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Effects of oak disease on wildfire burn severity

Effects of oak disease on wildfire burn severity

California forests are critical resources managed for carbon sequestration, water provisioning, and recreation. Interacting disturbances (e.g., species introductions, climate change, wildfire dynamics) have recently been recognized as factors that shape both landscape-level resources of forests and costs associated with managing these resources.

Hernandez et al 2019: We evaluated the relationship between sudden oak death (SOD) severity and wildfire intensity in the recent Atlas/Nuns/Tubbs Fire complex. Specifically, we conducted surveys of epidemiological dynamics and ecological impacts of SOD for a long-term plot network across Sonoma County. 

 

Project Results
Title Format Download Students
"The Role of Pre and Postfire Fuel Loads as a Component of Wildfire Severity in Sudden Oak Death Infected Oak Woodlands" poster
Document: fire_and_sod.pdf (2.97 MB)
Manuel Hernandez, Susan Carter, Maria Martinez, Mikayla Mesker, Keenan Raleigh, Mikala Tator

 

Project Date: 2018 to present

Faculty:

  • Lisa Patrick Bentley

Departments:

  • Biology

Partners:

  • Center for Environmental Inquiry
  • North Carolina State University
  • California Polytechnic State University

Students:

  • Independent research
  • Masters research
  • BIOL 490

Locations:

  • Fairfield Osborn Preserve
  • Sonoma County

Project Topics:

  • Disease
  • Fire

Funding Sources:

  • Norwick Memorial Fund