International Multiproxy Paleofire Database: Decision Support
Decision Support for Defining Historical Fire Regimes
Altered fire regimes and associated changes in fuels and vegetation structure pose risks to biodiversity, sustainable ecosystems, and economic and community interests. Development of vegetation and fire management plans requires knowledge of historical fire regime parameters (e.g., frequency, severity) and this knowledge can only be derived from fire history data. 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 National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) Paleoclimatology Branch. The goal of this project has been to work in collaboration with our partners in the U.S. Forest Service 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.