Fire history and climatic patterns in ponderosa pine and mixed-conifer forests of the Jemez Mountains, Northern New Mexico
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Abstract
We reconstructed fire history in ponderosa pine and mixed-conifer forests across the Jemez Mountains in northern New Mexico. We collected fire-scarred samples from ten ponderosa pine areas, and three mesic mixed-conifer areas. Prior to 1900, ponderosa pine forests were characterized by high frequency, low intensity surface fire regimes. The mixed-conifer stands sustained somewhat less frequent surface fires, along with patchy crown fires. We also examined the associations between past fires and winter-spring precipitation. In both ponderosa pine and mixed- conifer forests, precipitation was significantly reduced in the winter-spring period immediately prior to fire occurrence. In addition, winter-spring precipitation during the second year preceding major fire years in the ponderosa pine forest was significantly increased. The results of this study pro- vide baseline knowledge concerning the ecological role of fire in ponderosa pine and mixed-conifer forests. This information is vital to support ongoing ecosystem management efforts in the Jemez Mountains.
Suggested Citation
Touchan, R., Allen, C.D., Swetnam, T., 1996, Fire history and climatic patterns in ponderosa pine and mixed-conifer forests of the Jemez Mountains, Northern New Mexico: U.S. Forest Service General Technical Report RM-GTR-286, 14 p., https://doi.org/10.2737/RM-GTR-286.
| Publication type | Report |
|---|---|
| Publication Subtype | Federal Government Series |
| Title | Fire history and climatic patterns in ponderosa pine and mixed-conifer forests of the Jemez Mountains, Northern New Mexico |
| Series title | U.S. Forest Service General Technical Report |
| Series number | RM-GTR-286 |
| DOI | 10.2737/RM-GTR-286 |
| Year Published | 1996 |
| Language | English |
| Publisher | USDA Forest Service Rocky Mountain Forest and Range Experiment Station |
| Publisher location | Fort Collins, CO |
| Contributing office(s) | Fort Collins Science Center |
| Description | 14 p. |
| Larger Work Type | Report |
| Larger Work Subtype | Federal Government Series |
| Larger Work Title | Fire effects in southwestern forests: Proceedings of the second La Mesa Fire symposium (U.S. Forest Service General Technical Report RM-GTR-286) |
| First page | 33 |
| Last page | 46 |
| Conference Title | Second La Mesa Fire symposium |
| Conference Location | Los Alamos, NM |
| Conference Date | March 29-31, 1996 |
| Country | United States |
| State | New Mexico |
| Other Geospatial | Jemex Mountains |