Fire and Vegetation Dynamics

This book assembles the relevant studies of fire intensity, rate of spread, fuel consumption, fire frequency, and fire weather in the North American boreal forest. The central thesis is that the North American boreal forest has at least four wildfire characteristics that are important in understanding the dynamics of its plant populations: the large size of the burns with respect to dispersal distances; the short recurrence time of fire with respect to tree lifespans; the high mortality of plants due to the predominance of crown fires; and a good germination surface due to the large area of the forest floor that is covered by ash.

Preface; 1. Fire and the boreal forest: the process and the response; 2. Fires and climate; 3. Forest fire behaviour; 4. Fire intensity; 5. Duff consumption; 6. Fire history and landscape pattern; 7. Fire and the population dynamics of boreal trees; 8. Conclusion; References; Index.