Full Citation: Huffman, David W.; Zegler, Thomas J.; Fulé, Peter Z. 2015. Fire history of a mixed conifer forest on the Mogollon Rim, northern Arizona, USA. International Journal of Wildland Fire 24(5):680-689.
External Identifier(s): 10.1071/WF14005 Digital Object Identifier
Location: Apache-Sitgreaves National Forest, Arizona, U.S.
Ecosystem types: Mixed-conifer forest
Southwest FireCLIME Keywords: None
FRAMES Keywords: forest restoration, Arizona, historical fire regime, landscape change, natural fire rotation, MFI - mean fire interval, point interval, fire frequency, fire intensity, fire regimes, fire scar analysis, fire size, surface fires, wildfires, dendrochronology, national forests, statistical analysis, Abies concolor, white fir, Pinus strobiformis, southwestern white pine, fire management, forest management, coniferous forests

Fire history of a mixed conifer forest on the Mogollon Rim, northern Arizona, USA

David W. Huffman, Thomas J. Zegler, Peter Z. Fulé


Summary - what did the authors do and why?

The authors reconstructed the fire regime characteristics of a warm-dry mixed conifer forest to evaluate potential changes to the fire regime since Euro-American settlement and examine the extent of high- or mixed-severity fire in these ecosystems historically.


Publication findings:

The authors found that current tree establishment patterns do not suggest that high-severity fire was widespread historically at this site with only small patches of young trees up to 25 ha in size that may have established after stand-replacing fire. Fire cessation after 1879 has led to an overall increase in density at the site and an increase in southwestern white pine and white fir, now co-dominate with ponderosa pine and Douglas-fir.

Fire and Ecosystem Effects Linkages

Fire cessation after 1879 has led to an overall increase in density at the site and an increase in southwestern white pine and white fir, now co-dominate with ponderosa pine and Douglas-fir.

Fire cessation after 1879 has led to an overall increase in density at the site and an increase in southwestern white pine and white fir, now co-dominate with ponderosa pine and Douglas-fir.

The authors found that current tree establishment patterns do not suggest that high-severity fire was widespread historically at this site with only small patches of young trees up to 25 ha in size that may have established after stand-replacing fire.