Fire and Ecosystem Effects Interactions
How do annual area burned and fire size relate to fuels?
Wilderness shapes contemporary fire size distributions across landscapes of the western United States
The authors found that in the Southwest, the effects of natural burning within wilderness areas promotes heterogeneity of burn mosaics and limits the size and spread of subsequent fires. They did not find this same pattern in the Sierra Nevadas or Northern Rockies.
Citation:
Haire, Sandra L.; McGarigal, Kevin; Miller, Carol. 2013. Wilderness shapes contemporary fire size distributions across landscapes of the western United States. Ecosphere 4(1):1-20.
Pattern and process of prescribed fires influence effectiveness at reducing wildfire severity in dry coniferous forests
The authors suggest that fire size and burn continuity may be more important in reducing subsequent fire severity than the severity of the prescribed fire.
Citation:
Arkle, Robert S.; Pilliod, David S.; Welty, Justin L. 2012. Pattern and process of prescribed fires influence effectiveness at reducing wildfire severity in dry coniferous forests. Forest Ecology and Management 276:174-184.