Old trees (defined here as ≥150 years old) can be rare in many forests because of past timber harvest, uncharacteristically severe wildfires, and – increasingly – climate change. Old trees provide unique structural, ecological, scientific, and...
Fire History Portal
Definition: The study of how often fires have occurred in a given geographical area.
(Pacific Biodiversity Institute/Fire Research And Management Exchange System)
Historical data are increasingly seen as critical information for contemporary management of National Forests, National Parks, and other public lands. Fire history research provides opportunities for understanding the natural range of variability in fire frequency, severity, extent, and spatial complexity, as well as the role of fire in ecosystems and the feedbacks that link fire, climate, vegetation, and management decisions. The data provide managers with both models of long-term ecosystem behavior with which to assess the degree and nature of departure in current conditions, and direction and justification for restoration efforts, fuels treatments, and other management projects.
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International Multiproxy Paleofire Database (IMPD)
The National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) Paleoclimatology Program hosts the International Multiproxy Paleofire Database (IMPD), an archive of fire history data derived from natural proxies.
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Compiled and synthesized existing Alaska boreal forest fire history literature and datasets.
The Fire History Analysis & Exploration System (FHAES) is the result of an effort to redevelop and enhance components of the FHX2 computer program, considered to be the standard for fire history analysis. FHAES is a web-based design that is user-friendly and easily accessible to a broad range of users.
The International Multiproxy Paleofire Database (IMPD) is a unique source of fire history information from tree-ring and sediment-charcoal based paleofire records, managed by the NOAA Paleoclimatology Branch. The goal of the Decision Support Tool project has been to work in collaboration with partners in the USFS and NOAA to find the best way to deliver the IMPD information to the vegetation and fire management community in the State of Arizona and in other western states, tailored to their needs and capabilities.
Resources for NAFRI (National Advanced Fire and Resource Institute) courses.
The Southwest Fire Science Consortium is partnering with FRAMES to help fire managers access important fire science information related to the Southwest's top ten fire management science issues.