Fuel treatment response groups for fire‑prone sagebrush landscapes

Jeanne C. Chambers; Jessi L. Brown; Matt C. Reeves; Eva K. Strand; Lisa M. Ellsworth; Claire Tortorelli; Alexandra K. Urza; Karen C. Short

doi:10.1186/s42408-023-00230-2

Treesearch

Fuel treatment response groups for fire‑prone sagebrush landscapes

Formally Refereed

Authors:

Jeanne C. Chambers, Jessi L. Brown, Matt C. Reeves, Eva K. Strand, Lisa M. Ellsworth, Claire Tortorelli, Alexandra K. Urza, Karen C. Short

Year:

2024

Type:

Scientific Journal

Station:

Rocky Mountain Research Station

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.1186/s42408-023-00230-2

Source:

Fire Ecology. 19: 70.

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Download (PDF 2.53 MB): https://research.fs.usda.gov/download/treesearch/67189.pdf

Abstract

Sagebrush shrublands in the Great Basin, USA, are experiencing widespread increases in wildfire size and area burned resulting in new policies and funding to implement fuel treatments. However, we lack the spatial data needed to optimize the types and locations of fuel treatments across large landscapes and mitigate fire risk. To address this, we developed treatment response groups (TRGs) - sagebrush and pinyon-juniper vegetation associations that differ in resilience to fire and resistance to annual grass invasion (R&R) and thus responses to fuel treatments.

Keywords

Great Basin, sagebrush, fuel treatments, ecological resilience, resistance to invasion, treatment durability, fire behavior, pinyon-juniper expansion, persistent woodlands, fuel treatment response groups

Citation

Chambers, Jeanne C.; Brown, Jessi L.; Reeves, Matthew C.; Strand, Eva K.; Ellsworth, Lisa M.; Tortorelli, Claire M.; Urza, Alexandra K.; Short, Karen C. 2024. Fuel treatment response groups for fire‑prone sagebrush landscapes. Fire Ecology. 19: 70.