinner 1995, Zedler et al. 1983). If response

is by shrubs and perennial grasses, moisture content generally remains high enough

during the fire season that potential fire behavior may be reduced (Agee et al.

2002, Raymond and Peterson 2005).

These findings suggest several conclusions about the effects of fire and subsequent logging on fuels. First, past fire generally reduces the probability of a site

burning again for a period of years to decades but can result, at least temporarily,

in fuel hazards above prefire conditions. Second, postfire logging creates activity

fuels that increase fire hazard, unless those fuels are effectively reduced or removed

from the site. Finally, the potential for reburn may remain high, regardless of

treatment of woody fuels, wherever regrowth of highly flammable fine fuels, such

as bracken fern and annual grass, is rapid.
15

Effects of Timber Harvest Following Wildfire in Western North America

Effects of Postfire Timber Harvest on Soils and

Hydrology

Forests accumulate organic matter in the absence of major disturbance, and western forests often exceed 500 Mg/ha in standing biomass, of which roughly half is

organic C. At maturity, 50 to 75 percent of aboveground C is in the boles of trees,

followed by the forest floor and tree crowns (table 3). Soil C concentrations are

generally high near the surface and decline with depth. Soil organic matter from

litter decay and root turnover is the main source of soil nitrogen (N), which is

concentrated near the soil surface and declines with depth, and N concentrations in

the forest floor of western forests commonly are much higher than in the mineral

soil (Cole and Gessel 1992).

Intense wildfire typically oxidizes or volatilizes soil C and N in the forest floor

and surface layers of mineral soil (Dyrness et al. 1989), with heat duration and

depth of penetration dependent on fuel characteristics, weather conditions, and fire

behavior (Neary et al. 1999). Heating effects of fire on soil depend on temperature

of the fire, duration of heating, and soil moisture, with effects lasting a few years

to a few decades (Robichaud et al. 2000). Fire typically results in higher short-term

nutrient availability to plants (Haase and Sackett 1998), lower total nutrient content

in the soil, altered soil biota, and altered physical condition (Neary et al. 1999).

Organic matter holds mineral soil in place, and crown fires typically eliminate

surface organic matter (Graham et al. 2004, Jain et al. 2004, Peterson et al. 2005),

leading to potential soil erosion. Erosive losses of surface soil from overland flow

can range between 1 and 85 Mg/ha or more in the first year, depending on fire

severity, slope, and precipitation (Baird et al. 1999). Depending on wildfire intensity, much of the organic matter remaining in a forest stand may exist in standing

live and dead trees, and biomass removed during logging therefore alters the C

cycle. The potential for wood products (versus dead trees left to decay on site) to

sequester C (Johnson et al. 2005) depends on the life cycle of the products and

energy used for transportation and manufacturing.

Nitrogen loss is a linear function of the amount of material consumed by fire

(McColl and Powers 1984). On drier sites in the Washington Cascades, surface

erosion accounted for N losses of up to 22 kg/ha in the first year after fire, although much of it was redistributed downslope in the burned area (Baird et al.

1999). The greatest effect on soil fertility and N loss is caused by the loss of the

forest floor, the largest reservoir of aboveground N and other nutrients (DeLuca

and Zouhar 2000, Powers et al. 2005).
16

GENERAL TECHNICAL REPORT PNW-GTR-776

Literature on specific effects of postfire management on soils centers on

erosion impacts of road construction and sensitivity of the soil when the surface

has been bared by fire (Beschta et al. 2004, McIver 2004, McIver and McNeil

2006, McIver and Starr 2001). Skidding logs across bare ground disturbs and compacts soil more than other methods (Beschta et al. 2004, Klock 1975), particularly

when soil moisture is near the plastic limit. Depending on soil texture, compaction

can be detrimental or favorable to plant growth (Froehlich and McNabb 1984). On

clayey soils, compaction degrades soil quality by increasing strength and reducing

aeration porosity, whereas on sandy soils, compaction may enhance plant growth

by improving soil water availability (Gomez et. al 2002, Powers et al. 2005).

