Brule River Properties Bois Brule River 2 2 1 1 17 17 15 - - PDF document

Brule River Preservation LLC Properties Fire History

Progress Summary

Kurt Kipfmueller & Liam Martin Department of Geography, Environment, and Society University of Minnesota–Twin Cities Figure 1. Fire history of the Brule River Properties. Each horizontal line represents a single tree sampled and each triangle an individual fire event recorded on that tree. The bottom triangles represent fire years recorded across multiple trees.

Figure 2. Maps of the Brule River Properties Study Site with the locations of the collected fire scar samples.

1775 1800 1825 1850 1875 1900 1925 1950 1975 2000 Year BRLF020 BRLF019 BRLF018 BRLF017 BRLF016 BRLF015 BRLF014 BRLF013 BRLF012 BRLF011 BRLF010 BRLF009 BRLF008 BRLF006 BRLF005 BRLF004 BRLF003 BRLF002 BRLF001 Series ID Brule River Properties 25% Scarred

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• Fire history of the Brule River Preservation LLC
• Properties. Each horizontal line represent a single

tree sampled and and each triangle an individual fire event recorded on that tree. The black triangles represent fire years recorded across multiple trees.

Fire Event Pith Date Inner Ring Date Bark Date Outer Ring Date Recording Year Non-Recording Year

Bois Brule River X

Fire Scarred Samples Roads 5 Meter Contour

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0.2 0.1 Miles

Brule River Properties

1 2 4 18 19 17 15 16 20 3 14 13 10 11 12 5 8 9 6 & 7

X

Fire Scarred Samples Roads

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0.25 0.125 Miles

Brule River Properties

1 2 17 15 16 4 20 3 19 18 5 6 & 7 8 9 13 14 10 11 12

Figure 3. Initial fire history of the Brule River Watershed. The fire chart includes fire events from the Brule River Properties, Cedar Island Estate and the Historic Portage. Each horizontal line represents a single tree sampled and each triangle an individual fire event recorded on that tree. The bottom triangles represent fire years recorded across multiple trees. Fires occurred at all three sites only in 1774 and 1791. Figure 4. Map of the study area showing the locations of sites within the Brule River Watershed.

Figure 5. A comparison between fire events and drought patterns using a statistical

• procedure. Top graphic: The association between fire events and climate. Positive

bars represent wetter than average conditions. Negative bars represent drier than average conditions. Large fires within the Brule River Watershed are significantly related to regional drought (Clear bars that pass the dashed lines representing the 95% confidence limit). Dry conditions during both the year of a fire and the year prior are statistically related to large fire events. Bottom: A time series showing the relationship between individual fire years and a measure of regional drought (Palmer Drought Severity Index). The blue circles represent unique fire years and the grey and black lines represents tree ring based reconstructed regional drought.

1525 1550 1575 1600 1625 1650 1675 1700 1725 1750 1775 1800 1825 1850 1875 1900 1925 1950 1975 2000 Year BHPF037 BHPF026 BHPF025 BHPF022 BHPF021 BHPF020 BHPF016 BHPF015 BHPF014 BHPF013 BHPF012 BHPF011 BHPF002 BHPF001 CIFS023 CIFS022 CIFS021 CIFS020 CIFS019 CIFS018 CIFS017 CIFS016 CIFS015 CIFS014 CIFS013 CIFS012 CIFS011 CIFS010 CIFS009 CIFS008 CIFS007 CIFS006 CIFS005 CIFS004 CIFS003 CIFS002 CIFS001 BRLF020 BRLF019 BRLF018 BRLF017 BRLF016 BRLF015 BRLF014 BRLF013 BRLF012 BRLF011 BRLF010 BRLF009 BRLF008 BRLF006 BRLF005 BRLF004 BRLF003 BRLF002 BRLF001 Series ID Brule River Watershed

Fire history of the Brule River Watershed. This fire chart includes fire events from the Brule River Properties, Cedar Island, and the Historic Portage. Brule River Properties Cedar Island state The Historic Portage Brule River Watershed: Large Fires

N= 21 N= 21

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Fire Year 1

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0.5 1 1.5

1500 1550 1600 1650 1700 1750 1800 1850 1900 1950 2000

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1 2 3 4 5 Reconstructed Drought WET DRY

WET DRY Years rior to Fire

Dearture actualsiulated Lake Superior Brule River Properties Cedar Island Estate The Historic Portage Bois Brule River

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6 3 Kilometers

Summary: The Brule River Properties forest experienced fires about every 10 - 15 years from 1770 – 1878. The Cedar Island Estate and The Historic Portage supported a similar rate of fire, however the fires tended to occur in different

• years. The only fire events that occurred at all three sites were 1774 and 1791. The first reconstructed fire occurred

in 1576 at the Historic Portage and the last reconstructed fire occurred in 1918 at the Brule River Properties. Portions of the record appear to be absent from the data collected. The Brule River Properties samples do not extend past 1770, while the Historic Portage samples do not extend through the late 1800s. It is possible that the Historic Portage was logged circa the 1870s, which would explain the lack of data extending into the modern record and the comparatively young, 100-150 year old red pine presently at the site. Cedar Island samples appear to span the middle portion of the record, between the Brule River Properties and the Historic Portage. Widespread fires that occurred within the watershed are driven by regional climate patterns, namely summer

• drought. Liam plans to defend his thesis in the Fall and will provide copies of his thesis upon request.

Contact Information: Liam Martin: mart2493@umn.edu Kurt Kipfmueller: kurt@umn.edu

! ( Fire Scarred Samples

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0.1 0.05 Miles

Douglas County Wisconsin Historic Aerial Imagery: 1938

1 2 17 15 16 4 18 19 20 5 3 6 & 7 8 9 14 13 10 11 12