Prescribed fire in Näsåker
Prescribed fire in Näsåker <Planerad skogsbrand i Näsåker>
5 July 2008
published by allehanda.se
Planerad skogsbrand i Näsåker
SOLLEFTEÅ. Nej, det var ingen skogsbrand i Näsåker i går. Det såg ut som så men det var faktiskt länsstyrelsen som högst planerat genomförde en naturvårdsbränning. Sex hektar i naturreservatet Jättjärn eldades.
Tack vare naturvårdsbränningen ges vissa hotade arter en möjlighet att överleva Foto:Stefan Sundkvist
Det här var årets första naturvårdsbränning i länet och den allra första någonsin i ett naturreservat i Sollefteå kommun. Att det är torrt i markerna passar alldeles utmärkt.
– Det är faktiskt säkrare då. När det är torrt eldas allt bränsle upp och man behöver inte vara orolig för att det ska ta sig igen senare. Dessutom ska man elda under så normala förhållanden som möjligt och skogsbränder uppstår när det är torrt, poängterar Tomas Rydkvist från länsstyrelsen.
Att anlägga skogsbränder så här är ett sätt att återskapa naturliga miljöer, Skogsbrand var en vanlig företeelse fram till för ungefär 150 år sedan. Många arter har anpassat sig till de störningar som en skogsbrand innebär och deras naturliga miljö försvinner om det aldrig brinner. Många arter har också minskat kraftigt och naturvårdsbränning är ett sätt att förbättra förutsättningarna för dessa arter.
Den närmast tiden kommer det att vara ganska svart och öde i Jättjärn, alla lavar och all mossa försvinner. Men redan om några veckor börjar det grönska igen och om allt går som de vill får man en glesare och öppnare skog som präglas av ljusare och varmare förhållanden.
Bränningen i Jättjärn var ganska liten, bara sex hektar. Sammanlagt planeras i sommar 12 bränningar om sammanlagt 157,5 hektar.
Translation provided by Tomas Rydkvist.:
Solleftea, Sweden — No, there was not a forest fire in Näsåker yesterday. It looked like one but it was the Nature Conservation Office from the County Administrative Board of Västernorrland which conducted a prescribed fire when six hectare of forest was burned in Jättjärn nature reserve.
Photo: Stefan Sundkvist.
Photo: Stefan Sundkvist.
It was this years first prescribed fire in a nature reserve in the county and the first ever in a nature reserve in Sollefteå commune. And that is really dry in the forest suits just fine.
-Actually it is much safer when it is real dry. When it is dry, all fuel is consumed by the fire and one don´t have to worry about that the fire will restart after a few days. Besides that we should burn under the same conditions as natural fire would occurs, says Tomas Rydkvist from the Nature Conservation Office.
Prescribed fire is a way to restore or recreate fire prone landscapes, forest fires was very common in Sweden up till 150 yrs ago. A lot of species has adapted to the natural disturbances as forest fires and their natural habitat vanish if there arent any fires. Many species has declined due to fire suppression and prescribed fires is a way to improve their environment.
For a short while it will be rather black and quiet in Jättjärn nature reserve, all the mosses and lichens has disappeared. But in just a few days trees like e.g. birches will resprout. And if everything goes as planned there will be a more open forest with more sunlight and with a warmer climate.
The fire in Jättjärn nature reserve was rather small, only six hectare. In total there is 157,5 hectare planned to be burned this summer.
Related TV interview with Mr. Tomas Rydkvist, Biologist and Ignition Boss, County Administration of Västernorrland
(broadcasted TV4 News Middle of Sweden):
http://nyhetskanalen.se/2.139?videoId=1.533447&renderingdepartment=2.757
Translation of the TV Interview:
Tomas Rydkvist, Biologist and Ignition Boss, County Administration of Västernorrland
there might be more deciduous trees here, we will create more fire scars, that is injuries in smaller pines, and we will burn the mosses away. There might be a rejuvenation of pines and we are making things easier for a number of species.
Speakers voice
Fredrik Svensson TV4 News Middle of Sweden
At a prescribed fire one burns the ground vegetation away, like mosses, lichens and other plants. The bigger trees survives the fire, even though some will get crown damages due to the heat. Spruce trees are meant to be killed in the fire to make more space available to the pines.
Forest fires where a common event in this types of forest up to the late 1800. Many species has declined, due to absence of forest fires and since a lot of species have adapted to these kind of natural disturbances, prescribed fire is the only management method that resemble forest fire.
Jukka Kuivaniemi, Burn boss, Swedish Forest Service
In this type of forest there should be a fire every 70 100 yrs, you can see it on the trees here that there has been fire here previously. That is why the forest is rather sparse with old pine trees and now the spruce are moving in. What we are doing right now is that we are removing the spruce trees with the aid of fire, a totally natural process.
Speakers voice
And in a prescribed fire the security is the most vital thing, so that the fire can be contained.
We have men that are wetting the perimeter before fire and as soon as the fire has passed the start mopping up.
The horror pictures are those from North America on crown fires with flame length up to 30-40 meters, we never get this kind of fires in Sweden. In a forest like this that is rather sparse and where there are actually small amounts of spruces, we never can get a crown fire.