In either case, the immediate concern about soil compaction from postfire

logging is that the size of surface soil pores can be reduced, and infiltration can be

impeded, potentially causing increased surface erosion. This is especially a concern

following fires in which surface litter has been consumed. The presence of even a

Table 3—Biomass and nitrogen contained in aboveground components of mature forests typical of western North

America a

Biomassb Nitrogenc

Location Forest type Forest floor Crown Bole Forest floor Crown Bole

Mg/ha (percentage of aboveground total) kg/ha (percentage of aboveground total)

British Columbia Subboreal white 65 (29) 32 (14) 126 (57) 815 (76) 58 (5) 195 (18)

spruce (Picea

glauca

(Moench) Voss,

Pinus contorta)

Colorado Subalpine fir 103 (31) 54 (16) 173 (52) 598 (46) 302 (23) 394 (30)

(Abies lasiocarpa)

Idaho Mixed conifer 70 (27) 31 (12) 160 (61) 436 (52) 220 (26) 190 (22)

(Abies, Picea,

Pinus)

Washington Douglas-fir 14 (8) 31 (17) 134 (75) 187 (37) 164 (32) 161 (31)

(Pseudotsuga

menziesii)

California Mixed conifer 59 (11) 221 (42) 252 (47) 455 (43) 391 (37) 218 (20)

(Abies, Pinus)

Arizona Pine (Pinus 47 (24) 31 (16) 121 (61) 291 (48) 176 (29) 145 (24)

ponderosa)

a

 Modified from Kimmins et al. 1985; Powers 2006.

b

 More than 50 percent of the biomass is in the boles.

c

 Approximately 40 to 75 percent of the nitrogen is in the forest floor.
17

Effects of Timber Harvest Following Wildfire in Western North America

thin litter layer can substantially reduce soil erosion (Powers 2002). A study

conducted in Portugal suggests that when soils are bared by wildfire, slash produced during logging can be used to cover the soil surface and reduce erosion

(Shakesby et al. 1996).

As noted above, different logging systems have different effects on soil compaction and fertility. Tractor logging and ground-based equipment on relatively

level areas (<30 percent slope) cause the most soil compaction, although some

effects can be mitigated by avoiding wet soils, logging over snow, and operating

over slash rather than areas with thin forest floors. Cable yarding systems also

cause soil compaction, which is typically localized and potentially causes more

erosion where logs are dragged upslope. Skyline yarding, which suspends logs

above the ground, avoids most physical abrasion of the forest floor and mineral

soil. Helicopter logging greatly reduces soil impacts by minimizing movement of

logs along the ground.

Soil water repellency (hydrophobicity) occurs where hydrophobic substances

produced by organic matter coat soil particles, thereby impeding water infiltration

into the soil profile, creating a functionally shallow soil. As water accumulates to

fill pore spaces, pore pressure increases and soil shear strength decreases until the

soil mass moves through the force of gravity (DeBano 2000). When soil heating

from fire results in temperatures between 176 and 288 °C, transfer of hydrophobic

substances into the mineral soil can be enhanced, resulting in increased water

repellency (DeBano 1981), Fire-induced hydrophobicity is transient and often

patchy. A study in the Front Range of the Colorado Rocky Mountains following

wildfire found that water repellency weakened progressively over a year and

diminished as soils became wetter (McDonald and Huffman 2004). Unburned sites

showed non-fire-related water repellency when soil moisture was <10 percent, and

lightly burned soils were repellent to soil moisture of 14 percent. However, repellency persisted on severely burned sites even at soil moisture contents of >26 percent. Poff (1989) observed in the Sierra Nevada that disturbance of the soil surface

by logging can in some cases disrupt hydrophobic layers and reduce water repellency, but MacDonald (1989) cautioned that this potential benefit must be weighed

against the detrimental effects of logging. In some cases, managers have subsoiled

their lands along contours following postfire logging to mitigate the effects of

compaction on fine-textured soils and to break up hydrophobic layers (Webster and

Fredrickson 2005).
18

GENERAL TECHNICAL REPORT PNW-GTR-776

Fire affects hydrology through the removal of aboveground canopy, removal of

litter, and, in some cases, development of a hydrophobic soil layer. Direct measurements of the effects of fire on hydrology are rare, whereas the effects of vegetation

removal are well studied and can be used cautiously to infer fire effects (Neary et

al. 2005a, 2005b, 2005c). Bosch and Hewlett (1982) reviewed 94 studies on the

effects of vegetation changes on water yield; Stednick (1996) updated this review,

and studies continue to be reported (e.g., Troendle et al. 2001).

Removal of living forest overstory increases water yield, although increased

water yield is not detectable unless 20 to 40 percent of watershed or forest basal

area is removed. As the percentage of forest removed increases beyond the detection threshold, water yield increases proportionally. Magnitude of increased water

yield is related to total annual precipitation, and water yield is higher in wet years

than dry years. Increased water yields in coastal forests of western North America

are greater than those in dry, interior forests.

