Returning to Our Grasslands, Part III of III

The following part focuses on thinning, removing and leaving dead trees as well as creating defensible fire zones around homes...

  • Topic: Native Plants
  • Author: David Salman and Cindy Bellinger
  • Keywords: firescape, trees, bark beetle, habitat, disease, Other, grasses
  • Date: April 2004

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This week we continue elaborating with our suggestions for dealing with the bark beetle/ pinon die-off. So far we’ve covered selective spraying in more detail, selective watering and mulching of specimen trees and re-vegetating non-irrigated areas where pinon trees have been removed.

The following part focuses on thinning, removing and leaving dead trees as well as creating defensible fire zones around homes.

  1. Thinning dense stands of pinon is advised because the pinon forests, like the ones in the higher elevations, are too thick. They’ve flourished and over grown their habitat. By removing the thin and spindly trees greatly reduces the numbers of trees per acre. By decreasing the density from hundreds to dozens, the rain and snow that does fall can better support the remaining trees. However, if the drought continues to be as severe as the past few years, the trees that remain after thinning may succumb anyway.
  2. Leaving pinons in place after they’ve died actually does have advantages. While standing, even after they’ve lost their needles, the trees will provide habitat for many beetle-eating birds. All varieties of woodpeckers and nuthatches, as well as the different jays, are particularly drawn to bug infested trees. If conditions are right, woodpeckers will also create cavities for nesting.
  3. Letting dead trees naturally fall to the ground offers even smaller organisms homes and food as the trees decay. The trees also eventually return their biomass to the soil from natural decomposition, adding needed nutrients. It takes awhile in our arid climate, but decay and rotting does take place.
  4. Cutting down the dead trees, grinding them into chips and spreading the chips on the landscape to return their biomass to the soil is acceptable. But it’s not as good as leaving them in place. However, if those trees are near a house that’s another matter.
  5. Removing dead pinons to form a defensible fire-break around homes and buildings is essential. In any fire-prone area actively engaging in firescaping is only for the good—especially if a home sits atop a hill. Fire travels up hill quickly, creating its own wind which pushes it even more. By removing trees reduces or eliminates the path a fire can take.

Firescaping guidelines are as follows:

  • Zone One involves clearing a 30-foot area surrounding a house. Patios and gardens with fire resistant plants in this area are ideal.
  • Zone Two, called the mid-zone, is out another 70 feet. Tree limbs in this area should be pruned to 15 feet off the ground. On steep slopes keep plantings even further apart.
  • Zone Three is no closer than 100 feet from the house. Thin trees here so tree tops are separated by at least 10 feet. Prune branches and other smaller trees to keep a fire from “laddering” up trees from the ground.