This thesis examines the Schultz Fire as a case study to explain the complex history of fire suppression management in America’s forests, and to gain further understanding of how management practices have affected the increase in fire severity levels and how forests respond to such a disturbance. The thesis objectives were: (1) to analyze the causes of the fire severity of the Schultz Fire, especially: topography, fuels, or weather; (2); to examine the possible correlation between fire severity and tree density; (3) to investigate whether post-fire species richness was related to fire severity two years after the Schultz Fire; (4) to investigate whether post-fire plant species richness, plant cover, and tree regeneration was related to fire severity two years after the Schultz Fire; and (5) to interlink and convey how these factors relate to the history of fire management and policy and public perception. The history of fire related policy and management has significantly changed the dynamics of America's national parks and forests. Understanding the larger context of this history, both of national fire management and of the effects of language and perception on policy and public reaction, is part of understanding the Schultz Fire as a whole. Based on modeling, high winds combined with the presence of high surface fuel load were the main causes of the Schultz Fire's high fire severity levels. As fire severity increased there was a statistically significant increase in species richness. Severity level had little variation on percentage of cover by plants. No statistically significant relationship between tree density and fire severity levels was found. These findings underline the need for fuel treatments in southwest Ponderosa Pine forests, and effective cooperation between communities, managers, and ecologists. The Schultz Fire serves as an example in understanding the intricacies of how history affects the present and future of fire management. How fire has been managed and portrayed in the past has left an indelible mark on how fire is presently viewed. Without a clear understanding of the history of fire management and the role of fire in the ecology, future policies towards fire will be unable to account for and manage for the diversity of ecosystems and fires effects on those ecosystems across the United States. / Graduation date: 2013

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The main practical output of this Thesis is a concrete specification of regression and correlation dependences for Liberec region and for the Czech Republic within one year and also within the ten year time period. The possibility of other researches was suggested in this Thesis. Finally there is a possibility to continue in other specialized work. There could be a prolongation of regression and correlation dependences in years 2010 and 2011. Thanks that the prognosis for the years 2012 and 2013 could be more specific. There could be also comparison of moment parameters of number of fires with a European and a world moment parameters. This verification of both theories and their partial theories also enables to suggest the way of how to enrich processing of statistical data within databases of Firefighters rescue in Liberec region as a base of a theoretical output of this Thesis.

The work has consisted of the measurement of processes connected with the normal management of grouse moors in the Glen Clova area of Angus. The problems associated with burning have been summarised together with the remits of previous work. The geology and topography of Glen Clova have been described briefly, and the vegetation of the Rottal area of the glen has been described in detail with respect to the particular parts under consideration. A method of ring counts has been used to define the age of Calluna stands. The methods used for analysis of mineral nutrients have been described. One method, Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy, has required extensive calibration and has been described in more detail. It has been shown that the temperature and duration of heath fires depends upon the age of the vegetation. The temperature and duration of a fire determined the loss of nitrogen in the form of smoke. The temperature of a fire has been shown to affect the solubility of nutrients in ash. Increase in temperature caused a greater release of soluble potassium and calcium, but a decrease in soluble phosphate, The release of mineral nutrients from Calluna leaf litter has been compared with that from ash. Experiments were instigated to measure the effect of grazing upon the yield and mineral content of Calluna, the greatest effect being found 5 - 10 years after burning. The addition of mixed fertiliser to some of the stands was found to increase the yield and nutrient content of the leaven of Calluna. Soil samples from 22 stands of Calluna were analysed in November each year, for three years, and the total content of nitrogen, phosphate, potassium, magnesium, calcium and iron estimated. In the first instance other analyses including pH, conductivity, organic carbon and mechanical analysis were performed in order to distinguish between the two soil types present. Significant changes in the nutrient content of the soils have been discussed. A balance sheet of the losses and gains to the ecosystem was prepared to indicate the changes in mineral nutrients. it has been calculated that the potential losses of individual nutrients by leaching, ignition and grazing could be replaced over a period of 15 years from rainwater, with the exception of phosphate which is only present in small quantities in rainwater. The implications of the results have been discussed.