Water yield typically increases significantly in the first year following fire

or logging, then decreases with time as vegetation reoccupies a watershed. This

“hydrologic recovery” is related to site quality, which in turn is determined by

temperature regime, moisture regime, and soil fertility. Recovery may take 60

to 80 years in high-elevation (ca. >1000 m), interior watersheds of western North

America. It may take <25 years in coastal watersheds, although analysis at Alsea

Experimental Watershed (Oregon) revealed that mechanisms of streamflow generation and routing had not recovered to predisturbance levels 28 years following

clearcut logging (although water yield had recovered) (Stednick 1996).

Soil water storage, interception, and evapotranspiration are reduced when vegetation is killed and organic material on the soil surface is consumed by wildfire

(DeBano et al. 1998, Neary et al. 2005b, 2005c). Changes in annual water yields

are about the same as those caused by forest harvest, although perhaps greater

because fire reduces absorptive soil organic material and kills some of the understory vegetation. Normal patterns of snow accumulation and melt may also be

changed. Infiltration may be reduced for several reasons, which in turn may

increase overland flow and alter subsurface flow. Changes in these processes result

in increased peak flow, altered runoff timing, altered base flow, and probable

changes in water quality (table 4). For example, following fires in the Bitterroot

Mountains (Montana) in 2000, the 24.5-km2

 Laird Creek watershed, of which 30

percent burned with high severity (Nickless et al. 2002), experienced two flood

events within 2 days that would have been considered 200- to 500-year floods

based on unburned conditions (fig. 6) (Parrett et al. 2004), triggering significant

debris flows (fig. 7).

Removal of living

forest overstory

increases water

yield, although

increased water

yield is not detectable unless 20 to

40 percent of watershed or forest basal

area is removed.
19

Effects of Timber Harvest Following Wildfire in Western North America

Table 4—Summary of changes in hydrologic processes produced by wildland fires

Hydrologic process Type of change Specific effect

Interception Reduced Less moisture stored

Higher runoff in small storms

Higher water yield

Litter storage of water Reduced Less water stored

Higher overland flow 

Transpiration Temporary elimination Higher streamflow

Higher soil moisture 

Infiltration Reduced Higher overland flow

Higher stormflow 

Streamflow Changed Higher in most ecosystems

Lower in snow-ominated systems

Lower in fog-drip systems

Base flow Changed Lower (less infiltration)

Higher (less evapotranspiration)

Summer low flows (+ and -)

Stormflow Increased Higher volume Higher peak flows

Less time to peak flow

Higher flash flood frequency

Higher flood levels

Higher stream erosive power 

Snow accumulation Changed Fires <4 ha, increased snowpack

Fires >4 ha, decreased snowpack

Higher snowmelt rate

Higher evaporation and sublimation 

Source: Neary et al. 2005a.
20

GENERAL TECHNICAL REPORT PNW-GTR-776

Figure 6—Storm hydrographs from Laird Creek, near Sula, Montana. Adapted from data from the

U.S. Geological Survey.

Figure 7—Flood deposits from a Laird Creek tributary blocked the Laird Creek channel following

storms of 20–21 July 2001, near Sula, Montana.

U.S. Geological Survey
21

Effects of Timber Harvest Following Wildfire in Western North America

Unfortunately, little research has been done that directly addresses the additional hydrologic impact of logging beyond the fire itself. Because postfire logging

takes place in an environment in which the canopy and soil have already been

modified, it is reasonable to conclude that logging will not add significantly to the

altered hydrology. However, to the extent that logging results in soil compaction, it

may exacerbate enhanced runoff, and soil disturbance is likely to add to the potential for debris movement.

Forest roads, whether built to facilitate postfire logging or not, can exacerbate

hydrological effects by concentrating and channelizing surface and subsurface flow.

Forest roads are the largest source of erosion and sedimentation in forestry (Rice et

al. 1972, Sidle 1980) and may cause as much as 90 percent of total erosion resulting from forest management activities (Megahan 1980). Soil erosion associated

with roads is particularly severe during the first year or two after construction,

before cut banks and fill slopes have revegetated and stabilized. This may be

especially important when roads are built to provide access for postfire logging,

because landscape capacity to trap sediments above streams can be greatly reduced

following wildfire.

