Spatial and temporal drivers of post‑fire tree establishment and height growth in a managed forest landscape

Abstract

In seed-obligate conifer forests of the western US, land managers need a better understanding of the spatiotemporal variability in post-fire recovery to develop adaptation strategies. Successful establishment of post-fire seedlings requires the arrival of seeds and favorable environmental conditions for germination, survival, and growth. We investigated the spatiotemporal limitations to post-fire seedling establishment and height growth in dry to moist mixed conifer forests with and without post-fire forest management treatments (salvage logging, grass seeding) in areas burned from low to high severity. In 2011, we measured post-fire seedling establishment year, juvenile density (seedlings and saplings), and height growth (annual and total) in 50 plots with six conifer species in the School Fire (2005), Blue Mountains, WA, USA. In 2021, we remeasured the plots for post-fire juvenile density and height growth.

Citation

Andrus, Robert A.; Droske, Christine A.; Franz, Madeline C.; Hudak, Andrew T.; Lentile, Leigh B.; Lewis, Sarah A.; Morgan, Penelope; Robichaud, Peter R.; Meddens, Arjan J. H. 2022. Spatial and temporal drivers of post‑fire tree establishment and height growth in a managed forest landscape. Fire Ecology. 18: 29.