Legacy Effects of Vegetation Management on CA Chaparral Bird Community
California chaparral (a type of shrubland) is subject to management and removal in regions where wildlife threatens human lives and property. As the wildlife-urban interface grows, more of this ecosystem is subject to extensive management. However, devising best practices for chaparral management and understanding the potential effects on wildlife, requires more information.
For years, research plots at HREC were established to compare prescribed burning and fuel reduction techniques and their impact on bird diversity and abundance. After the plots were burned in the Mendocino Complex Fire in 2018, researchers now have the opportunity to test how their previous management practices may have differing legacy effects on the bird communities. Results of this work will inform management of fire-resilient and biodiverse shrublands in California.
Researcher Spotlight: Dr. Scott Stephens
As a Professor of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management at UC Berkeley, Scott is driven by a deep interest in the interactions between wildland fire and ecosystems. With the Fire Science Laboratory, he conducts interdisciplinary scientific research and provides academic training in the fields of wildland fire science, ecology, and natural resource management.
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Dr. Stephens is one of the co-directors of Berkeley Forests, a network of field sites which supports researchers and educational visitors, as well as an advisory group that guides Berkeley’s work on sustainability within the unfolding framework of climate change.