Management of forest roads presents special challenges in the postfire environment. Streamflows typically increase for the first several years following vegetation

removal by fire, and a hydrophobic soil layer, if present, can accelerate runoff

(DeBano et al. 1998). As a result, culverts that are sized correctly for drainages

with intact vegetation may prove inadequate to handle increased runoff. In addition, streams are likely to carry more woody debris and sediment than usual

(Klock 1975, McIver and McNeil 2006), increasing the likelihood that culverts

may become plugged during storms. This can lead to culvert failure, greatly

increasing the quantity of sediment delivered to streams. Even when culverts do not

fail, plugging can result in temporary diversion of stream channels and increase

sedimentation. Where streams become diverted across roads, increased erosion of

road surfaces, cut banks, and fill slopes is almost certain (Furniss et al. 1998, Keller

and Sherar 2003).

Effects of Postfire Timber Harvest on Riparian

Systems and Aquatic Ecology

Riparian areas play a critical role in the postfire environment. They are often the

least severely burned part of the landscape owing to topography and the cooler

temperatures of canyon bottoms. Intact riparian buffers reduce sediment delivery

to streams, maintain cooler stream temperatures through shading, and minimize
22

GENERAL TECHNICAL REPORT PNW-GTR-776

changes in aquatic habitat for fish and macroinvertebrates (Davies and Nelson

1994), all of which are especially important following wildfire. Vegetation in

riparian areas also mitigates the effects of denuded slopes on wildlife by providing

habitat for small mammals (Cockle and Richardson 2003), birds (Pearson and

Manuwal 2001), and amphibians (Pilliod et al. 2003).

A recent summary of the effects of fire and logging on riparian and aquatic

systems (Reeves et al. 2006) concluded that protection of residual structures

following fire in riparian areas (including smaller streams) is critical for minimizing deleterious effects. Few data exist on the effects of postfire logging on aquatic

ecosystems, although effects can be inferred from the literature on riparian fire

(Dwire and Kauffman 2003, Everett et al. 2003), fire effects, and logging effects.

Information on the effects of fire on aquatic vertebrates has focused primarily on

salmonid fishes (Dunham et al. 2003, Gresswell 1999, Rieman et al. 2003) and to a

lesser extent on amphibians (Pilliod et al. 2003). Short-term (<3 years) effects on

aquatic vertebrates are generally negative. Severe fires that burn through riparian

areas can cause mortality or emigration of fish and other organisms owing to heating and changes in water chemistry (Minshall et al. 1997, Rieman and Clayton

1997). Other potential changes include loss of in-channel wood, loss of vegetation,

reduced soil infiltration, increased erosion, changes in timing and amount of

runoff, elevated stream temperature, and altered channel morphology (Wondzell

and King 2003).

Substantial information exists on the effects of logging on fish and amphibians

(Corn and Bury 1989; deMaynadier and Hunter 1995; Hawkins et al. 1982, 1983;

Murphy and Hall 1981; Murphy and Koski 1989; Murphy et al. 1981). Most of this

literature documents adverse responses, although relationships of specific effects to

harvest area and to proximity of logging to streams are poorly quantified. Removal

of snags following fire may affect macroinvertebrate (Minshall 2003), fish, and

amphibian populations, because large wood recruitment into streams following fire

alters channel morphology (e.g., steps, pool habitats), sediment transport, and

nutrient cycling (Gregory and Bisson 1996, May and Gresswell 2003). Long-term

(>10 years) effects on aquatic systems and biota depend on the context and scale of

disturbance (Reeves et al. 2006). Erosion following fires and logging can provide

wood and coarse sediment that maintain productive habitats (Reeves et al. 1995),

create heterogeneity in channel structure and complexity, and temporarily increase

aquatic productivity through nutrient transfer (Minshall 2003). Benthic macroinvertebrate populations recover within a few years after fire (Minshall 2003), and

fish communities in Idaho recovered within 10 years after severe fires (Rieman and

Clayton 1997).

Protection of

residual structures

following fire in

riparian areas

(including smaller

streams) is critical

for minimizing deleterious effects.
23

Effects of Timber Harvest Following Wildfire in Western North America

Postfire logging activities such as road building and log skidding can increase

surface soil erosion, resulting in increased sedimentation of stream substrates

(Church and Eaton 2001, Ketcheson and Megahan 1996, Lee et al. 1997, Rieman

and Clayton 1997). High sediment loads can bury fish and amphibian eggs and

eliminate protective interstitial cavities used by juvenile fish, larval amphibians,

and benthic invertebrates (Beaty 1994, Church and Eaton 2001, Gillespie 2002,

Minshall et al. 1997). Mass wasting and debris flows, often associated with structural failure of roads or removal of trees near drainage headwalls are the most

damaging to stream habitat. If postfire management activities alter aquatic system

recovery processes in terms of physical and biological landscape elements (e.g.,

wood in streams) and frequency and severity of natural disturbance, those activities

can delay development of late-successional conditions (Beschta et al. 2004).

