Jan W. van Wagtendonk & Kevin E. Shaffer 
Fire in California’s Ecosystems 

Fire is both an integral natural process in the California landscape and growing threat to its urban and suburban developments as they encroach on wildlands. Written by many of the foremost authorities on the subject, this comprehensive volume, an ideal text and authoritative reference tool, is the first to synthesize our knowledge of the science, ecology, and management of fire in California. Part I introduces the basics of fire ecology. It includes an historical overview of fire, vegetation, and climate in California; overviews of fire as a physical and ecological process; and reviews the interactions between fire and the physical, plant, and animal components of the environment. Part II explores the history and ecology of fire in each of California’s nine bioregions. Part III examines fire management in California, including both Native American and post-European settlement; discusses current issues related to fire policy and management, including air quality, watershed management, invasive plant species, native species, and fuel management; and considers the future of fire management.

Table of Content

LIST OF CONTRIBUTORSFOREWORDJames K. Agee PREFACE1. Fire and California Vegetation Neil G. Sugihara and Michael G. Barbour PART IIntroduction to Fire Ecology2. California Climate and Fire Weather Richard A. Minnich3. Fire as a Physical Process Jan W. van Wagtendonk4. Fire as an Ecological Process Neil G. Sugihara, Jan W. van Wagtendonk, and Jo Ann Fites-Kaufman5. Fire and Physical Environment Interactions: Soil, Water, and Air Peter M. Wohlgemuth, Ken Hubbert, and Michael J. Arbaugh6. Fire and Plant Interactions Jo Ann Fites-Kaufman, Anne F. Bradley, and Amy G. Merrill7. Fire and Animal Interactions Kevin E. Shaffer and William F. Laudenslayer, Jr.PART IIThe History and Ecology of Fire in California’s Bioregions8. North Coast Bioregion John D. Stuart and Scott L. Stephens9. Klamath Mountains Bioregion Carl N. Skinner, Alan H. Taylor, and James K. Agee10. Southern Cascades Bioregion Carl N. Skinner and Alan H. Taylor11. Northeastern Plateaus Bioregion Gregg M. Riegel, Richard F. Miller, Carl N. Skinner, and Sydney E. Smith12. Sierra Nevada Bioregion Jan W. van Wagtendonk and Joann Fites-Kaufman13. Central Valley Bioregion Robin Wills14. Central Coast Bioregion Frank W. Davis and Mark I. Borchert15. South Coast Bioregion Jon E. Keeley16. Southeastern Deserts Bioregion Matthew L. Brooks and Richard A. Minnich PART II IFire Management Issues in California’s Ecosystems17. The Use of Fire by Native Americans in California M. Kat Anderson18. Fire Management and Policy Since European Settlement Scott L. Stephens and Neil G. Sugihara CONTENTS19. Fire and Fuel Management Sue Husari, H. Thomas Nichols, Neil G. Sugihara, and Scott L. Stephens20. Fire, Watershed Resources, and Aquatic Ecosystems Andrea E. Thode, Jeffrey L. Kershner, Ken Roby, Lynn M. Decker, and Jan L. Beyers21. Fire and Air Resources Suraj Ahuja22. Fire and Invasive Plant Species Robert C. Klinger, Matthew L. Brooks, and John M. Randall23. Fire and At-Risk Species Kevin E. Shaffer24. The Future of Fire in California’s Ecosystems Neil G. Sugihara, Jan W. van Wagtendonk, Jo Ann Fites-Kaufman, Kevin E. Shaffer, and Andrea E. Thode APPENDIX 1: PLANT COMMON AND SCIENTIFIC NAMES APPENDIX 2: ANIMAL COMMON AND SCIENTIFIC NAMESAPPENDIX 3: BIOREGIONS, ECOLOGICAL ZONES, AND PLANT ALLIANCES OF CALIFORNIA THAT OCCUR IN THIS TEXTGLOSSARYINDEX

About the author

Neil G. Sugihara is Fire Ecologist with the U.S. Forest Service. Jan W. van Wagtendonk is Research Forester with the U.S. Geological Survey. Jo Ann Fites-Kaufman is Fire Ecologist with the Adaptive Management Services Enterprise Team of the U.S. Forest Service. Kevin E. Shaffer is Environmental Specialist in Forestry and Fire Ecology with the California Department of Fish and Game and Andrea E. Thode is Assistant Professor of Fire Ecology in the School of Forestry at Northern Arizona University.