Extent of recent fire-induced losses of ponderosa pine forests of Arizona and New Mexico, USA

Abstract

Land management legacies coupled with climate change have led to shifts in western ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa) forest structure and fire regimes. A growing body of evidence suggests that under increasing area burned at high-severity, warming and drought, ponderosa pine forests are vulnerable to conversion to alternate forest types or non-forest vegetation. However, the extent and direction of recent fire-induced changes in southwestern US ponderosa pine forests have not been subject to region-wide evaluation. Here, we assess recent fire effects in ponderosa pine forests using long-term repeated samples of stand composition and structure from the US Forest Service’s Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) program, combined with metrics of satellite-derived burn severity (predicted Composite Burn Index, CBI; and differenced normalized burn ratio, dNBR). We compiled and analyzed FIA plots dominated by ponderosa pine and associated species within the southwestern states of Arizona and New Mexico to quantify regional trends for ponderosa pine (e.g., forest losses or gains), link changes to wildfire severity, and characterize vegetation shifts.

Citation

Woolman, Ashley M.; Coop, Jonathan D.; Shaw, John D.; DeMarco, Jennie. 2022. Extent of recent fire-induced losses of ponderosa pine forests of Arizona and New Mexico, USA. Forest Ecology and Management. 520: 120381.