Document Type
Newsletter
Journal/Book Title/Conference
Tremblings
Volume
15
Issue
1
Editor
Paul Rogers
Publisher
Western Aspen Alliance
Publication Date
2-2024
First Page
1
Last Page
5
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Abstract
Do aspen smother or stoke the flames?
Kristin Nesbit
Perhaps you’ve heard of—or seen—fires decreasing in intensity (or extinguishing altogether) when they encounter an aspen stand. For a long time, firefighters, managers, and ecologists have characterized aspen forests as being low flammability, fire-resistant, “firebreak” forest types after observations of crown fires in conifer forests suddenly dropping down to surface fires upon entering adjacent aspen stands. However, high-intensity fires do spread through aspen-dominated forests, and aspen is known to regenerate vigorously after fire. For my M.S. research at Utah State University, I sought to explore this apparent paradox of aspen’s relationship with fire by asking, “what other evidence is there for aspen reducing fire behavior? Under what conditions does aspen support or inhibit fire?” Understanding if, how, where, and when aspen stands reduce fire activity is important for informing forest managers, firefighters, homeowners/developers, and policymakers.
Recommended Citation
Western Aspen Alliance, "Tremblings, February 2024" (2024). Tremblings. Paper 56.
https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/tremblings/56