Conversely, management activities that complement ecosystem recovery processes

may help minimize long-term damage to aquatic systems (Reeves et al. 2006).

Effects of Postfire Timber Harvest on Terrestrial

Wildlife

The effects of postfire logging on terrestrial wildlife species depend on characteristics of the animal as well as characteristics of the environment. Most studies infer

causes of observed postfire and postharvest patterns from life history traits and

habitat relationships, with changes in wildlife abundance mediated by changes in

vegetation composition and structure (Bunnell 1995, Pilliod et al. 2003, Saab and

Powell 2005, Smith 2000). In general, arboreal species associated with closed

forest canopies decline following crown fires, and species associated with open

forest conditions and snags increase (Hutto 1995, Kotliar et al. 2002, Pilliod et al.

2006, Saab et al. 2005). Terrestrial species dependent on shrub and herb understories for food and cover (e.g., ungulates) generally benefit from increased diversity

of understories following fire, although species associated with woody debris may

decrease in the short term until new down wood is recruited (Lyon and Smith

2000, Pilliod et al. 2006). Depending on species tolerance to postfire conditions,

recolonization of a burned forest may occur within days or years (Lehmkuhl 2005).

If only low-quality habitat is available, an animal may remain in unburned forest

patches or move elsewhere until conditions become favorable.

In general, fire has a positive or neutral effect on cavity nesting birds, whereas

postfire logging has a negative effect on most of these species (table 5). There is

evidence that Lewis’ woodpecker (Melanerpes lewis) may benefit from limited

postfire logging that accelerates the development of open stands (Haggard and
24

GENERAL TECHNICAL REPORT PNW-GTR-776 Table 5—Summary of responses of cavity-nesting bird species to fire, timber harvest, and postfire timber harvest, including supporting evidencea Species Fire Timber harvest Fire and timber harvest Citation Black-backed woodpecker Positive (12) Negative (10) Negative (3) Caton 1996, Hitchcox 1996, Hobson and Schieck

(Picoides arcticus) 1999, Hutto 1995, Imbeau et al. 1999, Kotliar et al.

2002, Kreisel and Stein 1999, Saab and Dudley1998, Saab et al. 2004, Stepnisky 2003

Downy woodpecker Neutral (6), Neutral (11), Neutral (4), occasionally Caton 1996, Franzreb and Ohmart 1978,

(P. pubescens) occasionally occasionally negative (1) Greenberg et al. 1995, Hitchcox 1996,

positive (2) negative (1) Hobson and Schieck 1999, Hutto 1995,

Stepnisky 2003

Hairy woodpecker (P. Positive (11), Positive (9) Negative (4) Caton 1996, Franzreb and Ohmart 1978,

villosus) especially 1 to 2 Hitchcox 1996, Hobson and Schieck 1999,

years postfire (2) Hutto 1995, Johnson and Wauer 1996, Kotliar et al.

2002, Kreisel and Stein 1999, Saab and Dudley1998, Saab et al. 2004, Stepnisky 2003

Three-toed woodpecker Positive (10), Negative (9), Negative (2) Caton 1996, Franzreb and Ohmart 1978,

(P. tridactylus) especially 1 to 2 occasionally Hitchcox 1996, Hobson and Schieck 1999,

years postfire (2) neutral (1) Hutto 1995, Imbeau et al. 1999, Johnson and

Wauer 1996, Kotliar et al. 2002, Kreisel andStein 1999, Stepnisky 2003

White-headed woodpecker Negative (1) Negative (1) Negative (1) Garrett et al. 1996

(P. albolarvactus)

Lewis’ woodpecker Positive (1) Positive (2) Hitchcox 1996, Johnson and Wauer 1996, Saab

(Melanerpes lewis) and Dudley 1998, Saab et al. 2004

Mountain bluebird (Sialia Positive (9) Positive (7) or Negative (4) Caton 1996, Hitchcox 1996, Hobson and Schieck

currucoides) neutral (1) 1999, Hutto 1995, Johnson and Wauer 1996,

Kotliar et al. 2002, Raphael and White 1984,Saab and Dudley 1998, Saab et al. 2004

Western bluebird Neutral (5), Neutral (9) Hutto 1995, Johnson and Wauer 1996

(S. mexicana) occasionally

positive ornegative (1)

Northern flicker (Colaptes Neutral (7), Neutral (9), Neutral (1) Franzreb and Ohmart 1978, Greenberg et al.

auratus) occasionally occasionally 1995, Hobson and Schieck 1999, Horton and

positive (5) or positive (1) Mannan 1988, Hutto 1995, Kotliar et al. 2002negative (1)

