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Abstract
Between February and July, 2011, over 360,000 acres burned across the Coronado National Forest during one of the most active fire seasons in recorded history. Burned Area Emergency Response (BAER) Teams evaluated post-fire watershed conditions and prescribed treatments based on threats to known values at risk. Hillslope stabilization treatments were prescribed and implemented for areas of high soil burn severity on both the Horseshoe 2 and Monument Fires. These treatments consisted of seeding on the Horseshoe 2 Fire and application of agricultural straw mulch and seed on the Monument Fire. Initial monitoring results indicated one of three seeded species (Hordeum vulgare) emerged in both burned areas, slightly improving effective ground cover in both treatments. However, seeding treatments failed to meet monitoring success criteria for the Horseshoe 2 and Monument Fires. Hillslope erosion was reduced where mulch treatment was applied correctly and where slope gradients were moderate on the Monument Fire, and appeared to contribute to seeded species cover. In the Horseshoe 2 Fire, hillslope erosion was high on the treatments transects and was not reduced by seeding alone. A need for additional monitoring in spring 2012 exists and would improve the current understanding of the effectiveness of hillslope treatments.
Parent Publication
Keywords
Madrean Archipelago,
Sky Islands,
southwestern United States,
northern Mexico,
natural environment,
fauna,
flora,
research,
management,
biodiversity,
climate change
Citation
Gibson, Carly; Youberg, Ann; Stamer, Marc. 2013. Hillslope treatment effectiveness monitoring on Horseshoe 2 and Monument Fires. In: Gottfried, Gerald J.; Ffolliott, Peter F.; Gebow, Brooke S.; Eskew, Lane G.; Collins, Loa C. Merging science and management in a rapidly changing world: Biodiversity and management of the Madrean Archipelago III and 7th Conference on Research and Resource Management in the Southwestern Deserts; 2012 May 1-5; Tucson, AZ. Proceedings. RMRS-P-67. Fort Collins, CO: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station. p. 329-336.
