CNH: Indigenous Fire Regimes, Land-Use Ecology, and Contemporary Livelihoods in Northern California

在火灾易发地区，人类对自然系统最持久、最广泛的影响之一可能是故意野火：人们故意燃烧天然草地和林地。在北美，几乎可以肯定的是，故意野火在现在的加利福尼亚已经广泛存在了5000多年，并且可能改变了生态，推动了林地物种的进化，从而影响了人们获取自然资源的能力。该项目将测量土著焚烧行为对中央山谷、克拉马斯山脉和内华达山脉的林地和低海拔混交森林的直接影响，以及这些行为对居住在林地的土著居民使用的野生食物和材料的可获得性的间接影响。研究人员将量化当地印第安人群体焚烧的地区和受到火灾压制的地区之间植物物种组成的差异，并测试焚烧行为对林地中占主导地位的橡树的再生和它们的橡子被昆虫侵染的影响。对收获和加工食物和材料（如建造家庭用品的茎）所需时间的详细研究将表明，燃烧是否确实改善了人们的资源可用性。这项工作将从科学的角度审视人类与自然之间潜在的非常重要的相互作用，这一相互作用一直是激烈辩论的主题，但很少有定量研究。项目人员将与部落和其他土地管理人员合作，更好地了解如何管理火灾以实现社会目标和恢复和维持自然系统。根据目前的管理，加州的大部分橡树林地和低海拔针叶林生态系统都受到高强度、破坏性野火的威胁。事实上，这些生态系统可能已经适应了频繁的、低强度的火灾，这些火灾烧毁了林下植被碎片，增加了物种多样性，减少了未来野火的威胁。该项目将向部落和联邦机构发布调查结果。

One of the longest standing and most sweeping effects of humans on natural systems in fire-prone areas has likely been intentional wildfire: people burning natural grasslands and woodlands on purpose. Within North America, intentional wildfire has almost certainly been widespread for over 5,000 years in what is now California, and may have changed the ecology and driven the evolution of species in woodlands in ways that in turn affect the ability of people to obtain natural resources. This project will measure direct effects of indigenous burning practices on woodlands and low-elevation, mixed forests in the Central Valley, Klamath Mountains, and Sierra Nevada, and indirect effects of these practices on the availability of wild foods and materials used by indigenous peoples that inhabit the woodlands. Researchers will quantify differences in plant species composition between areas burned by local groups of Native Americans and areas subject to fire suppression, and test effects of burning practices on the regeneration of oaks that dominate the woodlands and on infestation of their acorns by insects. Detailed studies of time required to harvest and process foods and materials such as stems for construction of household items will show whether burning does in fact improve resource availabilities for people. This work will take a scientific look at a potentially very important interplay between humans and nature that has been the subject of intensive debate but little quantitative study.The project personnel will collaborate with tribal and other land managers to develop a better understanding of how to manage fire to achieve social goals and to restore and maintain natural systems. As currently managed, much of California's oak woodlands and low-elevation conifer forests ecosystems are under a threat of high-intensity, destructive wildfires. These ecosystems may in fact be adapted to frequent, low-intensity fires that burn off understory debris, increase species diversity, and reduce the threat of future wildfires. The project will disseminate findings to tribal and federal agencies.