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Full Citation: Strom, Barbara A.; Fulé, Peter Z. 2007. Pre-wildfire fuel treatments affect long-term ponderosa pine forest dynamics. International Journal of Wildland Fire 16(1):128-138.
External Identifier(s): 10.1071/WF06051 Digital Object Identifier
Location: Rodeo-Chediski Fire, Arizona, U.S.
Ecosystem types: Ponderosa pine forest
Southwest FireCLIME Keywords: None
FRAMES Keywords: Arctostaphylos pringlei, Arctostaphylos pungens, Arizona, biomass, Ceanothus fendleri, Cercocarpus montanus, char, coniferous forests, diameter classes, ecosystem dynamics, fire case histories, fire hazard reduction, fire injuries (plants), fire intensity, fire management, fire size, forest management, histories, insects, Juniperus deppeana, Juniperus osteosperma, litter, mosaic, national forests, Pinus leiophylla, Pinus ponderosa, Pinus strobiformis, plant physiology, population density, Quercus gambelii, Quercus turbinella, regeneration, Robinia neomexicana, shrubs, size classes, snags, statistical analysis, thinning, trees, understory vegetation, wildfires, woody fuels, FVS - Forest Vegetation Simulator, fuel reduction, Rodeo-Chediski fire

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Pre-wildfire fuel treatments affect long-term ponderosa pine forest dynamics

Barbara A. Strom, Peter Z. Fulé
Summary - what did the authors do and why?

The authors examined the effects of pre-fire thinning and fuel reduction treatments on post-fire tree survival and forest structure and composition in high severity burned areas versus untreated control plots.
Publication findings:

The authors found that despite extreme and severe fire behavior over most of the fire, areas that were treated prior to the fire had lower tree mortality and reduced fire intensity when compared to untreated areas. The authors suggest that the arrangement of fuels may be more important for determining fire severity than the overall basal area or stand density, i.e. fewer larger trees have greater survivability than many smaller-diameter trees.

Fire and Ecosystem Effects Linkages

How do fire behavior, type, and intensity relate to fuels?

The authors found that despite extreme and severe fire behavior over most of the fire, areas that were treated prior to the fire had lower tree mortality and reduced fire intensity when compared to untreated areas. The authors suggest that the arrangement of fuels may be more important for determining fire severity than the overall basal area or stand density, i.e. fewer larger trees have greater survivability than many smaller-diameter trees.