Fire History in Coast Redwood Stands in the Northeastern Santa Cruz Mountains, California

Stephens, Scott L.; Fry, Danny L.

doi:10.4996/fireecology.0101002

Cited by 57 publications

(70 citation statements)

References 8 publications

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“…Although there is ample evidence of fire, estimates of the fire-return interval (FRI) vary significantly across the coast redwood range, and in the southern forests in particular (Davis andBorchert 2006, Lorimer et al 2009). Relatively short mean FRIs (6.2 yr to 23.0 yr) were found by Finney and Martin (1992) on individual stumps, and mean FRIs ranged from 12.4 yr to 16.3 yr in a study by Stephens and Fry (2005). However, both of these studies focused on areas where Sequoia sempervirens tends to grow in isolated groves and are not necessarily representative of southern coast redwood forest as a whole, as fire frequencies found in these two studies are likely influenced by the fire regimes of adjacent grassland or chaparral communities (Stephens and Fry 2005).…”

Section: Recent Wildfires In California's Centralmentioning

confidence: 97%

“…Relatively short mean FRIs (6.2 yr to 23.0 yr) were found by Finney and Martin (1992) on individual stumps, and mean FRIs ranged from 12.4 yr to 16.3 yr in a study by Stephens and Fry (2005). However, both of these studies focused on areas where Sequoia sempervirens tends to grow in isolated groves and are not necessarily representative of southern coast redwood forest as a whole, as fire frequencies found in these two studies are likely influenced by the fire regimes of adjacent grassland or chaparral communities (Stephens and Fry 2005). Brown et al (1999) also found relatively short composite mean FRIs (7.7 yr to 13.0 yr) where coast redwood mixed with Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii [Mirbel] Franco var.…”

Section: Recent Wildfires In California's Centralmentioning

confidence: 97%

“…Lightning-ignited fires are rare in coastal California due to a relatively low frequency of thunderstorms, as well as moist fuel conditions during the rainy season (Keeley 2005, Stephens and Fry 2005, Brown 2007, van Wagtendonk and Cayan 2008. As a result, most fires in the region have resulted from a variety of anthropogenic origins.…”

Section: Recent Wildfires In California's Centralmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The combination of fire-and rot-resistant properties and resiliency following disturbance (Ramage et al 2010, Lazzeri-Aerts andRussell 2014) allows for the accumulation of fire scars in the blackened basal cavities that can persist for centuries (Jacobs et al 1985, Stephens andFry 2005). Although there is ample evidence of fire, estimates of the fire-return interval (FRI) vary significantly across the coast redwood range, and in the southern forests in particular (Davis andBorchert 2006, Lorimer et al 2009).…”

Section: Recent Wildfires In California's Centralmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Approximation of Fire-Return Intervals with Point Samples in the Southern Range of the Coast Redwood Forest, California, USA

Jones

Russell

2015

fire ecol

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A legacy of past fires is evident in the form of blackened basal hollows found throughout the southern range of the coast redwood (Sequoia sempervirens [D. Don] Endl.) forest. A deeper look reveals cambial scars dating back centuries, telling a story of low-to moderate-intensity fires that burned periodically across California's Central Coast bioregion. While attempts have been made to reconstruct the fire history of this forest type, estimates of the fire-return interval vary widely, and the relationship of the fire-return interval to varying cultural influences is not fully understood. We analyzed 373 fire scars from 70 cross-sections removed from stumps, downed logs, and live trees in the coastal Santa Cruz Mountains of California, USA, in order to estimate fire-return intervals (FRI) for individual trees, mean FRI across samples, and seasonality of historical fires. The mean FRI, averaged across point samples, was 60.6 yr with a median of 40.1 yr. Fire scars were most prevalent in the dormant and latewood portions of annual growth rings. A sub-sample of 19 cross-sections, for which we were able to deter- RESUMENEl legado de fuegos pasados es evidente en forma de huecos ennegrecidos en la base de troncos encontrados en los bosques de sequoia roja (Sequoia sempervirens [D. Don] Endl.) de la región costera sur. Una mirada más profunda revela cicatrices en el cambium que datan de centurias pasadas, contándonos una historia de fuegos de baja a moderada intensidad que quemaron periódicamente a través de la Bioregión de la Costa Central de California. Mientras que varios intentos han sido realizados para reconstruir la historia del fuego en este tipo de bosque, estimaciones del intervalo de retorno varían ampliamente, y la relación entre el intervalo de retorno del fuego con influencias culturales variables no está completamente entendida. Nosotros analizamos 373 cicatrices de un total de 70 cortes transversales obtenidas de tocones, troncos caídos, y árboles vivos en la costa de las montañas de Santa Cruz en California, EEUU, para estimar los intervalos de retorno del fuego (FRI por sus siglas en inglés) para ár-boles individuales, el FRI promedio entre muestras, y la estacionalidad de fuegos históri-cos. El FRI medio, promediado de muestras puntuales, fue de 60,6 años con una mediana de 40,1 años. Las cicatrices de fuego fueron más prevalentes en las porciones latentes y de leño tardío de los anillos anuales de crecimiento. Una sub-muestra de 19 secciones transversales, Fire Ecology Volume 11, Issue 3, 2015 doi: 10.4996/fireecology.1103080 Jones and Russell: Fire-Return

