A tree-ring based fire history of riparian reserves in the Klamath Mountains.

Abstract

Surprisingly little fire history information is available for riparian environments despite their ecological importance. Thus, there is a great deal of uncertainty about the ecological role of fire in riparian environments. Considering the Mediterranean climate and the general pattern of frequent low-moderate severity fires in most vegetation types, it is logical to assume that fires regularly affected many riparian areas of the Klamath Mountains in the past. Preliminary fire histories were developed for riparian reserves along the Shasta-Trinity divide in the Klamath Mountains of northern California. Fire return intervals (FRI) were determined from fire scars on stumps in several riparian reserve sites along perennial streams. Though ranges of FRIs were similar for riparian reserve and nearby upland sites, the median FRIs were approximately double in the riparian reserve sites compared to the upland sites. These data suggest that FRIs in riparian reserves may be more variable than in adjacent uplands and tend to be longer. Riparian areas may have enhanced the spatial and temporal diversity of landscapes by acting as occasional barriers to many lowand moderate-severity fires.

Citation

Skinner, Carl N. 2003. A tree-ring based fire history of riparian reserves in the Klamath Mountains. In: Faber, Phyllis M., Editor. 2003. California Riparian Systems: Processes and Floodplains Management, Ecology, and Restoration. Riparian habitat and floodplains conference Proceedings. March 12-15, 2001, Sacramento, CA. Riparian Habitat Joint Venture, Sacramento, CA. 116-119.