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The ability of winter grazing to reduce wildfire size, intensity, and fire-induced plant mortality was not demonstrated: A comment on Davies et al. (2015)
Citation:
Smith, A., A. Talhelm, C. Kolden, B. Newingham, H. Adams, J. Cohen, K. Yedinak, AND R. Kremens. The ability of winter grazing to reduce wildfire size, intensity, and fire-induced plant mortality was not demonstrated: A comment on Davies et al. (2015). International Journal of Wildland Fire. CSIRO Publishing, Collingwood Victoria, Australia, 25(4):484-488, (2016).
Impact/Purpose:
This article is a commentary highlights the scientific shortcomings in a forthcoming paper by Davies et al. in the International Journal of Wildland Fire. The study has methodological flaws in the metrics used to assess fire behavior and effects, has insufficient data to support the conclusions of the authors, and lacks objectivity in their discussion.
Description:
A recent study by Davies et al. sought to test whether winter grazing could reduce wildfire size, fire behavior metrics, and fire-induced plant mortality in shrub-grasslands. The authors concluded that ungrazed rangelands may experience more fire-induced mortality of native perennial bunchgrasses. The authors also presented several statements regarding the benefits of winter grazing on post-fire plant community responses. However, this commentary will show that the study by Davies et al. has underlying methodological flaws, lacks data necessary to support their conclusions, and does not provide an accurate discussion on the effect of grazing on rangeland ecosystems. Importantly, Davies et al. presented no data on the post-fire mortality of the perennial bunchgrasses or on the changes in plant community composition following their experimental fires. Rather, Davies et al. inferred these conclusions based off their observed fire behavior metrics of maximum temperature and a term described as the “heat load”. However, neither metric is appropriate for elucidating the heat flux impacts on plants. This lack of post-fire data, several methodological flaws, and the use of inadequate metrics describing heat cast doubts on the authors’ ability to support their stated conclusions.
URLs/Downloads:
SMITH ET AL 2016 WILDFIRE WINTER GRAZING.PDF (PDF, NA pp, 315.252 KB, about PDF)http://www.publish.csiro.au/?paper=WF15163
