Effects of PostFire Salvage Logging

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Effects of Post-Fire Salvage Logging

• Carolyn Breece
• April 14, 2005

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Protesters at Biscuit Fire salvage logging site
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Post-fire salvage logging may affect.

• Soil
• Erosion
• Water
• Wildlife
• Insect infestations
• Forest vegetation, including exotic species
• Forest recovery
• Fuel loads
• Economy

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Soil

• Compaction by logging machinery
• Water repellent layers
• Soil loss
• All may lead to decreased infiltration and
  increased overland flow.
• Increased soil temperature

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Causes of Erosion

• Logging activity
• Road construction
• Lack of supporting vegetation

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Effects of Erosion

• Increased sedimentation in streams
• Flooding
• Soil loss

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Water

• Increased sedimentation
• Reduced water quality
• Lowers survival rates of salmonids, including the
  steelhead trout (threatened), and other aquatic
  species
• Can alter stream hydrology
• Elevated stream temperature
• Lost opportunity for enhanced stream structure
  and nutrient recycling by fallen logs

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Wildlife

• Loss of large diameter snags which are important
  for cavity-nesting species and bat roosting sites
• Species shift in birds and mammals
• Fire adapted species, such as black-backed
  woodpecker, will be affected by salvage logging

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Insect Infestations

• Post-fire increase in bark beetle and wood boring
  beetle species
• Large populations of these beetles may affect
  adjacent green stands
• Beetle larvae and other insects are important
  food sources for birds

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Forest Vegetation

• Reduced vegetation biomass
• Early successional plants are important for the
  natural recovery of burned site and for securing
  soil to prevent erosion
• Introduction of exotics
• Seedling mortality by logging activity
• Increased soil temperature
• (can exceed 77 C or 170 F)
• Lethal to seedlings and plants

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Future Fire Risk

• Which increases risk of subsequent fire standing
  dead trees or salvage logging?
• Depends on stand, fire severity, location

More research is desperately needed in this area.
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Economy

• Jobs
• May increase if burned logs are cut in addition
  to green
• Jobs in logging, truck driving, mills, even
  restaurants and retail
• These will be temporary jobs
• May not increase if burned logs are cut instead
  of green
• Restoration jobs
• Also temporary and generally low paying
• Timber market
• Salvaged wood may saturate timber market and
  drive log prices down
• Mills may buy local logs rather than importing
  logs from Alaska or Canada

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Conclusions

• Post-fire salvage logging interferes with the
  natural recovery process.
• Post-fire salvage logging is not rehabilitation.
• Negative ecological impacts outweigh economic
  benefits.
• More research is desperately needed in order to
  make informed decisions about postfire
  management.

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Photo Credits
References

• Beschta, R.L., et al. 2004. Postfire management
  on forested public lands of the western
• United States. Conservation Biology 18
  957-967.
• Dietz, D. 2004. Salvage logging from Biscuit Fire
  could clear the way for jobs boon.
• Register Guard Newspaper, Eugene, Oregon.
• Elderkin, S. 1996. What a difference a year
  makes. High Country News, Paonia,
• California.
• Hutto, R.L. 1995. Composition of bird communities
  following stand-replacement fires in
• northern Rocky Mountain (USA) conifer forests.
  Conservation Biology 9 1041-
• 1058.
• Karr, J.R., et al. 2004. The effects of postfire
  salvage logging on aquatic ecosystems in
• the American West. BioScience 541029-1033.
• Kolb. P. F. 2002. Tree and forest restoration
  following wildfire. In After Wildfire
• Information for landowners coping with the
  aftermath of wildfire. James E.
• Knight, ed. Montana State University.
• McIver, J.D. and L. Starr. 2001. A literature
  review on the environmental effects of
• postfire salvage logging. Western Journal of
  Applied Forestry 16 159-168.

www.siskiyou.org www.lewis-clark.org
www.cascadiaforestalliance.org www.forestryimages
.org www.registerguard.com
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