Note: All responses indicate number of studies that found an effect (usually p < 0.05) on abundance or occurrence compared with unburned or unharvested plots. Neutral indicates nosignificant effect (p > 0.05) of fire or timber harvest; this category is likely underrepresented in the literature. See Hutto (1995) and Kotliar et al. (2002) for additional references. a Number of studies listed in parentheses.
25

Effects of Timber Harvest Following Wildfire in Western North America

Gaines 2001, Saab et al. 2002), although Hutto and Gallo (2006) found no significant effect. In contrast, black-backed woodpeckers (Picoides arcticus) and threetoed woodpeckers (P. tridactylus) are associated with dense stands of snags, and

postfire logging likely would be detrimental to their occupation of the site (Hutto

and Gallo 2006, Saab and Dudley 1998, Saab et al. 2002). Providing a mix of open

and dense snag stands, either through retention of natural patchiness or by logging,

may increase the abundance and diversity of cavity-nesting species over the short

term (ca. 5 year) (Haggard and Gaines 2001, Saab and Dudley 1998).

Traditional snag retention guidelines are based on the notion that snag harvest

that targets tree species and smaller trees with little cavity-excavation value might

have minimal effects on nesting potential. Tree species such as subalpine fir and

lodgepole pine create hard snags that mostly fall entire (Everett et al. 1999) and

are little used for cavity excavation (Lehmkuhl et al. 2003), although they appear

to have value for feeding of beetles and birds (Hutto 2006). Snags <25 cm d.b.h.

are generally too small for nests of cavity-excavating birds (Rose et al. 2001). If

snags are very dense, then removal of some snags may have little effect (Mellen

et al. 2002), especially where the density of primary cavity-nesting birds is limited

by territorial behavior (Bunnell 1995, Raphael and White 1984). However, that

relationship would not be expected to hold for subsequent use by secondary cavitynesting birds and mammals (Raphael and White 1984) or where nest density is

limited by insect food sources during the first 5 years after fire when bark beetles

and wood-boring beetles attract insectivorous birds (Hutto and Gallo 2006,

Lehmkuhl et al. 2003). Snag density guidelines for individual species closely

associated with postfire habitats could facilitate management of multiple species

(Hutto 2006).

Postfire logging can alter the abundance of large woody debris (fig. 1), which

provides important habitat for many wildlife species (Bull 2002; Bull et al. 1997;

Bunnell et al. 2002; Maser et al. 1979; Pilliod et al. 2003, 2006). Large woody

debris provides (1) increased abundance of insects (Koenigs et al. 2002) used by

foraging birds, bears, and other insectivores; (2) denning and foraging areas for

forest carnivores; (3) cover and fungal fruiting bodies for food for small mammals;

(4) basking sites and cover for reptiles; and (5) moist microhabitats for salamanders. Postfire logging initially increases the amount of small-diameter wood

(slash), but large woody debris declines over decades as fewer snags are available to

replace wood lost to decomposition (fig. 1). Lack of large woody debris may alter

species occurrence or abundance of some wildlife species in regenerating forests
26

GENERAL TECHNICAL REPORT PNW-GTR-776

following postfire logging, depending on stand conditions and number of snags

removed, although it is difficult to quantify thresholds of down wood abundance

relative to wildlife habitat quality. For example, in ponderosa pine forests of

central Oregon, golden-mantled ground squirrel (Spermophilus lateralis) density

and survival were lower in stands with low levels of down wood (16 m3

/ha) than

with high levels of down wood (118 m3

/ha), although this pattern was not observed

for yellow-pine chipmunk (Tamias amoenus) or deer mouse (Peromyscus

maniculatus) (Smith and Maguire 2004).

Good postfire snag habitat occurs where (1) management actions promote tree

species and large size classes favored for cavity excavation, (2) patchiness in stand

densities provides postfire habitats for different species, and (3) defective trees that

provide immediate postfire cavity excavation opportunities are created and retained.

Attaining desired size, density, and distributions of snags and down wood is an

important consideration for short-term postfire management (fig. 8). Managing for

longevity of snag habitats helps to minimize the “snag gap” from the time when

snag abundance falls below a habitat-use threshold to the creation of new snags in

the burned landscape with regenerating trees (Everett et al. 1999, McIver and

Ottmar 2007, Saab and Dudley 1998).

Figure 8—Distribution of density classes for snags ≥25 cm d.b.h. in unlogged and unburned

ponderosa pine/Douglas-fir forest wildlife habitat and large-tree structural class based on 73

inventory plots. Derived with the program DecAID (Mellen et al. 2002; accessed online May 2006).

