Can extended monitoring data provide insight into controls on post fire tree growth?

Over the past two decades, the US government has been quietly collecting data on trees in our National Parks.  The Fire Effects Monitoring Program was established to measure ongoing effects of an active prescribed fire program on tree mortality, recruitment, fuel load, understory vegetation, and more. This highly attributed data set provides an opportunity to study how antecedent tree and stand condition may influence fire related tree mortality and tree growth response.  I will describe experiences from our tour of 5 southwest National Parks, a method for selecting sample size, and potential for use of long term monitoring data sets.