1. Fire Ecology

2. Disturbance Defn: Force that shapes natural communities by altering resource allocation and changing structure of environment

3. Describing a Disturbance Natural vs. anthropogenic Scale Intensity Return time Duration

4. Fire Prevalent in some communities –Conifer forests –Chaparral –Grasslands Affects species composition Relationship between fire and plant communities

5. Fire in the Wild

6. Mediterranean Climates Hot dry summers Cool wet winters Mild temperatures Santa Anna winds

7. Changes in the Fire Cycle Fire suppression –Fire as an enemy

8. Changes in the Fire Cycle Controlled burns Accidental ignition Long-term alterations –Sediment analysis

9. Fire Spread Flying embers –Leaves –Ash Animals Heat

10. The Role of Fire Landscape heterogeneity –Fields –Forests Increase diversity Required for reproduction Prevent catastrophic fires

13. Catastrophic Fires Intense Fast return time Massive casualty –Wildlife –Trees Destroy seeds Sterilize soil

14. High Intensity

15. Low Intensity

16. Fire Recovery Succession: Changes in species composition over time Primary succession Secondary succession

17. Models of Succession Stable endpoint – climax

18. Chaparral Succession Burns Survivors Crown sprouts Seed banks Bulbs Colonizers Senescence

19. Chamise - Adenostoma Crown Sprout

20. California Lilac – Ceanothus Seed bank Crown sprout

21. Wildflowers Seed banks Bulbs Immigration

23. Grasses

24. Immigration Animals return Grazers

25. Post-Fire Human Impacts Slope stabilization –Hydroseed –Replants Rebuilding

26. Hydroseed

27. Forest Plantations

28. Living with Fire Should we live in chaparral? How can we protect lives? How can fire be re- introduced?