Effects of fire and fire surrogate treatments on bark beetle-caused tree mortality in the Southern Cascades, California

Published source details Fettig C., Borys R. & Dabney C. (2010) Effects of fire and fire surrogate treatments on bark beetle-caused tree mortality in the Southern Cascades, California. Forest Science, 56, 60-73.
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This study is summarised as evidence for the following.

	Action	Category
	Use prescribed fire: effects on mature trees Action Link
	Thin trees within forests: effects on mature trees Action Link

Use prescribed fire: effects on mature trees

A replicated, controlled study in 2002-2006 in temperate coniferous forest in California, USA (Fettig, Borys & Dabney 2010) found that prescribed burning increased bark-beetle caused tree mortality. Cumulative percentage of trees killed by bark beetles were higher in burned (9%) than in unburned plots (3%). All trees killed by bark beetles were recorded in 2006 in three control (unburned) and three burned (prescribed burning in the autumn) treatment units (10 ha). Prescribed burning was in 2002.
Thin trees within forests: effects on mature trees

A replicated, controlled study in 1998-2003 in temperate coniferous forest in California, USA (Fettig, Borys & Dabney 2010) found no effect of thinning on tree mortality caused by bark-beetle. The cumulative percentage of trees killed by bark beetles was similar in thinned (1%) and unthinned plots (3%). All trees killed by bark beetles were recorded in six treatment units (10 ha): three unthinned and three thinned (thinning from below and selection harvest leaving all stems <76.2 cm diameter at breast height and all sugar pine Pinus lambertiana, incense cedar Calocedrus decurrens and ponderosa pine Pinus ponderosa). Thinning was in 1998-1999. Data were collected in 2003.