Good postfire snag

habitat occurs

where (1) management actions promote tree species

and large size

classes favored for

cavity excavation,

(2) patchiness in

stand densities

provides postfire

habitats for different

species, and (3)

defective trees that

provide immediate

postfire cavity excavation opportunities

are created and

retained.
27

Effects of Timber Harvest Following Wildfire in Western North America

Figure 9—Cumulative bird species curves for density of snags ≥25 cm d.b.h. at 30 percent, 50

percent, and 80 percent tolerance levels for the post wildfire ponderosa pine/Douglas-fir wildlife

habitat of eastern Washington and Oregon. Tolerance levels are statistical estimates of the percentage of individuals in the population that use areas with less than or equal to the indicated snag

density. They define the range of management options for maintaining a given percentage (i.e., 30

percent, 50 percent, 80 percent) of the population for different species. For example, the 80 percent

tolerance level for BBWO indicates that 80 percent of the individuals in the population have been

found to use areas with 300 snags/ha or less. In contrast, 80 percent of LEWO individuals have

been found in areas with up to 155 snags/ha. Letter codes mark values for cavity-excavating bird

species: WHWO = white-headed woodpecker, LEWO = Lewis’ woodpecker, NOFL = northern

flicker, WEBL = western bluebird, MOBL = mountain bluebird, HAWO = hairy woodpecker,

BBWO = black-backed woodpecker. Derived with the program DecAID (Mellen et al. 2002;

accessed online May 2006).

Managing for forest conditions characteristic of different fire severities may

support the most bird species because different species respond positively to

different fire severities (Smucker et al. 2005). For example, large-scale standreplacement fires may negatively affect spotted owl (Strix occidentalis) populations

in dry forests (Gaines et al. 1997), but habitat patchiness created by small standreplacement fires or fires with both high and low severity may be beneficial (Bond

et al. 2002). Assuming that species are adapted to persist across large landscapes, a

parsimonious guideline for estimating “how much is enough” is to manage for a

specified tolerance level of snag or down wood availability (Mellen et al. 2002)

(fig. 9) within a known range of variability (Agee 2003, Hessburg et al. 1999,

Landres et al. 1999).
28

GENERAL TECHNICAL REPORT PNW-GTR-776

Conclusions

Possible outcomes ranging from negligible to highly significant can be expected

in response to logging following large wildfires. Variation in the biophysical setting

of forest landscapes affects the ways in which fire and logging alter physical and

biological components of forest ecosystems and natural resource values. Diverse

fire phenomena and logging activities further add to variability in specific effects.

Despite this variability, several principles about the effects of postfire timber

harvest emerge from our review.

• Timing of timber harvest following fire affects the magnitude of ecological

and economic effects. Specifically, logging can cause mortality of naturally

regenerating trees if it disturbs the soil after trees have established, or it can

prevent establishment if it removes the seed source prior to dispersal.

Mortality of natural regeneration is less consequential if trees are planted to

obtain desired species and stem densities. Logging soon after fire provides

the highest value of wood for commercial use.

• Crown fire typically reduces the probability of future fire for years to

decades. Logging reduces fuel loads over the long term, although its effects

on subsequent fire potential may depend on time scale: fine fuels from

decaying snags affect potential fire behavior in the short term, whereas

large fuels from decaying and falling snags affect the nature of potential

fire effects (e.g., smoke production) in the long term. Activity fuels created

by postfire logging generally increase fire hazard in the first few years after

logging unless those fuels are effectively treated.

• Fire and logging, individually and combined, affect physical, biological,

and nutritional properties of soil. Fire removes the protective organic layer

and exposes the soil to disturbance and compaction from ground-based

logging equipment. Unless logging occurs when soils are dry or mitigation

measures are applied, this can exacerbate erosion.

• Large, severe fire reduces water uptake by vegetation, causing streamflow

to increase and water quality to decrease, with increased potential for

debris movements. Postfire logging and accompanying roads can

exacerbate these effects through increased surface-water runoff and soil

erosion.

• Short-term effects of removing trees near aquatic systems are mostly

negative, and logging and transportation systems that disturb the soil

surface or accelerate road-related erosion may be particularly harmful.
29

Effects of Timber Harvest Following Wildfire in Western North America

• Most cavity-nesting birds and other cavity-nesting vertebrates are

negatively affected by harvesting large standing dead trees, and possibly

small trees in the short term, but effects differ with the habitat

requirements of each species and the intensity, pattern, and extent of tree

removal.

