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Scarred for Life: What Tree Rings Can Reveal About Fire History (Podcast—Episode 1)

May 2012—To anticipate how a changing climate might impact future forest fires, scientists need to understand the past. But how can you tell the frequency and severity of wildfires that occurred hundreds—or, even, thousands—of years ago? Part of the answer lies in tree rings (6:09).

Dr. Donald McKenzie, research ecologist, studies scars found within tree rings and what they can reveal about a landscape fire history.
Fire scars are formed when a fire burns a tree surface, but doesn't kill it. Here, an actively burning fire scar is shown on a ponderosa pine on the Umatilla National Forest in Oregon. Citation: Dave Powell, USDA Forest Service, Bugwood.org
A “catface,” shown here, is a special kind of fire scar that is formed when fires repeatedly burn a tree before it is able to grow new bark. Citation: Dave Powell, USDA Forest Service, Bugwood.org
Fire scars are visible to researchers as charred areas within the annual growth rings of trees. Shown here is across-section of a 3 57-year-old ponderosa pine with five s eparate scars, dated back to 1683, 1693, 1 747, 1795, and 1861. Credit: Chris Schnepf, niversity of Idaho, Bugwood.org"
Audio file
Download Podcast (MPEG 5.90MB)

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People

  • Person
    Yasmeen Sands

    Yasmeen Sands

    Public Affairs Specialist
    https://research.fs.usda.gov/about/people/yasmeen.sands
  • Person
    Donald McKenzie, PhD

    Donald McKenzie, PhD

    Research Ecologist
    https://research.fs.usda.gov/about/people/donaldmckenzie

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Last updated March 3, 2023
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