Influences of previous wildfires on change, resistance, and resilience to reburning in a montane southwestern landscape

Abstract

Land use legacies and climate have altered fire regimes across montane forests of much of the southwestern US (Allen and others 2002), and several recent wildfires have been extremely large and severe (Dennison and others 2014). Large openings resulting from high-severity fire in former ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa) and mixed conifer forests may be persistent given the lack of sufficient tree seed sources, climatic constraints on reproduction and survival, and competition from herbaceous and shrubby vegetation (Bonnet and others 2005; Haire and McGarigal 2010). Additionally, subsequent burning is hypothesized to reinforce vegetation changes originating from the initial fire (Savage and Mast 2005). Consequently, there are growing concerns that recent wildfires have exceeded thresholds of ecological resilience for these forests (Savage and Mast 2005).

Parent Publication

• Proceedings of the large wildland fires conference; May 19-23, 2014; Missoula, MT

Citation

Coop, Jonathan D.; Holsinger, Lisa; McClernan, Sarah; Parks, Sean A.. 2015. Influences of previous wildfires on change, resistance, and resilience to reburning in a montane southwestern landscape. In: Keane, Robert E.; Jolly, Matt; Parsons, Russell; Riley, Karin. Proceedings of the large wildland fires conference; May 19-23, 2014; Missoula, MT. Proc. RMRS-P-73. Fort Collins, CO: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station. p. 273-276.