Fire history of a mixed conifer forest on the Mogollon Rim, northern Arizona, USA
David W. Huffman A D , Thomas J. Zegler B and Peter Z. Fulé C
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations
A Ecological Restoration Institute, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, Arizona 86011-5017, USA.
B New Mexico State Forestry, EMNRD – Forestry Division, 1220 S. Saint Francis Drive, Santa Fe, New Mexico 87505, USA.
C School of Forestry, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, Arizona, 86011-5018 USA.
D Corresponding author. Email: David.Huffman@nau.edu
International Journal of Wildland Fire 24(5) 680-689 https://doi.org/10.1071/WF14005
Submitted: 14 January 2014 Accepted: 4 December 2014 Published: 2 April 2015
Abstract
It has been suggested that large, high-severity fires historically structured warm–dry mixed conifer forests in the American South-west. To test this, we reconstructed fire regime characteristics of an 1135-ha (11.3 km2) mixed conifer landscape in northern Arizona using complementary approaches. We analysed composite fire intervals, point fire intervals, natural fire rotation, landscape characteristics and forest age structure. Composite analysis of cross-dated fire scars from 133 trees indicated a mean fire interval (MFI) of 2.0–8.5 years between 1670 and 1879. Frequent fires halted abruptly after 1879. Mean point fire interval (MPFI) was 11.8 years and ranged 2–61 years. Mean fire rotation was 14.4 years. Density of most occurring tree species increased dramatically after fire regime disruption, with south-western white pine (Pinus strobiformis) and white fir (Abies concolor) showing large numerical gains. Tree establishment patterns compared with widespread fire dates did not suggest historical high-severity fires at the site level. Although strong evidence of high-severity fire at finer scales was lacking, spatial locations of ‘young’ plots suggested the possibility of historical high-severity disturbances ≤25 ha in size. The historical fire regime on this landscape was one of high-frequency, low-severity fires. Current conditions call for restoration of forest structure and function.
Additional keywords: forest restoration, historical fire regime, landscape change, mean fire interval, natural fire rotation, point interval.
References
Aldrich SR, Lafon CW, Grisson-Mayer HD, DeWeese GG (2014) Fire history and its relations with land use and climate change over three centuries in the central Appalachian Mountains, USA. Journal of Biogeography 41, 2093–2104.| Fire history and its relations with land use and climate change over three centuries in the central Appalachian Mountains, USA.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Allen CD (2002) Lots of lightning and plenty of people: an ecological history of fire in the upland Southwest. In ‘Fire, Native Peoples, and the Natural Landscape’. (Ed. TR Vale) pp. 143–193. (Island Press: Washington)
Baker WL, Ehle D (2001) Uncertainty in surface-fire history: the case of ponderosa pine forests in the western United States. Canadian Journal of Forest Research 31, 1205–1226.
| Uncertainty in surface-fire history: the case of ponderosa pine forests in the western United States.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Bakker JD, Sánchez Meador AJ, Fulé PZ, Huffman DW, Moore MM (2008) ‘Growing trees backwards’: description of a stand reconstruction model. In ‘Fort Valley Experimental Forest–A Century of Research 1908–2008’, 7–9 August 2008, Flagstaff, AZ. (Tech. coords SD Olberding, MM Moore) USDA Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, RMRS-P-53, pp. 136–147. (Fort Collins, CO)
Bigio E, Swetnam TW (2010) A comparison and integration of tree-ring and alluvial records of fire history at the Missionary Ridge Fire, Durango, Colorado, USA. The Holocene 20, 1047–1061.
| A comparison and integration of tree-ring and alluvial records of fire history at the Missionary Ridge Fire, Durango, Colorado, USA.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Brown DE (Ed.) (1994) ‘Biotic Communities Southwestern United States and Northwestern Mexico’. (University of Utah Press: Salt Lake City, UT)
Brown PM, Kaye MW, Huckaby LS, Baisan CH (2001) Fire history along environmental gradients in the Sacramento Mountains, New Mexico: influences of local patterns and regional processes. Ecoscience 8, 115–126.
