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Monitoring landscape-scale ponderosa pine restoration treatment implementation and effectiveness

John Paul Roccaforte, Peter Z. Fulé, W. Wallace Covington


Summary - what did the authors do and why?

The authors evaluate the implementation and effectiveness of a thinning and burning forest restoration treatment to meet forest structure objectives in a ponderosa pine forest.

Publication findings:

Thinning and burning significantly reduced the overall density (>2.5 cm) of ponderosa pine stems by 66%, although this did not meet the objective. Large snags and logs >50cm were retained within objectives. Canopy fuel loads were substantially reduced, allowing for the reintroduction of surface fires.

Fire and Ecosystem Effects Linkages

Thinning and burning significantly reduced the overall density (>2.5 cm) of ponderosa pine stems by 66%, although this did not meet the objective. Large snags and logs >50cm were retained within objectives. Canopy fuel loads were substantially reduced, allowing for the reintroduction of surface fires.