| Abstract: | Dendroecological techniques were applied to reconstruct stand-replacing fire history in upper montane forests in northern New Mexico and southern Colorado. Fourteen stand-replacing fires were dated to 8 unique fire years (1842-1901) using four lines of evidence at each of 12 sites within the upper Rio Grande Basin. The four lines of evidence were (i) quaking aspen (Populus tremuloides Michx.) inner-ring dates, (ii) fire-killed conifer bark-ring dates, (iii) tree-ring width changes or other morphological indicators of injury, and (iv) fire scars. The annual precision of dating allowed the identification of synchronous stand-replacing fire years among the sites, and co-occurrence with regional surface fire events previously reconstructed from a network of fire scar collections in lower elevation pine forests across the southwestern United States. Nearly all of the synchronous stand-replacing and surface fire years coincided with severe droughts, because climate variability created regional conditions where stand-replacing fires and surface fires burned across ecosystems. Reconstructed stand-replacing fires that predate substantial Anglo-American settlement in this region provide direct evidence that stand-replacing fires were a feature of high-elevation forests before extensive and intensive land-use practices (e.g., logging, railroad, and mining) began in the late 19th century. ?? 2007 NRC. |
| Genre: | Article |
| ProdID: | 70031468 |
| Citation Author: | Margolis, E. Q.; Swetnam, T. W.; Allen, C. D. |
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| Citation End Page: | 2241 |
| Citation Issue: | 11 |
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| Citation Language: | English |
| Citation Larger Work Title: | Canadian Journal of Forest Research |
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| Citation Number Of Pages: | 15 |
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| Citation Search Results Text: | A stand-replacing fire history in upper montane forests of the southern Rocky Mountains; 2007; Article; Journal; Canadian Journal of Forest Research; Margolis, E. Q.; Swetnam, T. W.; Allen, C. D. |
| Citation Start Page: | 2227 |
| Citation Volume: | 37 |
| Citation Year: | 2007 |
| Type: | citation/reference |
| Text: | A stand-replacing fire history in upper montane forests of the southern Rocky Mountains; 2007; Article; Journal; Canadian Journal of Forest Research; Margolis, E. Q.; Swetnam, T. W.; Allen, C. D. |
| URL (THUMBNAIL): | http://pubs.er.usgs.gov/thumbnails/outside_thumb.jpg |
| URL (DIGITAL OBJECT IDENTIFIER): | http://dx.doi.org/10.1139/X07-079 |
| Date Other: | Mon, 1 Jan 2007 00:00 -0600 |
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