Research

The ecological and psychological impact of the fires in the summer of 2003 was both extensive and intensive. The events of this summer raised the awareness of the positive and negative potential of fire to both human and natural systems. To learn as much as possible from the experience, the Minister of Water, Land and Air Protection has endorsed a research program centered on those landscapes within the protected areas system and in special management zones that were affected by fires.

The focus of the program is to facilitate research and education by enhancing communication among the research community, between funding organizations and the research community and between the researchers and the public.

Information on this site includes; extension initiative ; funding sources and relevant contact information; projects that are currently underway or have been completed; links to the larger fire research community and a list citations compiled between 2002 and 2004.

Extension

Publications (As publications based on fire research in BC become available they will be posted here):

Other relevant publications:

• Daigle, P. 1996. Fire in the Dry Interior of British Columbia. Extension Note 8, BCMOF Research Program, Victoria, B.C., 5 p.
• Keane, Robert E.; Ryan, Kevin C.; Veblen, Tom T.; Allen, Craig D.; Logan, Jessie; Hawkes, Brad. 2002. Cascading Effects of Fire Exclusion in the Rocky Mountain Ecosystems: A Literature Review. General Technical Report. RMRSGTR-91. Fort Collins, CO: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station. 24 p.
• Wong, Carmen; Dorner, Brigitte; Sandmann, Holger. 2003 Estimating Historical Variability of Natural Disturbances in British Columbia
• Gray, R.; Riccius, E. 1999. Historical Fire Regime for the Pothole Creek Interior Douglas-fir Research Site

Funding Opportunities

All known funding opportunities will be posted here. These listing will be updated frequently.
Last updated: September 20th, 2004

1. BC Forest Science Program (FSP) within the Forest Investment Account (FIA).
   This funding opportunity has closed. Click on the link above to see the distribution of funds.
2. Habitat Conservation Trust Fund (HCTF) - This funding opportunity has closed. Check this link for announcements of 2005/06 funding in future. Go to http://www.hctf.ca/app/changes.htm for details.

Projects: Many fire research projects are currently underway in the province. Some of them are listed below:

Project Name: Environmental Impacts of McLure Forest Fire on Area Watersheds

Principal Investigators:
Bob Grace, WLAP, 1259 Dalhousie Drive, Kamloops, BC V2C 5Z5
Phone: (250) 371-6287
Brian Heise, UCC Box 3010, 900 McGill Road, Kamloops BC V2C 5N3
Phone: (250) 371-5530
Tim Giles, MOF, Kamloops BC
UBC, Vancouver, BC

Objectives:
To measure the impacts of the McLure forest fire on water and sediment quality, benthic invertebrate communities, water flows and timing of peak flows.

Measurables:
Water chemistry (grab samples: nutrients, pH, specific conductance, turbidity, TIC/TOC, Suspended solids, fecal bacteria, metals, cyanide) & (Continuous monitoring of one stream: pH, temperature, DO, turbidity, specific conductance), fecal bacteria, sediment, benthic invertebrate communities, water flow, peak flow timing.

Start Date:
March 2004 Planned End Date: Summer of 2007

Funding Sources:
WLAP, UCC, MOF, UBC, UNBC, and possibly others

Project Name: Understory Succession following Ecosystem Restoration of Ingrown Dry Forests

Principal Investigator:
Reg Newman, Research Range Ecologist, Ministry of Forests, Research Branch
Phone: 250-828-4167 Email: reg.newman@gov.bc.ca

Objectives:
This project will assess the recovery of understory grassland and open forest vegetation following different levels of thinning and prescribed burning in overstocked, stands of IDF and PP forests in the Rocky Mountain Forest District.

Measurables (kind of data collected):
Sampling for understory herbaceous cover, litter, exposed soil, microbiotic crust, shrub cover, understory light, duff, woody debris, and forage production were completed prior to thinning. Timber cruise data using the same plot centres is available to describe pre-thinning stand characteristics such as basal area, density and volume. Surface fuel loading was determined in 2003, one growing season prior to a planned burn in 2004.

Date (start date and expected completion date):
1999 - 2008

Funding sources:
FIA

Publications:
Page, H. 2002. Monitoring ecosystem restoration of Montane forests in Southeastern British Columbia. M.Sc. thesis, Dept. Agricultural, Food and Nutritional Science, U. Alberta, Edmonton, AB.

Project Name: An Experimental Approach to Evaluate Impacts of the Recent Okanagan Mountain Park Fire and Other Disturbances on LWD Recruitment and Transportation Processes

Principal Investigator:
Adam Wei 250-762-5445 x7579; awei@ouc.bc.ca
Objectives: to establish long-term monitoring sites to assess impacts of the fire on LWD and aquatic habitat

Measurables (kind of data collected):
LWD, channel morphology and disturbance history

Date (start date and expected completion date):
April 2004 to April 2005

Funding sources:
FSP

Publications (when they happen):
2005

Project Name: Simulation of LWD Recruitment and Dynamics Associated with Wildfire Disturbance  and Harvesting in Headwater Streams of the BC Interior.

Principal Investigator:
Adam Wei 250-762-5445 x7579; awei@ouc.bc.ca

Objectives:
To develop in-stream LWD dynamics model for evaluation of impacts of wildfire and harvesting on in-stream LWD dynamics

Measurables (kind of data collected):
Based on existing data collected in the past two years

Date (start date and expected completion date):
April 2004 to April 2005

Funding sources:
FSP

Publications (when they happen):
2005

Please add your name and project information to this list if you are working on fire-related issues in BC. To be added to the list contact Tory.Stevens@gov.bc.ca with the following proposed info for each project:

• Project Name
• Principal Investigator: contact information (phone, e-mail)
• Objectives
• Measurables (data)
• Date (start date and expected end date)
• Funding sources
• Publications

Fire Research Community

• Research Branch, BC Ministry of Forests
• Pacific Forestry Centre, Canadian Forest Service
• Websites from US Forest Service Rocky Mountain Research Station
  • Fuels Planning: Science Synthesis and Integration
  • Applied Wildland Fire Research in Support of Project Level Hazardous Fuels Planning
• International Association of Wildland Fire

Citations

• Here is a list of terrestrial biodiversity papers related to fire, ecosystem restoration, fuels management and post-fire rehabilition. These citations were compiled between 2002 and 2004 by Patrick Daigle, Biodiversity Branch, Terrestrial Ecosystem Science Section, Ministry of Water, Land and Air Protection.

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