Dwarf mistletoe effects on fuel loadings in ponderosa pine forests in northern Arizona

2007 ◽  
Vol 37 (3) ◽  
pp. 662-670 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chad Hoffman ◽  
Robert Mathiasen ◽  
Carolyn Hull Sieg
Keyword(s):  
Ponderosa Pine ◽  
Fire Behavior ◽  
Fuel Loading ◽  
Dwarf Mistletoe ◽  
Forest Fuels ◽  
Ponderosa Pine Forests ◽  
Northern Arizona ◽  
Basaltic Soils ◽  
Four Levels ◽  
Fuels Treatments

Southwestern dwarf mistletoe ( Arceuthobium vaginatum (Willd.) J. Presl ssp. cryptopodum ) infests about 0.9 million ha in the southwestern United States. Several studies suggest that dwarf mistletoes affect forest fuels and fire behavior; however, few studies have quantified these effects. We compared surface fuel loadings and predicted fire behavior among four levels of dwarf mistletoe infestation (none, light, moderate, and severe) in a total of 239 plots on 11 sites on basaltic soils in northern Arizona. In each plot we measured tree attributes, dwarf mistletoe rating and surface fuel loading. Stands severely infested by dwarf mistletoe had lower (P < 0.05) tree density and higher snag density, but higher (P < 0.05) total surface fuel loadings and total fuel loadings >7.62 cm and <7.62 cm, than non-infested stands. However, there were no statistical differences in any canopy fuel variables among infestation classes. Predicted fire behavior indicated that the wind speed required to promote the spread of a surface fire into the canopy was lower in severely infested stands than in non-infested stands. These results suggest that stands in northern Arizona that are severely infested with dwarf mistletoe should be priority areas for fuels treatments.

scholarly journals Limited Effects of Long-Term Repeated Season and Interval of Prescribed Burning on Understory Vegetation Compositional Trajectories and Indicator Species in Ponderosa Pine Forests of Northeastern Oregon, USA

Forests ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (8) ◽  
pp. 834
Author(s):  
Harold S. J. Zald ◽  
Becky K. Kerns ◽  
Michelle A. Day
Keyword(s):  
Indicator Species ◽  
Ponderosa Pine ◽  
Prescribed Burning ◽  
Vascular Plant ◽  
Fire Behavior ◽  
Understory Vegetation ◽  
Forest Composition ◽  
Forest Fuels ◽  
Ponderosa Pine Forests ◽  
Over Time

Fire exclusion has dramatically altered historically fire adapted forests across western North America. In response, forest managers reduce forest fuels with mechanical thinning and/or prescribed burning to alter fire behavior, with additional objectives of restoring forest composition, structure, and ecosystem processes. There has been extensive research on the effects of fuel reduction and restoration treatments on trees, fuels, regeneration, and fire behavior; but less is known about how these treatments influence understory vegetation, which contains the majority of vascular plant diversity in many dry conifer forests. Of particular interest is how understory vegetation may respond to the season and interval of prescribed burning. The season and interval of prescribed burning is often determined by operational constraints rather than historical fire regimes, potentially resulting in fire conditions and burn intervals to which native plants are poorly adapted. In this study, we examined how understory vegetation has responded to season and interval of prescribed burning in ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa) forests in the Blue Mountains of northeastern Oregon, USA. Using over a decade (2002–2015) of understory vegetation data collected in stands with different intervals (5 versus 15 year) and seasons (spring versus fall) of prescribed burning, we quantified how season and interval of prescribed burning has influenced understory vegetation compositional trajectories and indicator species over time. Season of prescribed burning resulted in different understory communities and distinct trajectories of understory composition over time, but interval of burning did not. Indicator species analysis suggests fall burning is facilitating early seral species, with native annual forbs displaying ephemeral responses to frequent burning, while invasive cheatgrass (Bromus tectorum) increased in abundance and frequency across all treatments over time. These findings indicate that understory vegetation in these ecosystems are sensitive to seasonality of burning, but the responses are subtle. Our findings suggest season and interval of prescribed burning used in this study do not result in large changes in understory vegetation community composition, a key consideration as land managers increase the pace and scale of prescribed fire in these forests.

