Report Number: 25854
Permit Number: CRLA-2003-SCI-0001
Current Status: Checked in
Date Received: Jan 14, 2004
Reporting Year:
2004
Principal Investigator:
Dr Michael Murray,
Crater Lake, OR
Park-assigned Study Id. #:
CRLA-03014
Permit Expiration
Date:
May 20, 2005
Permit Start Date:
May 20, 2003
Study Starting
Date:
May 20, 2003
Study Ending Date:
May 20, 2005
Study
Status:
Continuing
Activity Type:
Research
Subject/Discipline:
Fire (Behavior, Ecology, Effects)
Objectives:
The Cascade Range features prominent
timberline forests which are valued by
tourists, recreationists, and wildlife.
These ecosystems are characterized by
whitebark pine (Pinus albicaulis). This tree
is considered a keystone species in several
forest communities because of its influence
on wildlife, flora, and ecological processes
(Tomback and others 2001). Whitebark pine is
also known to be fire dependent based on
studies in other regions where it is
declining largely due to decades of
suppression and an introduced disease ?
blister rust. However, knowledge of fire
regimes in the markedly different Cascadian
whitebark pine forests is absent. No
published fire studies of these forests
exist. This proposal pertains to two
objectives:
-
Gain an understanding of fire regimes
associated with whitebark pine forests in
the Cascade Range.
-
Describe historic and current stand
conditions and estimate potential ecological
effects of fire exclusion policies.
Understanding of fire regimes and current
conditions is the first step towards
re-introducing fire. Currently, managers
cannot confidently determine if
management-ignited fire is warranted because
knowledge of forest conditions and
historical fire regimes is lacking.
Re-introducing fire may risk accelerating
the decline of whitebark pine in the region.
It is imperative that managers possess
knowledge of historic and predicted fire
characteristics for these forests in order
to prescribe fire. It is the goal of this
project to take a comprehensive step in
filling this information gap for the
Cascades, thus providing an important and
essential baseline resource for fire
planning in the region.
A significant information gap in fire
management planning in the Cascades will be
addressed by this project. Our objectives
will answer many of the immediate questions
that managers have and provide a baseline of
information for long-term fire management
planning. Our findings will enable
science-based re-introduction of fire into
these important forests. Specifically, this
project will:
-
Prioritize the need for re-introducing
fire according to fuel type.
-
Define appropriate severity and frequency
goals for different fuel types.
-
Identify fuel types where mechanical
pre-treatments may be warranted to protect
mature whitebark pine from lethal fire.
-
Discern whether management-ignited or
lightning fires are more appropriate for
different fuel types.
-
Provide managers with fuels data to
predict spread rate and intensity ?
especially important near visitor
facilities.
Findings and Status:
This year's sampling took place in Crater
Lake N. P., Mt. Rainier N. P. and in the
Winema N. F. at Pelican Butte. Twenty 400
square meter plots were installed at Crater
Lake, 7 at Mt. Rainier, and 5 at Pelican
Butte. One plot was typically established
for each site unless the site was extensive
then two were installed. We considered a
site as an area homogeneous in stand
structure, soil properties and age, and had
a minimum of 25% whitebark pine canopy
coverage. Sites ranged in size from 2 acres
to over a hundred acres were diverse in
stand structure, soil properties, and age.
Close to 400 core samples were taken for the
purpose of aging trees. Charcoal was found
at nearly all sites and approximately 30
fire-scarred whitebark pine were located at
12 of 22 sites. Wedge samples were taken
from about 19 trees three of which turned
out not to be fire scars.
Sites at Crater Lake and Pelican Butte
ranged in age from ~90 to 450 years old,
most being in the 250 year old range. Pumice
soils dominated the sites at Crater Lake.
Four sites were barren and rocky, as were
four of the sites at Pelican Butte. Stand
composition varied widely. Few were purely
whitebark pine, however whitebark dominated
most stands . Stands were mixed with
mountain hemlock, Shasta red fir or
lodgepole pine. Most occurred in a forest
setting with adjacent stands lower in
elevation, however, several were isolated in
meadows or rocky terrain. Fire histories
have been estimated for several sites based
on fire scars and age cohorts. Multiple fire
dates were firmly determined for only one
site. The fire frequency there is 30-40
years. Dates to the latest significant fires
ranged from 70 years ago to never. Some
sites never burn as a unit. Clumps of
whitebark burn but with limited spread.
Stands at Mt. Rainier were fewer in number
overall and quite different than those found
in Oregon. Pumice and rocky soils were rare
in the areas surveyed. All sampled stands
were mixed with subalpine fir to some extent
and were younger, being less than hundred
years. One stand was ~200 years old however.
Trees showed much greater growth than what
was found at the Oregon sites and understory
coverage was much greater. Evidence of stand
replacement and surface fires was found.
Multiple fire dates were estimated for two
sites based on fire scars. The frequency of
major fires was ~100 years with a surface
fire ~55 years ago. Fire dates for the three
remaining sites were estimated based age
cohorts. Fires were 70, 170 and ~250 years
ago.
For
this study, were one or more specimens collected and
removed from the park but not destroyed during
analyses?
Yes
Funding provided
this reporting year by NPS:
10000
Funding provided
this reporting year by other sources:
23000
Full name of
college or university: n/a
Annual funding
provided by NPS to university or college this
reporting year: 0