Motivados pela urgente necessidade de apoiar os estudos de estratégias, controle e combate a incêndios, principalmente em reservas florestais, desenvolvemos uma ferramenta computacional para auxiliar nessa tarefa. O nosso principal objetivo nesse trabalho foi elaborar um software, e realizar um primeiro estudo de caso, de simulação de incêndios na REBIO do Lago Piratuba AP. O trabalho foi desenvolvido em três etapas: primeiro, criamos um modelo lógico e matemático baseado na dinâmica de reações e na termodinâmica da combustão de uma árvore; segundo, implementamos um programa computacional em linguagem utilizada pelos profissionais da área de computação para torná-lo mais acessível ou portável; terceiro, realizamos um teste com imagens reais de satélite obtidas da REBIO do Lago Piratuba. Obtivemos imagens de incêndios simulados em florestas virtuais que demonstraram um alto grau de realismo ou semelhança com o que é observado em imagens reais. Também aplicamos o software em imagens reais da REBIO obtidas de satélite. Realizamos testes de propagação de incêndios nessas imagens sob a introdução de obstáculos naturais e artificiais para o fogo. Os resultados das imagens dinâmicas demonstram o efeito qualitativo esperado, mas a delimitação geométrica das áreas atingidas fica mais evidente com a observação precisa em escala no mapa, da extensão do fogo, e suas conseqüências, permitindo que parâmetros espaciais e temporais, úteis ao serviço de combate a incêndios, sejam medidos na simulação. / Motivated by urgent necessity to support the studies of strategies, controlling and combat to big fires, mainly in forest reserves, we develop a computational tool for assistance in this task. Our main goal in this work was to elaborate software, and to develop a first case study, that is fire simulation in the REBIO of the Lake Piratuba AP. We reached this goal in three stages: first, we created a logical and mathematical model about tree combustion dynamics of reactions and the thermodynamics; second, we implement a computational program in a professional language for becomes it accessible or portable; third, we carry through a test with actual images of satellite of the REBIO of the Piratuba Lake. We got fire images simulated in virtual forests that demonstrated a high degree of realism or similarity that it is observed in real images. We also applied this software in satellite images of REBIO. The results of the dynamic images demonstrate the expected qualitative effect, but the geometric delimitation of the reached areas is more evident with the precise fire extension visualization, in the map scale, and its consequences, allowing that space and time, useful parameters to the fireman service, are measured in the simulation.

Made available in DSpace on 2017-06-01T18:20:25Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Dinaldo Silva Jr_ diss.pdf: 2263144 bytes, checksum: 4d00c56f72c32488fe5f7002dd8d8335 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2007-07-27 / Motivated by urgent necessity to support the studies of strategies, controlling and combat to big fires, mainly in forest reserves, we develop a computational tool for assistance in this task. Our main goal in this work was to elaborate software, and to develop a first case study, that is fire simulation in the REBIO of the Lake Piratuba AP. We reached this goal in three stages: first, we created a logical and mathematical model about tree combustion dynamics of reactions and the thermodynamics; second, we implement a computational program in a professional language for becomes it accessible or portable; third, we carry through a test with actual images of satellite of the REBIO of the Piratuba Lake. We got fire images simulated in virtual forests that demonstrated a high degree of realism or similarity that it is observed in real images. We also applied this software in satellite images of REBIO. The results of the dynamic images demonstrate the expected qualitative effect, but the geometric delimitation of the reached areas is more evident with the precise fire extension visualization, in the map scale, and its consequences, allowing that space and time, useful parameters to the fireman service, are measured in the simulation. / Motivados pela urgente necessidade de apoiar os estudos de estratégias, controle e combate a incêndios, principalmente em reservas florestais, desenvolvemos uma ferramenta computacional para auxiliar nessa tarefa. O nosso principal objetivo nesse trabalho foi elaborar um software, e realizar um primeiro estudo de caso, de simulação de incêndios na REBIO do Lago Piratuba AP. O trabalho foi desenvolvido em três etapas: primeiro, criamos um modelo lógico e matemático baseado na dinâmica de reações e na termodinâmica da combustão de uma árvore; segundo, implementamos um programa computacional em linguagem utilizada pelos profissionais da área de computação para torná-lo mais acessível ou portável; terceiro, realizamos um teste com imagens reais de satélite obtidas da REBIO do Lago Piratuba. Obtivemos imagens de incêndios simulados em florestas virtuais que demonstraram um alto grau de realismo ou semelhança com o que é observado em imagens reais. Também aplicamos o software em imagens reais da REBIO obtidas de satélite. Realizamos testes de propagação de incêndios nessas imagens sob a introdução de obstáculos naturais e artificiais para o fogo. Os resultados das imagens dinâmicas demonstram o efeito qualitativo esperado, mas a delimitação geométrica das áreas atingidas fica mais evidente com a observação precisa em escala no mapa, da extensão do fogo, e suas conseqüências, permitindo que parâmetros espaciais e temporais, úteis ao serviço de combate a incêndios, sejam medidos na simulação.

