Climate Response, Age Distribution, and Fire History of a Corkbark Fir (Abies lasiocarpa var. arizonica) Stand in the Santa Catalina Mountains, Arizona
| Title | Climate Response, Age Distribution, and Fire History of a Corkbark Fir (Abies lasiocarpa var. arizonica) Stand in the Santa Catalina Mountains, Arizona |
| Publication Type | Thesis |
| Year of Publication | 2001 |
| Authors | Psaltis, J |
| Academic Department | School of Renewable Natural Resources |
| Degree | Master of Science |
| Number of Pages | 83 |
| University | University of Arizona |
| City | Tucson |
| Keywords | age distribution, Arizona, climatology, corkbark, dendrochronology, fir stand, fire, mountains, santa catalina |
| Abstract | The southernmost known North American stand of corkbark fir (Abies lasiocarpa var. arizonaica (Merriam) Lemm.) is found in the Santa Catalina Mountains just north of Tucson, Arizona. Climate response, age distribution, and fire history were studied in this small corkbark fir stand to provide baseline information for future management. Response function analysis indicated April-June precipitation from the current growing season, April-June temperature from the current growing season, November-March precipitation prior to the growing season, and August-October precipitation from the previous growing season as the most highly correlated factor with ring-width variance. Age distritbution appeared to be a steady state. A fire chronology developed for the corkbark fir site was sused to test synchroneity of fire events with previously developed chronologies from nearby sites. Chi-squared analyses indicated significant association of fire years for all sites but not spread of fire from one site to another. |