Tree and opening spatial patterns vary by tree density in two old-growth remnant ponderosa pine forests in Northern Arizona, USA

2019 ◽  
Vol 450 ◽  
pp. 117502 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jose M. Iniguez ◽  
James F. Fowler ◽  
W. Keith Moser ◽  
Carolyn H. Sieg ◽  
L. Scott Baggett ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Spatial Patterns ◽  
Ponderosa Pine ◽  
Tree Density ◽  
Pine Forests ◽  
Old Growth ◽  
Ponderosa Pine Forests ◽  
Northern Arizona

scholarly journals A Comparison of Wildlife Use in Broomed and Unbroomed Ponderosa Pine Trees in Northern Arizona

2004 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
pp. 42-46 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert L. Mathiasen ◽  
Gregg N. Garnett ◽  
Carol L. Chambers
Keyword(s):  
Ponderosa Pine ◽  
Wildlife Habitat ◽  
Passerine Birds ◽  
Dwarf Mistletoe ◽  
Erethizon Dorsatum ◽  
Resting Sites ◽  
Northern Arizona ◽  
Wildlife Use ◽  
Pine Trees

Abstract Dwarf mistletoe infections often induce structures known as witches' brooms that may provide an important wildlife habitat element. We compared evidence of wildlife use in broomed and unbroomed ponderosa pine trees at 12 mistletoe-infested sites in northern Arizona. We systematically sampled 12 broomed and unbroomed trees on each site (n = 144 broomed and 144 unbroomed trees) by climbing and inspecting each tree to document evidence of wildlife use. Broomed trees were used more frequently than unbroomed trees for wildlife activities including foraging/caching, nesting, and roosting/resting sites. We observed evidence of use by Abert squirrel (Sciurus aberti), porcupine (Erethizon dorsatum), and passerine birds in witches' brooms. Of the 226 brooms we examined, 23% (n = 52) contained evidence of wildlife use. Mammal use was found in 80% (n = 42) of the brooms and of these, 39 were used by Abert squirrel. We recommend that management agencies consider retaining some of these broomed trees to provide habitat for wildlife. West. J. Appl. For. 19(1):42–46.

Community occupancy responses of small mammals to restoration treatments in ponderosa pine forests, northern Arizona, USA

2012 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
pp. 204-217 ◽  
Author(s):  
E. L. Kalies ◽  
B. G. Dickson ◽  
C. L. Chambers ◽  
W. W. Covington
Keyword(s):  
Small Mammals ◽  
Ponderosa Pine ◽  
Pine Forests ◽  
Ponderosa Pine Forests ◽  
Northern Arizona

scholarly journals Characterization of PM2.5 collected during broadcast and slash-pile prescribed burns of predominately ponderosa pine forests in northern Arizona

2011 ◽  
Vol 45 (12) ◽  
pp. 2087-2094 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marin S. Robinson ◽  
Min Zhao ◽  
Lindsay Zack ◽  
Christine Brindley ◽  
Lillian Portz ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Ponderosa Pine ◽  
Pine Forests ◽  
Prescribed Burns ◽  
Ponderosa Pine Forests ◽  
Northern Arizona

Mark-recapture estimation of snag standing rates in Northern Arizona mixed-conifer and ponderosa pine forests

2015 ◽  
Vol 79 (8) ◽  
pp. 1369-1377 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joseph L. Ganey ◽  
Gary C. White ◽  
Jeffrey S. Jenness ◽  
Scott C. Vojta
Keyword(s):  
Ponderosa Pine ◽  
Pine Forests ◽  
Mixed Conifer ◽  
Mark Recapture ◽  
Ponderosa Pine Forests ◽  
Northern Arizona
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