Double whammy: high-severity fire and drought in ponderosa pine forests of the Southwest

2013 ◽  
Vol 43 (6) ◽  
pp. 570-583 ◽  
Author(s):  
Melissa Savage ◽  
Joy Nystrom Mast ◽  
Johannes J. Feddema
Keyword(s):  
Pinus Ponderosa ◽  
Ponderosa Pine ◽  
Fire Regime ◽  
American Southwest ◽  
Forest Recovery ◽  
Type Model ◽  
Ponderosa Pine Forests ◽  
High Severity ◽  
Pine Regeneration ◽  
Drought Conditions

We examine regeneration dynamics across landscapes under extreme climate conditions and a human-altered fire regime in ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa Douglas ex Lawson & C. Lawson) forests of the American Southwest. Our research asks how well these forests recover when unprecedented conditions of a high-severity fire regime combine with historical drought conditions. Tree recruitment is documented at five sites in New Mexico after high-severity fires that burned forests in the drought that prevailed from ∼1945 to 1958. We develop a water-balance type model to evaluate how altered microclimate conditions in the years after a fire and during a drought may inhibit ponderosa pine regeneration in comparison with drought conditions alone. We empirically identify two pathways of forest recovery following high-severity fires during drought: recovery to nonforest types, either dense shrubfields or shrubs in grasslands (four sites) or recovery to hyperdense forest (one site). Model simulations predict fewer favorable opportunities for germination, fewer periods favorable for seedling establishment, shortening of favorable establishment periods, and more adverse conditions because of later spring and earlier fall hard freezes. Our research suggests that a specific climate window critical to the capacity of southwestern ponderosa pine trees to regenerate is narrowed by a synchronous occurrence of high-severity fire and drought.

scholarly journals How resilient are southwestern ponderosa pine forests after crown fires?

2005 ◽  
Vol 35 (4) ◽  
pp. 967-977 ◽  
Author(s):  
Melissa Savage ◽  
Joy Nystrom Mast
Keyword(s):  
Pinus Ponderosa ◽  
Ponderosa Pine ◽  
Fire Regime ◽  
Forest Recovery ◽  
Ecosystem Structure ◽  
Ponderosa Pine Forests ◽  
Natural Fires ◽  
Crown Fires ◽  
Regeneration Response ◽  
And Function

The exclusion of low-severity surface fire from ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa P. & C. Lawson) forests of the Southwest has changed ecosystem structure and function such that severe crown fires are increasingly causing extensive stand mortality. This altered fire regime has resulted from the intersection of natural drought cycles with human activities that have suppressed natural fires for over a century. What is the trajectory of forest recovery after such fires? This study explores the regeneration response of ponderosa pine and other species to crown fires that occurred in the region from the late 1940s to the mid-1970s. We address two main questions: (1) What is the success of ponderosa regeneration and establishment, and (2) Can these sites, burned in stand-destroying fires, be "captured" by other species on the scale of decades? Two main trajectories of recovery were found: (1) establishment of unnaturally dense ponderosa pine stands vulnerable to further crown fire and (2) establishment of nonforested grass or shrub communities.

Woody debris and tree regeneration dynamics following severe wildfires in Arizona ponderosa pine forests

2012 ◽  
Vol 42 (3) ◽  
pp. 593-604 ◽  
Author(s):  
John P. Roccaforte ◽  
Peter Z. Fulé ◽  
W. Walker Chancellor ◽  
Daniel C. Laughlin
Keyword(s):  
Pinus Ponderosa ◽  
Forest Fires ◽  
Ponderosa Pine ◽  
Woody Debris ◽  
Climatic Conditions ◽  
Pine Forest ◽  
Tree Regeneration ◽  
Forest Recovery ◽  
Regeneration Dynamics ◽  
Ponderosa Pine Forests

Severe forest fires worldwide leave behind large quantities of dead woody debris and regenerating trees that can affect future ecosystem trajectories. We studied a chronosequence of severe fires in Arizona, USA, spanning 1 to 18 years after burning to investigate postfire woody debris and regeneration dynamics. Snag densities varied over time, with predominantly recent snags in recent fires and broken or fallen snags in older fires. Coarse woody debris peaked at > 60 Mg/ha in the time period 6–12 years after fire, a value higher than previously reported in postfire fuel assessments in this region. However, debris loadings on fires older than 12 years were within the range of recommended management values (11.2–44.8 Mg/ha). Overstory and regeneration were most commonly dominated by sprouting deciduous species. Ponderosa pine ( Pinus ponderosa C. Lawson var. scopulorum Engelm.) overstory and regeneration were completely lacking in 50% and 57% of the sites, respectively, indicating that many sites were likely to experience extended periods as shrublands or grasslands rather than returning rapidly to pine forest. More time is needed to see whether these patterns will remain stable, but there are substantial obstacles to pine forest recovery: competition with sprouting species and (or) grasses, lack of seed sources, and the forecast of warmer, drier climatic conditions for coming decades.

