Lessons from the fires of 2000: Post-fire heterogeneity in ponderosa pine forests

Natasha B. Kotliar; Sandra L. Haire; Carl H. Key

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USGS · 70159996

Lessons from the fires of 2000: Post-fire heterogeneity in ponderosa pine forests

Natasha B. Kotliar·Sandra L. Haire·Carl H. Key

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Abstract

We evaluate burn-severity patterns for six burns that occurred in the southern Rocky Mountains and the Colorado Plateau in 2000. We compare the results of two data sources: Burned Area Rehabilitations Teams (BAER) and a spatial burnseverity model derived from satellite imagery (the Normalized Burn Ratio; NBR). BAER maps tended to overestimate area of severe burns and underestimate area of moderate-severity burns relative to NBR maps. Low elevation and more southern ponderosa pine burns were predominantly understory burns, whereas burns at higher elevations and farther north had a greater component of high-severity burns. Thus, much, if not most, of the area covered by these burns appears to be consistent with historic burns and contributes to healthy functioning ecosystems.

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Source-reported bounding extent: 31.332239° to 41.003444° latitude; -114.813613° to -102.04224° longitude. This indicates report coverage, not an exact sampling location. View area on OpenStreetMap.

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Natasha B. Kotliar, Sandra L. Haire, Carl H. Key. 2003. Lessons from the fires of 2000: Post-fire heterogeneity in ponderosa pine forests. https://pubs.usgs.gov/publication/70159996

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