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    • About BANR
    • Background Information
      • The Mountain Pine Beetle Epidemic
      • Making Fuels and Electricity from Wood
      • The Importance of Carbon-Negative Bioenergy
      • Managing Beetle-Kill and Fuels in Western Forests
      • What is Biochar?
    • Research Questions
      • Does the Public Support Beetle-Kill Bioenergy
      • Is Beetle-Kill Biofuel Good for the Climate?
      • How Does Salvage Harvest Change the Forest Landscape?
      • How Much Beetle-Kill is There, and Where?
      • How Might Bioenergy Affect How Beetle-Kill is Managed
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  • Biochar & Bioenergy 2019
  • Home
  • About
    • About BANR
    • Background Information
      • The Mountain Pine Beetle Epidemic
      • Making Fuels and Electricity from Wood
      • The Importance of Carbon-Negative Bioenergy
      • Managing Beetle-Kill and Fuels in Western Forests
      • What is Biochar?
    • Research Questions
      • Does the Public Support Beetle-Kill Bioenergy
      • Is Beetle-Kill Biofuel Good for the Climate?
      • How Does Salvage Harvest Change the Forest Landscape?
      • How Much Beetle-Kill is There, and Where?
      • How Might Bioenergy Affect How Beetle-Kill is Managed
    • Collaborators
      • BANR Team
      • Advisory Board
      • NASA DEVELOP
    • BANR Funding
  • Projects
    • Feedstock Supply
    • Feedstock Logistics & Processing
    • System Performance & Sustainability
    • Education
    • Extension & Outreach
    • Health & Safety
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    • BANR News
    • Events
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  • Extension & Resources
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    • Beetle Kill & Bioenergy Resources
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  • Biochar & Bioenergy 2019

Managing Beetle-kill and Fire Fuels in Western Forests

Stratification of fuels that may burn in forest fires (R. Keane 2016)

Natural disturbances, such as fire, insect infestations, diseases, and extreme weather, are integral to most North American ecosystems.  Scientists have long studied the impacts of natural disturbances on the composition and function of forest ecosystems.  However, the scale of the current bark beetle infestation in the northern Rocky Mountains far exceeds anything observed in the recent historical record.  As such, scientists are trying to understand how hundreds of millions of standing – and eventually fallen – dead trees will impact ecosystems.

Fallen trees in a beetle-killed lodgepole pine forest in Montana (photo by P. Kolb)

Some have feared that extensive stands of dead trees will lead to more frequent and catastrophic wildfires.  Recent studies have largely debunked that fear, finding that climatic conditions, especially drought, better predict the occurrence of wildfire. Though scientists agree that climate drives wildfire occurrence in live or dead forests, questions remain on wildfire dynamics as beetle-killed trees move from the canopy, to suspended surface fuels and eventually to the forest floor. One thing that is certain, is that fighting fires in beetle-killed forests is more difficult and hazardous for firefighters. Already fallen trees form a maze of obstacles for firefighters and standing dead trees are more likely to fall. In some beetle-affected stands, salvage logging of killed trees may be used in restoration efforts and to reduce hazards while supporting local wood products industries.  Scientists are currently studying how different types of salvage logging may affect the quantity and types of forest fuels, as well as the interacting microclimatic effects of removing trees, and the overall impact on wildfires.

Other Links & Resources:

  • Vox - There's a better way to tame large forest fires. So why don't we do it?
  • Science Magazine - Tiny beetles don't cause big fires
  • Colorado Bark Beetle Cooperative
  • Colorado Front Range Roundtable
  • Idaho Forest Restoration Partnership
  • Montana Forest Restoration Committee
  • Colorado Fire Follows in Pine Beetles’ Tracks
  • Northern Colorado Fire Shows Old Firefighting Techniques Don’t Work in Beetle-Kill Forests

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  • Home
  • About
    ▼
    • About BANR
    • Background Information
      ▼
      • The Mountain Pine Beetle Epidemic
      • Making Fuels and Electricity from Wood
      • The Importance of Carbon-Negative Bioenergy
      • Managing Beetle-Kill and Fuels in Western Forests
      • What is Biochar?
    • Research Questions
      ▼
      • Does the Public Support Beetle-Kill Bioenergy
      • Is Beetle-Kill Biofuel Good for the Climate?
      • How Does Salvage Harvest Change the Forest Landscape?
      • How Much Beetle-Kill is There, and Where?
      • How Might Bioenergy Affect How Beetle-Kill is Managed
    • Collaborators
      ▼
      • BANR Team
      • Advisory Board
      • NASA DEVELOP
    • BANR Funding
  • Projects
    ▼
    • Feedstock Supply
    • Feedstock Logistics & Processing
    • System Performance & Sustainability
    • Education
    • Extension & Outreach
    • Health & Safety
  • News & Events
    ▼
    • BANR News
    • Events
    • BANR in the Media
  • Extension & Resources
    ▼
    • Publications
    • Webinars & Videos
    • Maps & Spatial Data
    • Infosheets
    • Ask an Expert
    • Beetle Kill & Bioenergy Resources
    • Related Links
  • Education
    ▼
    • About Us
    • K-12 Resources
    • Undergraduate and Graduation Education
  • Connect
    ▼
    • E-Newsletter Sign-up
    • Social Media
    • Ask an Expert
  • Biochar & Bioenergy 2019