Ce mémoire a pour objectif général d’apporter une contribution à la compréhension de la nature et l’étendue des modifications du paysage par les Iroquoiens du Saint-Laurent dans la vallée laurentienne au XVIe siècle. Comme « organismes vivants », ce groupe culturel apparenté qui occupait un grand territoire entre l’embouchure des Grands Lacs et le golfe du Saint-Laurent constituant une vaste zone de captage de ressources, a créé des niches pour assurer sa reproduction. Nous nous intéressons particulièrement à l’empreinte que ces niches réalisées ont laissé sur leur environnement en prenant spécifiquement le paysage comme objet d’étude. Nous avons cherché à évaluer l’importance ou l’étendue de cette « transformation ». Puisqu’il est difficile de « voir » ces paysages du passé, nous avons tenté de les décrire en utilisant des descriptions des premiers explorateurs, missionnaires, aventuriers, administrateurs et colonisateurs européens, d’une part, et à des études paléoécologiques et archéologiques plus récentes, de l’autre. La démarche adoptée est celle de la multidisciplinarité. Les études protohistoriques sur le paysage étant relativement peu fréquentes en écologie végétale et dans les disciplines de l’aménagement, nous nous appuierons principalement sur une revue de littérature dans les domaines de l’ethnologie, de l’ethnohistoire, de l’histoire, de l’ethnologie comparative, de la géographie, de l’écologie, de l’agronomie, de la palynologie, de l’étude des charbons de bois fossiles, de l’archéologie et de l’archéologie du paysage, considérant certains paysages comme une niche réalisée. Au final, plus de 400 textes ont été consultés dont 160 ont été cités dans ce mémoire. Les illustrations de l’explorateur et du cartographe Samuel de Champlain, sur la côte est de la Nouvelle-Angleterre, et celles de la vallée du Saint-Laurent ont été étudiées pour déterminer à la fois leur valeur de « vérité » et leur valeur de « connaissances » et, ainsi nous permettre de mieux comprendre les paysages anthropiques de ces territoires. Un des outils les plus efficaces pour défricher de larges pans des forêts pour ainsi ouvrir le paysage et permettre, en autre, la mise en culture de la terre est l’utilisation du feu. Nous avons recensé un certain nombre d’observations dans ce sens dans le nord-est de l’Amérique, mais pas strictement dans la vallée du Saint-Laurent. La niche réalisée par les Iroquoiens du Saint-Laurent devait constituer un ou des paysages de type mosaïque. C’est-à-dire que de grandes étendues de forêts denses pouvaient alterner avec des forêts de type « parc ». Les sources historiques retenues dans notre mémoire tendent à confirmer ce type de paysages dans certaines parties de la vallée laurentienne et autour des Grands Lacs. / The purpose of this thesis is to contribute to the understanding of the nature and extent of landscape changes by the Iroquoians of the St. Lawrence in the Laurentian Valley in the sixteenth century. As a "living organism" (Homo sapiens), this related cultural group, which occupied a vast territory between the mouth of the Great Lakes and the Gulf of St. Lawrence, was a large resource catchment area and created niches to ensure its reproduction. We are particularly interested in the « footprint » that these niches made to leave on their environment by specifically taking the landscape as a scale of study. We sought to assess the importance or extent of this "transformation". Since it is impossible to "see" these landscapes of the past, we have tried to describe them using descriptions of early explorers, missionaries, adventurers, administrators and European colonizers, on the one hand, and more recent paleoecological and archaeological studies, on the other hand. The approach adopted is that of multidisciplinarity. Protohistorical studies on landscape are relatively infrequent in plant ecology and in the disciplines of planning, we will rely primarily on a literature review in the fields of ethnology, ethnohistory, history, comparative ethnology, geography, ecology, agronomy, palynology, the study of fossil charcoal, archeology and landscape archeology, considering certain landscapes as a realized niche construction. In the end, more of 400 texts were consulted, of which 160 were cited in this master thesis. Illustrations by Samuel de Champlain, explorer and cartographer, on the east coast of New England, and those of the St. Lawrence Valley were studied to determine both their value as "truth" and their value as "knowledge" and thus allow us to "see" the anthropic landscapes of these territories. One of the most effective tools for clearing large part of forests to open up the landscape and allow, among other things, the cultivation of the land is the use of fire. We have identified a number of observations along