Selecting appropriate vegetation treatments in shrubland and pinyon-juniper ecosystems

Photo Credit

USDA Forest Service photo by Connie Millar

Piñon pines growing at their current known northern range limit in dry mountains north of Reno, Nevada.

In semi-arid shrublands and woodlands with high fire risk, the common objective behind vegetation treatments is to reduce the fuel loads of shrubs and trees. These treatments are designed to: 

• reduce fuel loads and decrease the extent and severity of subsequent wildfires
• increase the ability of the site to recover following disturbances
• increase resistance to invasives
• maintain or improve ecosystem services

The framework laid out in a new guide provides relevant information for managers to evaluate potential treatment areas within shrubland and pinyon-juniper landscapes and determine the proper treatment locations and appropriate posttreatment management. The guide uses the Pine Valley Ranger District of the Dixie National Forest as a case study and looks at seven primary management considerations for treatment evaluation including: 

• biophysical characteristics of the area,
• current vegetation
• disturbance and management history
• fuel characteristics and appropriate treatments
• treatment severity and ecological response
• seeding considerations
• posttreatment monitoring and management