UC Davis

Forests in California face numerous anthropogenic disturbances, several of which are contributing to changes in wildfire regimes. Climate change is leading to hotter and drier conditions, and fire suppression has led to the densificiation of forests and associated increases in flammable biomass. Both factors have been changing the weather and fuel conditions driving wildfires. In yellow pine and mixed conifer forests, contemporary wildfires are leading to much larger areas of very high tree mortality than the conditions to which those forests are adapted. This has comprised regeneration processes in this system, as conifer recruitment depends on the dispersal of seeds from nearby live trees. To address these challenges, land managers can accelerate forest recovery through practices like reforestation.I investigated three facets of forest management in yellow pine and mixed conifer forests of California. First, I performed an observational study investigating whether planting small forest stands has spatially and temporally broader effects on tree recruitment. Second, I investigated whether shrub removal accelerates forest recovery through a field study as well as through longer-term simulations. Last, I investigated the longevity of standing dead trees and whether their availability over time meets land management objectives. Collectively, this dissertation addresses several facets of post-wildfire management that are ultimately centered on how land management affects ecological processes and forest recovery.