scholarly journals The Effects of Fire on Understory Vegetation in Ponderosa Pine Forests

1980 ◽  
Vol 4 ◽  
pp. 96-97
Author(s):  
Jane Bock ◽  
Carl Bock
Keyword(s):  
Pinus Ponderosa ◽  
Ponderosa Pine ◽  
Prescribed Burning ◽  
Fire Regime ◽  
Management Plan ◽  
Black Hills ◽  
Pine Forests ◽  
Natural Phenomenon ◽  
Natural Fire ◽  
Ponderosa Pine Forests

This was the second year of our study designed to evaluate the nature of vegetation occurring under Pinus ponderosa canopy in Wind Cave National Park and to define the relationship between this vegetation and fire. Fire is known to be a natural phenomenon in ponderosa pine forests (Wright 1978), and to play a major role in determining the position of the pine-grassland ecotone in the Black Hills (Gartner and Thompson 1973). Wind Cave personnel are developing a fire management plan allowing for prescribed burning, in hopes of bringing the park ecosystems back under a "natural" fire regime. Results of our study will help park management predict the effects of such prescribed burning on the ponderosa pine community.

scholarly journals Fire Histoy Determination in the Mixed Conifer/Aspen Community of Bryce Canyon National Park

1993 ◽  
Vol 17 ◽  
pp. 31-35
Author(s):  
Michael Jenkins
Keyword(s):  
Pinus Ponderosa ◽  
Ponderosa Pine ◽  
National Park ◽  
Fire History ◽  
Fire Regime ◽  
Mixed Conifer ◽  
Major Objective ◽  
Ponderosa Pine Forests ◽  
Fire Scar ◽  
European Settlement

The major objective of this ongoing study is to document vegetative changes resulting from alteration of the fire regime in the mixed conifer/aspen communities of Bryce Canyon National Park. Previous fire history studies have documented fire return intervals using fire scar analysis of ponderosa pine Pinus ponderosa in the park (Buchannan and Tolman 1983: Wight 1989) and for the Paunsaugunt Plateau (Stein 1988). Numerous other studies have similarly documented the fire regime in pre-European settlement ponderosa pine forests in western North America. The study is being conducted in the more mesic mixed conifer communities at the south end of Bryce Canyon National Park and will specifically document vegetative changes suggested by Roberts et al. (1992) resulting from suppression of frequent low intensity surface fires and overgrazing.

scholarly journals Phenology Patterns Indicate Recovery Trajectories of Ponderosa Pine Forests After High-Severity Fires

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (23) ◽  
pp. 2782 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jessica J. Walker ◽  
Christopher E. Soulard
Keyword(s):  
Time Series ◽  
Pinus Ponderosa ◽  
Ponderosa Pine ◽  
Google Earth ◽  
Thematic Mapper ◽  
Pine Forests ◽  
Land Resource ◽  
Ponderosa Pine Forests ◽  
High Severity ◽  
Peak Value

Post-fire recovery trajectories in ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa Laws.) forests of the southwestern United States are increasingly shifting away from pre-burn vegetation communities. This study investigated whether phenological metrics derived from a multi-decade remotely sensed imagery time-series could differentiate among grass, evergreen shrub, deciduous, or conifer-dominated replacement pathways. We focused on 10 fires that burned ponderosa pine forests in Arizona and New Mexico, USA before the year 2000. A total of 29 sites with discernable post-fire recovery signals were selected within high-severity burn areas. At each site, we used Google Earth Engine to derive time-series of normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) signals from Landsat Thematic Mapper, Enhanced Thematic Mapper Plus, and Operational Land Imager data from 1984 to 2017. We aggregated values to 8- and 16-day intervals, fit Savitzky–Golay filters to each sequence, and extracted annual phenology metrics of amplitude, base value, peak value, and timing of peak value in the TIMESAT analysis package. Results showed that relative to post-fire conditions, pre-burn ponderosa pine forests exhibit significantly lower mean NDVI amplitude (0.14 vs. 0.21), higher mean base NDVI (0.47 vs. 0.22), higher mean peak NDVI (0.60 vs. 0.43), and later mean peak NDVI (day of year 277 vs. 237). Vegetation succession pathways exhibit distinct phenometric characteristics as early as year 5 (amplitude) and as late as year 20 (timing of peak NDVI). This study confirms the feasibility of leveraging phenology metrics derived from long-term imagery time-series to identify and monitor ecological outcomes. This information may be of benefit to land resource managers who seek indicators of future landscape compositions to inform management strategies.

