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OOS-15: A toolbox for fire ecology: Mechanisms linking fire behavior and
ecological effect
Endorsed
by the ESA Southeast and Rocky Mountain Chapters
Tuesday,
August 9, 8 AM - 11:30 AM, Meeting Rooms 511b and 511e, Level 5, Palais
des congrès de Montréal
Organizers:
Sean Michaletz (stmichael@ucalgary.ca),
Rodney Weber
Description:
Fire
ecology seeks to identify the mechanisms linking fire behavior and ecological
effect. To this end, fire ecologists have traditionally used statistical
approaches to correlate fire descriptors and fire effects. Statistical
approaches result in “case studies,” which are phenomenalistic descriptions
of the data. The underlying philosophy is that an accumulation of case studies
will reveal patterns in the data and eventually elucidate the causal mechanisms.
This session illustrates an alternative “process approach” which seeks to
first propose and then validate mechanisms of fire effect. The approach
typically uses physical process theory to suggest relationships between relevant
variables and independent experimental data to test those relationships.
Participants will illustrate these methods and their advantages by addressing
several important issues in fire ecology. This session should provide tools for
identifying causal mechanisms of fire effect and promises to cultivate a more
mechanistic and predictive fire ecology.
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