ESCI 1012 Lecture Notes - Lecture 23: Understory, Agricultural Productivity, Jack Pine
Document Summary
Burn top organic layer of soil or peat. Does not pose many risks to humans. Vi(cid:290)es, you(cid:290)g growth (cid:909)u(cid:290)derstory(cid:910) a(cid:290)d broke(cid:290) bra(cid:290)ches. Provide fire access to upper level of trees. Allows fires to go from surface to the canopy of the trees where there is a lot more fuels. Any lack of surface fires whether due to natural causes (number of wet years) or human influence (fire suppression) increases the possibility of larger, more destructive fires occurring. Bitterroot national forest (montana) a lot more fuel is continuing to fill in between trees over time. Wide variety of names, depending on fuel and intensity of fire. Worst are firestorms- only occur with the right combination of circumstances. Need prolonged period of dryness combined with powerful winds. Once started, firestorms generate their own sustaining winds. Consume everything in their path until either weather changes (winds drop or rain starts) or until they run out of fuel.
