Effects of Slash Pile Burning after Restoring Conifer-Encroached Aspen

Christa M. Dagley, Department of Forestry and Wildland Resources, Humboldt State University, 1 Harpst Street, Arcata, CA 95521
John-Pascal Berrill, Department of Forestry and Wildland Resources, Humboldt State University, 1 Harpst Street, Arcata, CA 95521
Stephanie Coppeto, USDA Forest Service, Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit, 35 College Drive, South Lake Tahoe, CA 96150
Kyle Jacobson, USDA Forest Service, Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit, 35 College Drive, South Lake Tahoe, CA 96150

Abstract

Removal of conifers encroaching aspen stands has been advocated and is being practiced in the Lake Tahoe Basin (EIP Project #10080: Aspen Community Restoration Projects). In remote and roadless areas, thinning of conifers is generating large volumes of wood and pile burning is currently being implemented to handle this biomass on site. However, the effects of pile burning on aspen are unknown, and there is an urgent need for guidelines to support design of thinning treatment prescriptions; specifically burn pile size and safe distances from live aspen trees of any size to prevent injury.