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Abstract
After the Wheeler Fire in southern California in July 1985, we monitored sediment deposition and vegetation recovery in a section of the severely burned chaparral riparian zone of the North Fork of Matilija Creek, near Ojai, California. Increased runoff was accompanied by low magnitude debris flows and fluvial transport of gravel, most of which was added to the channel and nearby hillslopes by post-fire dry ravel. The preburn riparian forest was dominated by white alder, California sycamore, and coast live oak. Regeneration of these species was entirely by resprouting, due to the absence of local viable seed sources. Recovery of the herb layer was affected strongly by the seeding of Italian ryegrass. Species richness of annuals decreased considerably in the second year, when perennials dominated the riparian zone.
Parent Publication
Citation
Davis, Frank W.; Keller, Edward A.; Parikh, Anuja; Florsheim, Joan. 1989. Recovery of the Chaparral Riparian Zone After Wildfire. In: Abell, Dana L., Technical Coordinator. 1989. Proceedings of the California Riparian Systems Conference: protection, management, and restoration for the 1990s; 1988 September 22-24; Davis, CA. Gen. Tech. Rep. PSW-GTR-110. Berkeley, CA: Pacific Southwest Forest and Range Experiment Station, Forest Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture; p. 194-203
