Fire Ecology and Management in Pacific Northwest Forests

Fire has been an important catalyst of change in Pacific Northwest forests throughout the Holocene. The role of fire varied across this biophysically diverse region prior to European colonization, but fire exclusion and logging drastically altered forest conditions during the 19th and 20th centuries. Despite recent increases in area burned and several large wildfires with devastating social and economic consequences, area burned in recent decades remains far less than under historical regimes across most of the region. Some dry forest landscapes have experienced profound change through uncharacteristically severe fires. In moist and cold forest landscapes, wildfires have enhanced biodiversity through the creation of structurally complex early-seral habitats. Area burned is expected to double or triple in the future under a warming climate. Strategies to adapt to future wildfires vary among historical regimes and biophysical settings and will require collaborative engagement and adaptive management to facilitate ecological change at meaningful scales.

Automated summary

Fire has played a crucial role in shaping Pacific Northwest forests throughout history, but recent decades have seen a decrease in total burned area compared to historical levels. Severe fires in dry forest landscapes have caused significant changes, while wildfires in moist and cold forest landscapes have increased biodiversity. Area burned is expected to increase significantly in the future due to climate change.