Abstract

Changes in fire size, shape, and frequency under different fire-management strategies were evaluated using time series of fire perimeter data (fire atlases) and mapped potential vegetation types (PVTs) in the Gila – Aldo Leopold Wilderness Complex (GALWC) in New Mexico and the Selway–Bitterroot Wilderness Complex (SBWC) in Idaho and Montana. Relative to pre-Euro-American estimates, fire rotations in the GALWC were short during the recent wildfire-use period (1975–1993) and long during the pre-modern suppression period (1909–1946). In contrast, fire rotations in the SBWC were short during the pre-modern suppression period (1880–1934) and long during the modern suppression period (1935–1975). In general, fire-rotation periods were shorter in mid-elevation, shade-intolerant PVTs. Fire intervals in the GALWC and SBWC are currently longer than fire intervals prior to Euro-American settlement. Proactive fire and fuels management are needed to restore fire regimes in each wilderness complex to within natural ranges of variability and to reduce the risk of catastrophic wildfire in upper elevations of the GALWC and nearly the entire SBWC. Analyses of fire atlases provide baseline information for evaluating landscape patterns across broad landscapes.

Talk to us

Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have

Schedule a call

Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.