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Full Citation: Huffman, David W.; Crouse, Joseph E.; Chancellor, W. Walker; Fulé, Peter Z. 2012. Influence of time since fire on pinyon-juniper woodland structure. Forest Ecology and Management 274:29-37.
External Identifier(s): 10.1016/j.foreco.2012.02.014 Digital Object Identifier
Location: Northern Arizona, U.S.
Ecosystem types: Piñon-juniper woodlands
Southwest FireCLIME Keywords: None
FRAMES Keywords: catastrophic fires, fire frequency, fire size, heavy fuels, wildfires, biomass, national forests, population density, seedlings, snags, succession, Juniperus monosperma, one-seeded juniper, Juniperus osteosperma, Utah juniper, Pinus edulis, pinyon pine, Arizona, fire management, forest management, coniferous forests, tree recruitment, coarse woody material, secondary succession, structural complexity, stand replacing fire, CWD - coarse woody debris, TSF - time since stand - replacing fire, structural analysis, pinyon-juniper woodlands

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Influence of time since fire on pinyon-juniper woodland structure

David W. Huffman, Joseph E. Crouse, W. Walker Chancellor, Peter Z. Fulé
Summary - what did the authors do and why?

The authors studied the effects of time since fire on the structural development of regeneration and complexity in pinyon-juniper woodlands along a long-term chronosequence of ~370 years.
Publication findings:

The authors found that the density of PJ woodlands did increase as the length of time since fire increased. However, seedling densities were highly variable across the study sites and did not have a significant relationship with time since fire. The authors suggest this may be because the length of time required to return to pre-fire conditions for PJ woodlands likely requires several decades between disturbances to recover. Specifically, the authors observed that juniper species density was positively related to time since fire while pinyon species were not, suggesting that juniper is more likely to establish post-fire as it is typically more drought tolerant. Site structural complexity also increased with time since fire indicating developmental trajectories toward woodland conditions.

Fire and Ecosystem Effects Linkages

How do fire frequency, rotation, and return interval relate to tree dispersal, regeneration, and establishment?

The authors found that the density of PJ woodlands did increase as the length of time since fire increased. However, seedling densities were highly variable across the study sites and did not have a significant relationship with time since fire. The authors suggest this may be because the length of time required to return to pre-fire conditions for PJ woodlands likely requires several decades between disturbances to recover. Specifically, the authors observed that juniper species density was positively related to time since fire while pinyon species were not, suggesting that juniper is more likely to establish post-fire as it is typically more drought tolerant. Site structural complexity also increased with time since fire indicating developmental trajectories toward woodland conditions.

How do fire frequency, rotation, and return interval relate to species composition, non-natives, and structure?

The authors found that the density of PJ woodlands did increase as the length of time since fire increased. However, seedling densities were highly variable across the study sites and did not have a significant relationship with time since fire. The authors suggest this may be because the length of time required to return to pre-fire conditions for PJ woodlands likely requires several decades between disturbances to recover. Specifically, the authors observed that juniper species density was positively related to time since fire while pinyon species were not, suggesting that juniper is more likely to establish post-fire as it is typically more drought tolerant. Site structural complexity also increased with time since fire indicating developmental trajectories toward woodland conditions.