TY - THES T1 - Fire Histories of Upper Elevation Forests in the Gila Wilderness, New Mexico via Fire Scar and Stand Age Structure Analyses T2 - School of Renewable Natural Resources Y1 - 1997 A1 - Abolt,Rena Ann Peck KW - dendrochronology KW - fire KW - fire regime KW - fire scar KW - gila wilderness KW - new mexico KW - stand age KW - suppression KW - tree ring KW - upper elevation AB -

 

Fire-scar analysis to identify fire events and stand age structure analysis to identify fire effects on survivorship of trees were used to reconstruct surface and crown fire regimes in upper elevation forests of the Gila Wilderness, NM. Fire regimes varied across forest type, but not necessarily across elevation. Prior to the twentieth century, (from 1706 to 1904), the mean interval for large fires was 8 years. During the twentieth century, (from 1904 to 1995), the mean fire return interval for large fires was 46 years. The virtual end of historically frequent fire regimes due to livestock grazing and fire suppression since the turn of the century has affected successional pathways of forest types across elevations, favoring later successional forest species and structures.

JF - School of Renewable Natural Resources PB - University of Arizona CY - Tucson VL - Master of Science ER -