scholarly journals Moisture and vegetation cover limit ponderosa pine regeneration in high-severity burn patches in the southwestern US

Fire Ecology ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Megan P. Singleton ◽  
Andrea E. Thode ◽  
Andrew J. Sánchez Meador ◽  
Jose M. Iniguez
Keyword(s):  
Ponderosa Pine ◽  
Seedling Establishment ◽  
Canopy Cover ◽  
Seedling Density ◽  
Ponderosa Pine Forests ◽  
High Severity ◽  
Pine Regeneration ◽  
Core Areas ◽  
Gambel Oak ◽  
Patch Edge

Abstract Background Fire regimes are shifting in ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa Lawson & C. Lawson)-dominated forests, raising concern regarding future vegetation patterns and forest resilience, particularly within high-severity burn patches. The southwestern US has recently experienced a marked increase in large fires that produce large, high-severity patch interiors, with few surviving trees. These areas could be more susceptible for forest loss and conversions to alternative vegetation types than areas closer to the forest edge with more available seed sources. To better understand forest recovery, we surveyed ponderosa pine regeneration within edge and core areas (>200 m from edge) of high-severity patches in ten fires that burned between 1996 to 2008 across Arizona and New Mexico, USA. Specifically, we compared regeneration density, height, and canopy cover in patch edge and core areas and used generalized linear models to investigate the abiotic and biotic factors that contribute to ponderosa pine seedling establishment and density. Results High-severity burn-patch edge and core plots were not significantly different in seedling density, height, or canopy cover across fires. Seedling establishment was more likely at higher-elevation mesic sites and less likely when Gambel oak (Quercus gambelii Nutt.) was more abundant. Seedling density was negatively impacted by shrub, grass, and Gambel oak cover. Conclusions Regeneration density varied among fires but analysis of regeneration in aggregated edge and core plots showed that abundance of seed availability was not the sole factor that limited ponderosa pine regeneration, probably because of surviving tree refugia within high-severity burn patches. Furthermore, our findings emphasize that ponderosa pine regeneration in our study area was significantly impacted by xeric topographic environments and vegetation competition. Continued warm and dry conditions and increased wildfire activity may delay the natural recovery of ponderosa pine forests, underscoring the importance of restoration efforts in large, high-severity burn patches.

Mixed-severity fire regimes in dry forests of southern interior British Columbia, Canada

2012 ◽  
Vol 42 (1) ◽  
pp. 88-98 ◽  
Author(s):  
Emily K. Heyerdahl ◽  
Ken Lertzman ◽  
Carmen M. Wong
Keyword(s):  
British Columbia ◽  
Ponderosa Pine ◽  
Fire Regime ◽  
Fire Severity ◽  
Fire Regimes ◽  
Douglas Fir ◽  
Dry Forests ◽  
Ponderosa Pine Forests ◽  
Fire Scar ◽  
High Severity

Historical fire severity is poorly characterized for dry forests in the interior west of North America. We inferred a multicentury history of fire severity from tree rings in Douglas-fir ( Pseudotsuga menziesii var. glauca (Beissn.) Franco) – ponderosa pine ( Pinus ponderosa Douglas ex P. Lawson & C. Lawson) forests in the southern interior of British Columbia, Canada. In 2 ha plots distributed systematically over 1105 ha, we determined the dates of fire scars, indicators of low-severity fire, from 125 trees and inferred dates of even-aged cohorts, potential indicators of high-severity fire, from establishment dates of 1270 trees. Most (76%) of the 41 plots contained fire-scarred trees with a mean plot-composite fire scar interval of 21 years (1700–1900). Most (76%) also contained one or two cohorts. At the plot scale, we inferred that the fire regime at most plots was of mixed severity through time (66%) and at the remaining plots of low (20%), high (10%), or unknown (4%) severity through time. We suggest that across our study area, the fire regime was mixed severity over the past several centuries, with low-severity fires most common and often extensive but small, high-severity disturbances also occasionally occurred. Our results present strong evidence for the importance of mixed-severity fire regimes in which low-severity fires dominate in interior Douglas-fir – ponderosa pine forests in western Canada.