these lines in northeastern America, but not strictly in the St. Lawrence Valley. The niche created by the Iroquoians of the St. Lawrence was to constitute one or more mosaic-type landscapes. That is, large areas of dense forest could alternate with "park" type forests. The historical sources retained in our memory tend to confirm this type of landscape in certain parts of the Laurentian valley and around the Great Lakes. As part of this master thesis, we are looking to know if the use of fires controlled by Aboriginals for the creation of a niche or for the maintenance of the niche created could be used in the management of natural environments by taking for example the speckled alder (Alnus incana ssp. rugosa) overgrowth in marsh of Lake Saint-François National Wildlife Area.

Tirti Utenos miškų urėdijos pušynai, kuriuose 2003 ir 2006 m. buvo užfiksuoti pažeminiai miško gaisrai. Tyrimo tikslas nustatyti gaisrų padarytą poveikį metinio radialiojo prieaugo augimui. Duomenų surinkimui naudota dendrochronologinių tyrimų duomenų rinkimo metodika. Surinti duomenys išanalizuoti CHRONOL programa. Tyrimais įrodyta, kad gaisrai daro neigiamą įtaką pušynų radialiojo prieaugio augimui. / The research material for dendrochronological analysis was collected in forest area located in Utena Forest Enterprise. The objects of study were as follows: 40 year-old Vaccinium Pinetum one-layer stands, quality class – II. In two objects forest fires were in 2003 and in other two – 2006. Also, one object was selected as control where fire has not been observed. To estimate the influence made by fire to tree (Pinus sylvestris L.) radial increment, samples were taken ussing Pressler age borer in accordance with the methods for collecting experimental material of dendrochronological research work (Stravinskiene, 1994). To measure annual radial increment and estimate tree ring structure, the samples were examined by LINTAB tree-ring measurement system and TSAP computer programme. The COFECHA programm was used for analyzing obtained primary data. Using the COFECHA programme we performed cross-dating quality control. Annual tree-ring width series of asynchronous growth or lagged correlation were rechecked, corrected or eliminated from the next stages of the research with the master chronology approach. To determine impact of fire to stand growth conditions upon Pinus Sylvestris L. radial increment dendrochronological research work, dendrochronological scales of the stands with former observed fires and control stand was carried out. Well-defined decrease of radial increment was ascertained. Fire presence makes significant impact of annual radial increment dynamic after it’s... [to full text]

La région du lac Mégantic est probablement la première zone à s'être déglacée au Québec, ce qui lui confère un intérêt particulier. L'analyse pollinique et anthracologique des sédiments des trois lacs situés à ses abords, soit les lacs Clinton, Dubuc et des Joncs ont permis de reconstituer l'histoire locale et régionale de la végétation et des feux. La présence d'un gradient altitudinal a entrainé des décalages surtout dans l'instauration des premières phases forestières. La région s'est déglacée vers 13 500 ans AA, et une toundra s'y est installée. Le début de l'afforestation est marqué par l'arrivée du sapin baumier et de l'épinette noire. Par la multiplication de leurs populations, la forêt s'est fermée vers 10 000 ans AA pour constituer une forêt boréale qui fût alors perturbée par plusieurs épisodes de feux. Vers 8000 ans AA, les nouvelles conditions climatiques favorisent les espèces feuillues et instaurent une érablière à bouleau jaune et une diminution de la fréquence des feux. Les résultats obtenus permettent d'enrichir les connaissances paléophytogéographiques et anthracologiques du Québec. / The Lac Mégantic area is probably the first deglaciated in Quebec (13,500 cal. BP) which gives it a special interest. The pollen and charcoal analysis in sediments of three lakes located in its vicinity, Clinton, Dubuc and des Joncs Lakes, helped to reconstruct postglacial vegetation and fire, locally and regionally. The presence of an altitudinal gradient resulted in some delays in the introduction of various forest stages especially at the beginning. At start, tundra established in the region. The start of the afforestation is marked by the arrival of the balsam fir and black spruce. By multiplying their populations, the forest closed around 10,000 years cal. BP to build a boreal forest and was also disturbed by multiple fires. By 8,000 years cal. BP, new conditions favored deciduous species and created a sugar maple and yellow birch forest associated with lower fire frequencies. This study offers new perspectives in fire and forest reconstitutions by using proximal sites.