Incorporating postfire management of forest ecosystems in the broader task of

sustainable resource management will reduce perceptions of large fires as “emergencies” or aberrations in long-term planning (Agee 2002a) Forest ecosystems in

western North America will continue to experience large fires, and larger expanses

of forests will likely burn in a warmer climate (McKenzie et al. 2004). Therefore,

management of postfire environments will be facilitated if planning documents that

articulate postfire management options are in place in anticipation of a large fire,

thus allowing for timely implementation of appropriate actions. Comparing risks

associated with no action and with alternative management actions can help clarify

postfire decisionmaking. It is especially important that fire management and

silviculture are integrated with respect to scientific concepts and on-the-ground

applications, because management of forest structural characteristics affects longterm patterns of fuels and fire hazard (Graham et al. 1999, Peterson et al. 2005).

Similarly, coordination with wildlife biologists and vegetation biologists is helpful

because management of forest structure affects wildlife habitat and biological

diversity.

No single decision-support system exists for selecting alternatives for postfire

management. Most existing tools are designed for a single resource–vegetation,

fuels, soils, water, or wildlife–without much integration. Therefore, integration

is the responsibility of resource management staff, preferably in consultation with

local scientists. It remains to be seen whether a useful decision-support system for

postfire management that includes all resources will be developed. Until then, adaptive management will facilitate the evaluation of long-term effects of different

alternatives.

Harvesting timber following fire is usually an economic undertaking and rarely

a restorative activity in the sense of ecological restoration (Society for Ecological

Restoration International Science and Policy Working Group 2004). Postfire harvest may fit into an effective restoration strategy if management pathways for

attaining desired combinations of species, forest structure, and ecological functions

are specified. Clearly stated management objectives–which may include short- and

long-term physical, biological, and economic components–are an important guide

for logging or any other activity following a large wildfire.

Incorporating

postfire management of forest

ecosystems in

the broader task

of sustainable resource management

will reduce perceptions of large fires

as “emergencies” or

aberrations in longterm planning.
30

GENERAL TECHNICAL REPORT PNW-GTR-776

A better understanding is needed of scale-related issues to reduce scientific

uncertainty about the effects of postfire logging. First, more data are needed on

the effects of different levels of (live and dead) tree retention, including variable

densities (clumps). Second, more information is needed on how the proportion

of harvest area relative to total fire area affects the magnitude of change in different resources. Finally, longer time series (10+ years after fire) of data on the effects

of postfire logging are needed to accurately quantify long-term resource responses.

Large wildfires are opportunities to implement long-term management experiments to improve the scientific basis for decisionmaking. A network of sites would

ensure (1) consistent application of scientific principles, (2) robust statistical design

and analysis, (3) central management of data to ensure data quality and security,

and (4) rapid dissemination of results. Potential treatments would include time

since fire (e.g., <1 year, 3 years), postharvest stand density (e.g., high [no harvest],

moderate, low), and fuel treatment (e.g., none vs. effective removal of fine fuels).

Important issues addressed by response variables would include vegetation composition and productivity; silvicultural treatments and outcomes; spatial and temporal

patterns of fuels and fire hazard; effects on local hydrology; effects on soils,

biogeochemical cycling, and carbon; and habitat for birds, small mammals, amphibians, and aquatic organisms. Such experiments would ideally continue for at

least 10+ years (and preferably much longer) to capture temporal trends in postfire

and postharvest responses. Sampling intensity and frequency would initially be

high, but could decrease over time depending on trends in the data.

Acknowledgments

We thank Susan Conard, Edward DePuit, Daniel Donato, James McIver, David W.

Peterson, David Powell, Kevin Ryan, Carl Skinner, John Townsley, Cynthia West,

and three anonymous reviewers for helpful comments on an earlier draft of the

manuscript. Kelly O’Brian assisted with graphics. Ellen Eberhardt and Patricia

Loesche assisted with editing.
31

Effects of Timber Harvest Following Wildfire in Western North America

English Equivalents

When you know: Multiply by: To find:

Centimeters (cm) 0.394 Inches

Kilometers (km) .621 Miles

Square kilometers (km2

) 10.76 Square feet

Hectares (ha) 2.47 Acres

Cubic meters per second 35.31 Cubic feet per second

Cubic meters per hectare 35.3 Cubic feet per acre

Kilograms per cubic meter (kg/m3) .0624 Pounds per cubic foot

Kilograms per hectare (kg/ha) .893 Pounds per acre

Megagrams per hectare (Mg/ha) .446 Tons per acre

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