Cocke AE, Fulé PZ, Crouse JE (2005) Forest change on a steep mountain gradient after extended fire exclusion: San Francisco Peaks, Arizona, USA. Journal of Applied Ecology 42, 814–823.
| Forest change on a steep mountain gradient after extended fire exclusion: San Francisco Peaks, Arizona, USA.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Covington WW, Everett RL, Steele R, Irwin LL, Daer TA, Auclair AND (1994) Historical and anticipated changes in forest ecosystems of the Inland West of the United States. Journal of Sustainable Forestry 2, 13–63.
| Historical and anticipated changes in forest ecosystems of the Inland West of the United States.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Dieterich JH (1983) Fire history of southwestern mixed-conifer – a case-study. Forest Ecology and Management 6, 13–31.
| Fire history of southwestern mixed-conifer – a case-study.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Falk DA, Miller C, McKenzie D, Black AE (2007) Cross-scale analysis of fire regimes. Ecosystems 10, 809–823.
| Cross-scale analysis of fire regimes.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Farris CA, Baisan CH, Falk DA, Van Horne ML, Fulé PZ, Swetnam TW (2013) A comparison of targeted and systematic fire-scar sampling for estimating historical fire frequency in south-western ponderosa pine forests. International Journal of Wildland Fire 22, 1021–1033.
| A comparison of targeted and systematic fire-scar sampling for estimating historical fire frequency in south-western ponderosa pine forests.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Farris CA, Baisan CH, Falk DA, Yool SR, Swetnam TW (2010) Spatial and temporal corroboration of a fire-scar-based fire history in a frequently burned ponderosa pine forest Ecological Applications 20, 1598–1614.
| Spatial and temporal corroboration of a fire-scar-based fire history in a frequently burned ponderosa pine forestCrossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 20945762PubMed |
Fulé PZ, Crouse JE, Heinlein TA, Moore MM, Covington WW, Verkamp G (2003) Mixed-severity fire regime in a high-elevation forest of Grand Canyon, Arizona, USA. Landscape Ecology 18, 465–486.
| Mixed-severity fire regime in a high-elevation forest of Grand Canyon, Arizona, USA.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Fulé PZ, Crouse JE, Cocke AE, Moore MM, Covington WW (2004) Changes in canopy fuels and potential fire behavior 1880–2040: Grand Canyon, Arizona. Ecological Modelling 175, 231–248.
| Changes in canopy fuels and potential fire behavior 1880–2040: Grand Canyon, Arizona.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Fulé PZ, Korb JE, Wu R (2009) Changes in forest structure of a mixed-conifer forest, southwestern Colorado, USA. Forest Ecology and Management 258, 1200–1210.
| Changes in forest structure of a mixed-conifer forest, southwestern Colorado, USA.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Fulé PZ, Swetnam TW, Brown PM, Falk DA, Peterson DL, Allen CD, Aplet GH, Battaglia MA, Binkley D, Farris C, Keane RE, Margolis EQ, Grissino-Mayer H, Miller C, Hull Sieg C, Skinner C, Stephens CL, Taylor A (2014) Unsupported inferences of high severity fire in historical western United States dry forests: response to Williams and Baker. Global Ecology and Biogeography 23, 825–830.
| Unsupported inferences of high severity fire in historical western United States dry forests: response to Williams and Baker.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Grissino-Mayer HD (2001) Evaluating crossdating accuracy: a manual and tutorial for the computer program COFECHA. Tree-Ring Research 57, 205–221.
Grissino-Mayer HD, Romme WH, Floyd ML, Hanna DD (2004) Climatic and human influences on fire regimes of the southern San Juan Mountains, Colorado, USA. Ecology 85, 1708–1724.
| Climatic and human influences on fire regimes of the southern San Juan Mountains, Colorado, USA.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Heinlein TA, Moore MM, Fulé PZ, Covinton WW (2005) Fire history and stand structure of two ponderosa pine-mixed-conifer sites: San Francisco Peaks, Arizona, USA. International Journal of Wildland Fire 14, 307–320.
| Fire history and stand structure of two ponderosa pine-mixed-conifer sites: San Francisco Peaks, Arizona, USA.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Huffman DW, Fulé PZ, Pearson KM, Crouse JE (2008) Fire history of pinyon–juniper woodlands at upper ecotones with pondreosa pine forest in Arizona and New Mexico. Canadian Journal of Forest Research 38, 2097–2108.
| Fire history of pinyon–juniper woodlands at upper ecotones with pondreosa pine forest in Arizona and New Mexico.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Korb JE, Fulé PZ, Stoddard MT (2012) Forest restoration in a surface fire-dependent ecosystem: an example from a mixed-conifer forest, southwestern Colorado, USA. Forest Ecology and Management 269, 10–18.
| Forest restoration in a surface fire-dependent ecosystem: an example from a mixed-conifer forest, southwestern Colorado, USA.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Korb JE, Fulé PZ, Wu R (2013) Variability of warm/dry mixed-conifer forests in southwestern Colorado, USA: implications for ecological restoration. Forest Ecology and Management 304, 182–191.
