Prey Meadows 1873
Prey Meadows 1993
Research Objectives Identify the Stand Characteristics of the Pre-Comstock forests Identify the Characteristics of Canopy and Surface Fuels and Potential Fire Behavior in Pre- Comstock Forests How have Forest Conditions and Potential Fire Behavior Changed since the Pre-Comstock Period
Research Approach Dendroecology Vegetation Simulation Models (FVS) Surface and Crown Fire Simulation Models (FMA)
Mixed Conifer Forest – Stand Level Photo
Forest Reconstruction Vegetation mapping Stand structure analysis meters 10 20 30 40 50 0 0 10 20 30 40 meters 50 60 70 80 90 100
Pre-Euroamerican Fire History Jeffrey pine forests, Lake Tahoe Basin Group A Group B Group C Group D Group E Group F Group G Group I Group J Group K Group L Group M 1400 1450 1500 1550 1600 1650 1700 1750 1800 1850 1900 1950 2000
Pre-Comstock Fire Return Intervals Grand Mean Point Fire Return Interval Jeffrey Pine 15 years Mixed Conifer 22 years Red Fir 76 years Lodgepole Pine 50 years
Stand Density JP MC RF LP
Stand Basal Area JP MC RF LP
Jeffrey Pine Forest Size Structure Contemporary Pre-Comstock
Mixed Conifer Forest Structure Pre-Comstock Contemporary
Red Fir Forest Size Structure Contemporary Pre-Comstock
Lodgepole Pine Forest Structure Contemporary Pre-Comstock
FVS Pre-Comstock Mixed Conifer Stand Contemporary Mixed Conifer Stand 90 th Percentile Weather Conditions 90 th Percentile Weather Conditions
Potential Fire Behavior 98 th Percentile Fire Weather Flame Length (m ) Rate of Spread (km\hr) 1200 1000 800 600 400 Pre. 200 Cont. 0
Potential Fire Behavior 98 th Percentile Fire Weather Torching Index Crowning Index
Potential Fire Behavior 98 th Percentile Fire Weather Pre-Comstock Fire Type Contemporary Fire Type
Density of Pre-Comstock Second Growth, and Thinned Stands Jeffrey Pine Forests, Carson Range 400 WH-3 LH-1 350 LH-2 Jeffrey pine 300 WH-2 White Fir LH-4 stems ac -1 Red Fir 250 PE = Pre- Euroamerican LH-3 SG = Second growth 200 T = Thinned 150 100 50 0 PE SG T PE SG T PE SG T PE SG T PE SG T PE SG T
Basal Area of Pre-Comstock Second Growth, and Thinned Stands Jeffrey Pine Forests, Carson Range 300 LH-1 Jeffrey pine WH-3 White Fir 250 Red Fir LH-2 LH-4 LH-3 WH-2 PE = Pre-Euroamerican 200 SG = Second growth T = Thinned 150 100 50 0 PE SG T PE SG T PE SG T PE SG T PE SG T PE SG T
1939 Air Photo Brushfield 1861 Fire High Severity Forest/Brush 1873 Fire Mixed Severity
2000 Air Photo Brushfield 1861 Fire High Severity Forest/Brush 1873 Fire Mixed Severity
20 th century landscape change
Landscape scale Vegetation patterns related to differences in fire severity Areas of high severity burns were present Fire severity patterns related to topography
Landscape scale 1998 1939 dynamics Repeat historical aerial photography GIS and Image Analysis Vegetation sampling and ground-truthing Fire History Reconstruction Fire Severity Patterns Landscape patterns and processes Change detection 1998 1939
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