Investigator’s Annual Reports (IAR’s) for Crater Lake National Park

The role of western dwarf mistletoe in fire susceptibility and behavior in mature ponderosa pine stands

 

Report Number: 28176

Reporting Year: 2003

Permit Number: CRLA-2002-SCI-0008

Current Status: Checked in

Date Received: Mar 30, 2004

Principal Investigator: Ms Sharon Stanton, Department of Geography, Portland State University, Portland, OR

Park-assigned Study Id. # CRLA-02028

Permit Expiration Date: Sep 30, 2005

Permit Start Date: Jul 18, 2002

Study Starting Date: Jul 01, 2002

Study Ending Date: Sep 30, 2005

Study Status: Continuing

Activity Type: Research

Subject/Discipline: Fire (Behavior, Ecology, Effects)

Objectives: This research investigates the influence of mistletoe on fuel loadings, fire behavior and fuel consumption during prescribed burns. Patterns of post-fire mortality as well as mistletoe spread and intensification will be monitored for several years following prescribed burning.

Findings and Status:  Prescribed burns were completed throughout the study area in October. Fire behavior and temperature data were collected during the burns. Initial analyses reveal that two plots infected with mistletoe experienced the highest temperatures during the prescribed burn, but the mean temperature of infected plots does not differ significantly from healthy plots. There was a high degree of variation in fire behavior and temperatures, and variation is positively correlated with the degree of mistletoe infection. No mature pine trees died (torched) during the burn, although observations suggest that smoldering duff or scorching may damage the cambium of several large individuals. Mortality will be monitored for several years following the prescribed burn.

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: 0

Funding provided this reporting year by other sources: 0

Full name of college or university:  n/a

Annual funding provided by NPS to university or college this reporting year: 0

 

***previous*** — ***next***