Fire Exclusion Destroys Habitats for At-Risk Species in a British Columbia Protected Area

Simple item page
dc.contributor.authorHoffman, Kira M.
dc.contributor.authorWickham, Sara B.
dc.contributor.authorMcInnes, William S.
dc.contributor.authorStarzomski, Brian M.
dc.date.accessioned2020-01-04T18:47:35Z
dc.date.available2020-01-04T18:47:35Z
dc.date.copyright2019en_US
dc.date.issued2019
dc.description.abstractFire exclusion and suppression has altered the composition and structure of Garry oak and associated ecosystems in British Columbia. The absence of frequent low severity ground fires has been one of the main contributors to dense patches of non-native grasses, shrubs, and encroaching Douglas-fir trees in historical Garry oak dominated meadows. This case study uses remote sensing and dendrochronology to reconstruct the stand dynamics and long-term fire history of a Garry oak meadow situated within Helliwell Provincial Park located on Hornby Island, British Columbia. The Garry oak habitat in Helliwell Park has decreased by 50% since 1950 due to conifer encroachment. Lower densities and mortalities of Garry oak trees were associated with the presence of overstory Douglas-fir trees. To slow conifer encroachment into the remaining Garry oak meadows, we recommend that mechanical thinning of Douglas-fir be followed by a prescribed burning program. Reintroducing fire to Garry oak ecosystems can restore and maintain populations of plants, mammals, and insects that rely on these fire resilient habitats.en_US
dc.description.reviewstatusRevieweden_US
dc.description.scholarlevelFacultyen_US
dc.description.sponsorshipThis project was supported with funds from the BC Parks Living Labs Program at the University of Victoria.en_US
dc.identifier.citationHoffman, K.M., Wickham, S.B., McInnes, W.S. & Starzomski, B.M. (2019). Fire Exclusion Destroys Habitats for At-Risk Species in a British Columbia Protected Area. Fire, 2(3), 48. https://doi.org/10.3390/fire2030048en_US
dc.identifier.urihttp://dx.doi.org/10.3390/fire2030048
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/1828/11457
dc.language.isoenen_US
dc.publisherFireen_US
dc.subjectBritish Columbia
dc.subjectconifer encroachment
dc.subjectecosystem restoration
dc.subjectfire exclusion
dc.subjectGarry oak ecosystems
dc.subjectspecies at risk
dc.subjectparks and protected areas
dc.subject.departmentSchool of Environmental Studies
dc.titleFire Exclusion Destroys Habitats for At-Risk Species in a British Columbia Protected Areaen_US
dc.typeArticleen_US

Files

Original bundle
Now showing 1 - 1 of 1
Thumbnail Image
Name:
Hoffman_K_Fire_2019.pdf
Size:
1.02 MB
Format:
Adobe Portable Document Format
Description:
Download
License bundle
Now showing 1 - 1 of 1
No Thumbnail Available
Name:
license.txt
Size:
1.71 KB
Format:
Item-specific license agreed upon to submission
Description:
Download

Collections

Faculty and Staff Publications
 
University of Victoria Libraries

We acknowledge and respect the Lək̓ʷəŋən (Songhees and Esquimalt) Peoples on whose territory the university stands, and the Lək̓ʷəŋən and W̱SÁNEĆ Peoples whose historical relationships with the land continue to this day.