Description

From the text ... 'The primary objective of this study is to develop fire policy recommendations for the management of Lava Beds National Monument which will aid in the restoration and preservation of 'pristine' conditions by natural means.Before this objective can be met, however, the following contributing objectives must first be accomplished:(1) Determine as accurately as possible the pre-and postsettlement fire and vegetation history of the area which is now Lava Beds National Monument;(2) Conduct experimental fires in each of the present communities under various conditions and during different seasons of the year to evaluate fire effects on community structure and composition.(3) Develop dynamic fuel models for each of the major vegetation types. (4) Compile data on wildfires as they occur, evaluating rate of spread, energy release, fuel consumption and short-term effects on plant communities.In as much as our first field season has only recently concluded, there is little in the way of results or final conclusions to present at this time.'From the Summary ... 'Over the past 100 years, it is noted that a number of changes have occurred within the major floristic communities which now exist within the boundaries of Lava Beds National Monument. A number of these changes, it is felt, have resulted directly or indirectly from past policies of fire exclusion. This is the hypothesis which will be tested by the present study. From this fire study, recommendations will be developed which will hopefully aid in restoring the pristine landscape through the restoration of fire to its place as a viable environmental force.'