| Variability of warm/dry mixed-conifer forests in southwestern Colorado, USA: implications for ecological restoration.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Laing L, Ambos N, Subirge T, McDonald C, Nelson C, Robbie W (1987) Terrestrial ecosystems survey of the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forests. USDA Forest Service, Southwest Region. (Albuquerque, NM)
López RE, Holle RL, Watson AL, Skindlov J (1997) Spatial and temporal distributions of lightning over Arizona from a power utility perspective. Journal of Applied Meteorology 36, 825–831.
| Spatial and temporal distributions of lightning over Arizona from a power utility perspective.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Margolis EQ, Balmat J (2009) Fire history and fire-climate relationships along a fire regime gradient in the Santa Fe Municipal Watershed, NM, USA. Forest Ecology and Management 258, 2416–2430.
| Fire history and fire-climate relationships along a fire regime gradient in the Santa Fe Municipal Watershed, NM, USA.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Margolis EQ, Swetnam TW, Allen CD (2011) Historical stand-replacing fire in upper montane forests of the Madrean Sky Islands and Mogollon Plateau, southwestern USA. Fire Ecology 7, 88–107.
| Historical stand-replacing fire in upper montane forests of the Madrean Sky Islands and Mogollon Plateau, southwestern USA.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
McGarigal K, Cushman SA, Ene E (2012) FRAGSTATS v4: Spatial Pattern Analysis Program for Categorical and Continuous Maps. (University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA) Available at http://www.umass.edu/landeco/research/fragstats/fragstats.html [Verified 5 March 2015].
Minore D (1979) Comparative autecological characteristics of Northwestern tree species: a literature review. USDA Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station, General Technical Report PNW-87. (Portland, OR)
Moore MM, Huffman DW, Fulé PZ, Covington WW, Crouse JE (2004) Comparison of historical and contemporary forest structure and composition on permanent plots in southwestern ponderosa pine forests. Forest Science 50, 162–176.
North M, Hureau M, Fiegener R, Barbour M (2005) Influence of fire and El Niño on tree recruitment varies by species in Sierran mixed conifer. Forest Science 51, 187–197.
Reynolds RT, Sánchez Meador AJ, Youtz JA, Nicolet T, Matonis MS, Jackson PL, DeLorenzo DG, Graves AD (2013) Restoring composition and structure in southwestern frequent-fire forests: a science-based framework for improving ecosystem resiliency. USDA Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, General Technical Report RMRS-GTR-310. (Fort Collins, CO)
Roccaforte JP, Fulé PZ, Covington WW (2008) Landscape-scale changes in canopy fuels and potential fire behaviour following ponderosa pine restoration treatments. International Journal of Wildland Fire 17, 293–303.
| Landscape-scale changes in canopy fuels and potential fire behaviour following ponderosa pine restoration treatments.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Romme WH, Floyd ML, Hanna D (2009) ‘Historical Range of Variability and Current Landscape Condition Analysis: South Central Highlands Section, Southwestern Colorado and Northwestern New Mexico’. (Colorado Forest Restoration Institute, Colorado State University: Fort Collins)
Stoddard MT (2011) ‘Fact Sheet: Compilation of Historical Forest Structural Characteristics across the Southern Colorado Plateau’. (Ecological Restoration Institute, Northern Arizona University: Flagstaff)
Stokes MA, Smiley TL (1996) ‘An Introduction to Tree-ring Dating’. (University of Arizona Press: Tucson)
Swetnam TW, Baisan CH (1996) Historical fire regime patterns in the southwestern United States since AD 1700. In ‘Fire Effects in Southwestern Forests, Proceedings of the Second La Mesa Fire Symposium’, 29–31 March 1994, Los Alamos, NM. (Ed. CD Allen). USDA Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Forest and Range Experiment Stations, General Technical Report RM-GTR-286, pp. 11–32. (Fort Collins, CO)
Turner MG, Gardner RH, O’Neill RV (2001) ‘Landscape Ecology in Theory and Practice – Pattern and Process’. (Springer-Verlag: New York)
Van Horne ML, Fulé PZ (2006) Comparing methods of reconstructing fire history using fire scars in a southwestern United States ponderosa pine forest. Canadian Journal of Forest Research 36, 855–867.
| Comparing methods of reconstructing fire history using fire scars in a southwestern United States ponderosa pine forest.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Williams MA, Baker WL (2012) Spatially extensive reconstructions show variable-severity fire and hetergeneous structure in historical western United States dry forests. Global Ecology and Biogeography 21, 1042–1052.
| Spatially extensive reconstructions show variable-severity fire and hetergeneous structure in historical western United States dry forests.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
