Effects of repeat prescribed burning in dry coniferous forests in national parks of California
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Abstract
Background
Prescribed fire is a common approach to reduce fuels and mitigate fire hazards. The accumulation of live and dead fuels following initial treatment means that repeated application of prescribed fire could be used to maintain this benefit. However, the effect of repeated prescribed fires is not well documented in many dry coniferous forests in the western United States. Here, we present observations of changes in live trees and surface fuels following two prescribed fires in dry coniferous forests in national parks of California.
Results
Changes in forest structure and accumulation of surface fuels were similar over time following initial-entry and second-entry fires. An exception was that repeated fires were associated with substantial reductions in stem density. There were smaller changes in live tree basal area and stem biomass.
Conclusions
Our results indicate that following initial-entry fires, subsequent burning maintained reductions in surface fuel loads without major inadvertent losses of live tree basal area and stem biomass, implying the survival of large trees.
Suggested Citation
van Mantgem, P., Wright, M.C., Farris, C.A., Engber, E., McClure, E., Caprio, A., and Keifer, M., 2026, Effects of repeat prescribed burning in dry coniferous forests in national parks of California: Fire Ecology, v. 22, 64, 12 p., https://doi.org/10.1186/s42408-026-00479-3.
Study Area
| Publication type | Article |
|---|---|
| Publication Subtype | Journal Article |
| Title | Effects of repeat prescribed burning in dry coniferous forests in national parks of California |
| Series title | Fire Ecology |
| DOI | 10.1186/s42408-026-00479-3 |
| Volume | 22 |
| Publication Date | May 28, 2026 |
| Year Published | 2026 |
| Language | English |
| Publisher | Springer Nature |
| Contributing office(s) | Western Ecological Research Center |
| Description | 64, 12 p. |
| Country | United States |
| State | California |
| Other Geospatial | Lava Beds National Monument, Lassen Volcanic National Park, Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks, Whiskeytown National Recreation Area), Yosemite National Park |