Aujourd'hui la perte et la transformation des habitats sont les principales menaces qui causent la diminution de la diversité biologique. A Madagascar, 90% des espèces végétales sont endémiques de l’île et la plupart des formations végétales sont actuellement fortement dégradées ou remplacées par des formations secondaires résultant des activités humaines. Le bois de tapia, dominé par l’espèce endémique de Madagascar Uapaca bojeri, est une formation végétale sclérophylle limitée aux Hautes Terres de l’île. Cette formation, adaptée et résistante au régime de feu naturel de la région, est aujourd'hui fragmentée, couvrant une surface équivalente à 132 255 ha au total. Afin d’augmenter la protection du bois de tapia, une nouvelle aire protégée (NAP) a été établie sur le Massif d’Ibity. L’état actuel de la végétation de bois de tapia est le résultat de l’interaction de facteurs comme le type de sol, le climat, les pratiques humaines traditionnelles et le feu. Bien que le feu soit un des phénomènes qui fasse partie de la dynamique de cette végétation, le régime de feu actuel est également une des causes de sa dégradation. L’objectif de cette thèse est donc d’étudier le rôle du feu sur le cycle démographique et certains processus importants pour l’installation et le recrutement. Ainsi, la germination, la phénologie et la résistance des plantules au feu ont été étudiées. Cette recherche montre que le problème actuel du bois de tapia est 1) la réduction de la floraison et de la fructification par les fréquences de feu élevées ; 2) la réduction du pourcentage de germination après l’exposition des graines à de hautes températures, et 3) la mortalité élevée des plantules après le passage d’un feu, en particulier quand la quantité de combustible est élevée. Ainsi l’installation et le recrutement des espèces ligneuses sont limités par le feu, qui a un effet négatif sur la régénération naturelle. La gestion du feu autour de l’aire protégée est ainsi nécessaire pour sa conservation / Currently loss and transformation of habitats are the main threats which cause the decrease of biological diversity. In Madagascar, 90% of plants species are endemic of the island and most of the plant formations types are at present strongly degraded or replaced by secondary formations resulting from human activities. Tapia woodland, dominated by the endemic tree Uapaca bojeri, is a sclerophyllous vegetation type limited in the Malagasy highlands. This vegetation type, adapted and resistant to the natural fire regime, is very fragmented today, covering a surface equivalent to 132 255ha on the island. In order to increase the protection of tapia woodland, a new protected area was established on Ibity massif. The current state of the woody vegetation is the result of the interaction of some factors as soil type, climate, human traditional practices and fire. Although fire is one of the phenomena that determine the dynamics of this vegetation, the current fire regime is also one of the main causes of degradation. The objective of this thesis is to study the role of fire on the demographic cycle and on some main processes for installation and recruitment. Thus, germination, plant phenology and seedlings resistance after burnt were studied. This research shows that the current problem of tapia woodland are 1) the reduction of flowering and fruiting by high fire frequencies; 2) the reduction of germination percent after seed exposure with high temperatures, and 3) high seedlings mortality after burnt, in particular when the quantity of fuel is raised. Installation and recruitment of woody species are limited by fire, which has a negative effect on natural regeneration. Fire management around the protected area is thus necessary for its conservation