The Effect of Cattle Grazing on Ponderosa Pine Regeneration

1991 ◽  
Vol 67 (3) ◽  
pp. 245-248 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. L. Kingery ◽  
R. T. Graham
Keyword(s):  
Pinus Ponderosa ◽  
Ponderosa Pine ◽  
Habitat Type ◽  
Total Mortality ◽  
Cattle Grazing ◽  
Nez Perce ◽  
Tree Seedlings ◽  
Tree Seedling ◽  
Pine Regeneration ◽  
Study Sites

During the summer and fall of 1982, a study was established on the Nez Percé National Forest in central Idaho to assess the effects of cattle grazing on the performance of a new ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa Laws.) plantation. Three study sites were located in a Douglas-fir/ninebark (Pseudotsuga menziesii/Physocarpus malvaceus) habitat type. Results after six years showed that livestock use can influence tree seedling establishment. Mortality and damage to tree seedlings from cattle resulted primarily from trampling rather than from browsing. Five and one-half percent of the seedlings were damaged by cattle, of which 3.6% died. Browsing by deer and elk caused the most growth loss. Overall damage was greatest from non-animal causes. Seedling quality at the time of planting, handling of the seedling, and droughty conditions during the first two years of the study contributed to this type of damage. Overall performance of the tree seedlings were relatively poor. Total mortality to tree seedlings resulting from all sources of damage was 43.6% for the grazed treatment and 25.3% for the non-grazed treatment.

Stand density, drought, and herbivory constrain ponderosa pine regeneration pulse

2020 ◽  
Vol 50 (9) ◽  
pp. 862-871 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas E. Kolb ◽  
Kelsey Flathers ◽  
John B. Bradford ◽  
Caitlin Andrews ◽  
Lance A. Asherin ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Pinus Ponderosa ◽  
Ponderosa Pine ◽  
Seedling Survival ◽  
Stand Density ◽  
Survival Duration ◽  
Northern Arizona ◽  
Growing Seasons ◽  
Pine Regeneration ◽  
Stand Thinning ◽  
Survival And Growth

Trees in dry forests often regenerate in episodic pulses when wet periods coincide with ample seed production. Factors leading to success or failure of regeneration pulses are poorly understood. We investigated the impacts of stand thinning on survival and growth of the 2013 cohort of ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa Douglas ex P. Lawson & C. Lawson) seedlings in northern Arizona, United States. We measured seedling survival and growth over the first five growing seasons after germination in six stand basal areas (BAs; 0, 7, 14, 23, 34, and 66 (unthinned) m2·ha−1) produced by long-term experimental thinnings. Five-year survival averaged 2.5% and varied among BAs. Mean survival duration was longer in intermediate BAs (11 to 16 months) than in clearings and high BAs (5 months). The BAs of 7, 14, and 23 m2·ha−1 had >2600 5-year-old seedlings·ha−1. In contrast, regeneration was lower in the clearing (666 seedlings·ha−1) and failed completely in the 34 m2·ha−1 and unthinned treatments. Seedling survival was highest during wet years and lowest during drought years. Many surviving seedlings had no net height growth between years 4 and 5 because of stem browsing. Results indicate that natural regeneration of ponderosa pine is influenced by stand BA, drought, herbivory, and interactions between extreme climatic events.

scholarly journals Some Lessons Learned on Early Survival and Growth of Containerized, Locally-Sourced Ponderosa Pine Seedlings in the Davis Mountains of Western Texas, US

Forests ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
pp. 267
Author(s):  
Lance Vickers ◽  
James Houser ◽  
James Rooni ◽  
James Guldin
Keyword(s):  
Ponderosa Pine ◽  
Monsoon Season ◽  
Vegetation Management ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
Artificial Regeneration ◽  
Ponderosa Pine Forests ◽  
Pine Seedlings ◽  
Pine Regeneration ◽  
Davis Mountains ◽  
Early Survival

The ponderosa pine forests in the Davis Mountains of western Texas recently experienced a major mortality event caused, in part, by an extended regional drought that predisposed trees and stands to mortality from both western pine beetle and wildfires. The loss of many overstory pines and the scarcity of natural ponderosa pine regeneration pose a considerable challenge to restoration. A commissioned study investigated artificial regeneration using containerized ponderosa pine seedlings with multiple planting seasons and vegetation management alternatives. Early survival was statistically greater for dormant season plantings than monsoon season plantings. Vegetation management treatments influenced early growth, survival, and herbivory rates. Physical weed control, which consisted of fibrous weed mats around the base of planted seedlings, showed early advantages over some vegetation management treatments in growth, survival and herbivory deterrence, but all vegetation management treatments had similar survival and herbivory results after 2.5 years. Early survival was poor in all treatments, mainly due to herbivory, which was identified as the principal short-term obstacle to artificial regeneration of ponderosa pine in the Davis Mountains. The larger question regarding feasibility of recovery in this isolated population, particularly if local climatic conditions become increasingly unfavorable, remains.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document