Chronicles from Nature's Phoenix, Episode 4: Ecological Cost of Postfire Interventions

Dr. Dominick DellaSala and Michelle Connolly, Director of Conservation North, critically examine the common postfire #logging practices and their ecological impacts, challenging the prevailing narrative that views postfire landscapes as wastelands in need of “salvage” and “restoration” in our fourth installment of Nature’s Phoenix’s chapter webinar series. The contents of chapter 9 highlight how the logging industry often rushes to exploit economic value from fire-adapted trees, leading to extensive and disruptive interventions such as road building, replanting with commercial tree species, and the use of herbicides. This approach not only disregards the #ecological benefits that #fire brings to #forest #ecosystems but also exacerbates disturbances, transforming dynamic fire-dependent landscapes into biologically sterile tree plantations.

Through case studies of significant fires such as the 2002 Biscuit Fire in southwest #Oregon and 2013 Rim Fire in the #Sierra region of southern #California, the chapter illustrates how postfire logging and related activities can cause long-term ecological harm and disrupt #natural processes. The authors of the chapter and speakers of the webinar advocate for a shift in perspective, emphasizing that managing forests for ecological integrity requires moving away from postfire logging practices and focusing on conserving the ecological value of fire-affected forests.

Speakers:
Michelle Connolly, M.S., Director of Conservation North: https://conservationnorth.org/
Dr. Dominick DellaSala, Chief Scientist at Wild Heritage: https://wild-heritage.org/

Purchase Mixed Severity Fires: Nature's Phoenix here: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/mixe...

Find the full webinar series schedule here: https://johnmuirproject.org/wp-conten...