Abstract
We investigated the influence of broad- v. fine-scale factors on fire in an unusual landscape suitable for distinguishing the drivers of fire synchrony. Our study was conducted in the Sierra Madre Oriental mountain range, in north-eastern Mexico. We worked in nine sites on three parallel mountains that receive nearly identical broad-scale climatic influence, but between which fires are unlikely to spread. We collected and cross dated samples from 357 fire-scarred trees in nine sites in high-elevation mixed-conifer forests and identified fire dates. We used Jaccard similarity analysis to evaluate synchrony among sites and quantified relationships between climate and fire occurrence. Fires were historically frequent (mean fire interval ranged from 8 to 16 years in all sites) and dates of fire exclusion ranged from 1887 to 1962. We found low fire synchrony among the three mountains, indicating a strong influence of fine-scale factors on fire occurrence. Fire regime attributes were similar across mountains despite the independence of fire dates. La Niña events were associated with fire over time, although not significantly since the 1830s. Our results highlight the importance of scale in describing fire regimes and suggest that we can use fire history to understand controls on complex ecosystem processes and patterns.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 959-968 |
| Number of pages | 10 |
| Journal | International Journal of Wildland Fire |
| Volume | 23 |
| Issue number | 7 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - 2014 |
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Keywords
- climate
- dendrochronology
- fire history
- fire synchrony
- Sierra de Arteaga
- Sierra Madre Oriental
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Forestry
- Ecology
Cite this
Fine-scale factors influence fire regimes in mixed-conifer forests on three high mountains in Mexico. / Yocom, Larissa L.; Fule, Peter Z; Falk, Donald A.; García-Domínguez, Celia; Cornejo-Oviedo, Eladio; Brown, Peter M.; Villanueva-Díaz, José; Cerano, Julián; Montaño, Citlali Cortés.
In: International Journal of Wildland Fire, Vol. 23, No. 7, 2014, p. 959-968.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - Fine-scale factors influence fire regimes in mixed-conifer forests on three high mountains in Mexico
AU - Yocom, Larissa L.
AU - Fule, Peter Z
AU - Falk, Donald A.
AU - García-Domínguez, Celia
AU - Cornejo-Oviedo, Eladio
AU - Brown, Peter M.
AU - Villanueva-Díaz, José
AU - Cerano, Julián
AU - Montaño, Citlali Cortés
PY - 2014
Y1 - 2014
N2 - We investigated the influence of broad- v. fine-scale factors on fire in an unusual landscape suitable for distinguishing the drivers of fire synchrony. Our study was conducted in the Sierra Madre Oriental mountain range, in north-eastern Mexico. We worked in nine sites on three parallel mountains that receive nearly identical broad-scale climatic influence, but between which fires are unlikely to spread. We collected and cross dated samples from 357 fire-scarred trees in nine sites in high-elevation mixed-conifer forests and identified fire dates. We used Jaccard similarity analysis to evaluate synchrony among sites and quantified relationships between climate and fire occurrence. Fires were historically frequent (mean fire interval ranged from 8 to 16 years in all sites) and dates of fire exclusion ranged from 1887 to 1962. We found low fire synchrony among the three mountains, indicating a strong influence of fine-scale factors on fire occurrence. Fire regime attributes were similar across mountains despite the independence of fire dates. La Niña events were associated with fire over time, although not significantly since the 1830s. Our results highlight the importance of scale in describing fire regimes and suggest that we can use fire history to understand controls on complex ecosystem processes and patterns.
AB - We investigated the influence of broad- v. fine-scale factors on fire in an unusual landscape suitable for distinguishing the drivers of fire synchrony. Our study was conducted in the Sierra Madre Oriental mountain range, in north-eastern Mexico. We worked in nine sites on three parallel mountains that receive nearly identical broad-scale climatic influence, but between which fires are unlikely to spread. We collected and cross dated samples from 357 fire-scarred trees in nine sites in high-elevation mixed-conifer forests and identified fire dates. We used Jaccard similarity analysis to evaluate synchrony among sites and quantified relationships between climate and fire occurrence. Fires were historically frequent (mean fire interval ranged from 8 to 16 years in all sites) and dates of fire exclusion ranged from 1887 to 1962. We found low fire synchrony among the three mountains, indicating a strong influence of fine-scale factors on fire occurrence. Fire regime attributes were similar across mountains despite the independence of fire dates. La Niña events were associated with fire over time, although not significantly since the 1830s. Our results highlight the importance of scale in describing fire regimes and suggest that we can use fire history to understand controls on complex ecosystem processes and patterns.
KW - climate
KW - dendrochronology
KW - fire history
KW - fire synchrony
KW - Sierra de Arteaga
KW - Sierra Madre Oriental
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84908248008&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=84908248008&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1071/WF13214
DO - 10.1071/WF13214
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:84908248008
VL - 23
SP - 959
EP - 968
JO - International Journal of Wildland Fire
JF - International Journal of Wildland Fire
SN - 1049-8001
IS - 7
ER -