Methods to assess fire-induced tree mortality: comparing heated water baths to experimental laboratory fires
Background Recent studies looking to advance knowledge of fire-effects on trees have used both heated water baths and experimental laboratory fires to apply heat to plant tissues. Aims We assessed whether heated water baths and experimental laboratory fires caused xylem cell wall deformation and increased vulnerability to embolism. Methods Using Pinus ponderosa and Pinus monticola saplings, we measured impacts using both heated water bath treatments and experimental laboratory fires, with parameters elucidated by prior studies that observed effects associated with lethal outcomes. Key results We show that increased vulnerability to embolism only occurred in one of the species tested when using the heated water baths and did not occur in either species when using the laboratory fire treatments. Neither treatment caused xylem cell deformations. Conclusions Heated water baths may generate misleading results in some species and therefore should be used with caution when researching effects due to wildland fires. Implications Future studies should assess the potential of other common fire dynamics proxy methods.
Authors
- David R. Wilson (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6558-6415)
- Douglas D. Hardman (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0004-7821-3716)
- Mark A. Cochrane (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4573-568X)
- Aaron C. Sparks (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7969-2817)
- Henry D. Adams (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9630-4305)
- C. R. Hoffman
- Jasper F. Kok (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0464-8325)
- Luigi Boschetti (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6525-4413)
- Daniel M. Johnson (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1015-9560)
- R. Alex Thompson (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5761-1038)
- Joseph Dahlen (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0002-7231-4845)
- Dylan W. Schwilk (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3833-1932)
- Wade T. Tinkham (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4668-7624)
- Grant Logan Harley (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1557-8465)
- Raquel Partelli‐Feltrin (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5076-8515)
- Andrew Thomas Hudak (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7480-1458)
- James G. Moberly (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0950-0952)
- James A. Lutz (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2560-0710)
- Alexander S. Blanco
- Zachary W. Foley (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0006-9411-8641)
- Li Huang
- Robert Kremens
- Scott W. Rainsford (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0009-5961-0405)
Institutions
- Utah State University (US)
- Texas Tech University (US)
- US Forest Service (US)
- University of British Columbia (CA)
- University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science (US)
- University of Idaho (US)
- Rochester Institute of Technology (US)
- University of California, Merced (US)
- Lewis Clark State College (US)
- University of Georgia (US)
- Rocky Mountain Research Station (US)
- Moscow State University (TJ)
- Rocky Mountain Research (United States) (US)
- Washington State University (US)
- Colorado State University (US)
Publication Details
- Journal
- International Journal of Wildland Fire
- Published
- 2025-11-26
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1071/wf24144
- Primary Topic
- Fire effects on ecosystems
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00