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Section: Recent Wildfires In California's Centralmentioning

confidence: 97%

Section: Recent Wildfires In California's Centralmentioning

confidence: 97%

Section: Recent Wildfires In California's Centralmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Recent Wildfires In California's Centralmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

Approximation of Fire-Return Intervals with Point Samples in the Southern Range of the Coast Redwood Forest, California, USA

Jones

Russell

2015

fire ecol

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“…Starting in the 1850s, the majority of old-growth forest stands in the Santa Cruz Mountains were heavily logged to meet the demand for lumber to build new cities in the San Francisco Bay area (Stephens & Fry, 2005). Remnant stands of old-growth forest are presently protected in state parks, most notably at Henry Cowell Redwoods, Portola Redwoods, and Big Basin State Park.…”

Section: Study Area Descriptionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Vegetation Regrowth Following Wildfires in the Santa Cruz Mountains of Northern California Monitored Using Landsat Satellite Image Analysis

Potter¹

2016

OJF

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Oxygen and carbon stable isotopes in coast redwood tree rings respond to spring and summer climate signals

2013

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[1] Interannual variability in the oxygen and carbon isotope composition of tree ring cellulose was investigated in coast redwood (Sequoia sempervirens) from three sites in coastal Northern California. Middle and late wood samples from annual tree rings were compared to regional climate indices and gridded ocean-atmosphere fields for the years 1952-2003. The strongest climate-isotope relationship (r = 0.72) was found with summer (June-September) daily maximum temperature and middle wood δ 13 , which also responds positively to coastal sea surface temperature and negatively to summer low cloud frequency. Late wood δ 18 O reflects a balance between 18 O-enriched summer fog drip and depleted summer rainwater, while a combined analysis of late wood δ 18 O and δ 13 C revealed sensitivity to the sign of summer precipitation anomalies. Empirical orthogonal function analysis of regional summer climate indices and coast redwood stable isotopes identified multivariate isotopic responses to summer fog and drought that correspond to atmospheric circulation anomalies over the NE Pacific and NW U.S. The presence of regional climate signals in coast redwood stable isotope composition, consistent with known mechanistic processes and prior studies, offers the potential for high-resolution paleoclimate reconstructions of the California current system from this long-lived tree species.Citation: Johnstone, J. A., J. S. Roden, and T. E. Dawson (2013), Oxygen and carbon stable isotopes in coast redwood tree rings respond to spring and summer climate signals,

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Fire History in Coast Redwood Stands in the Northeastern Santa Cruz Mountains, California

Cited by 57 publications

References 8 publications

Approximation of Fire-Return Intervals with Point Samples in the Southern Range of the Coast Redwood Forest, California, USA

Approximation of Fire-Return Intervals with Point Samples in the Southern Range of the Coast Redwood Forest, California, USA

Vegetation Regrowth Following Wildfires in the Santa Cruz Mountains of Northern California Monitored Using Landsat Satellite Image Analysis

Oxygen and carbon stable isotopes in coast redwood tree rings respond to spring and summer climate signals

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