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