Natural Fuel Loadings in Ponderosa Pine and Mixed Conifer Forests of the Southwest

摘要

Accurate estimates of natural fuel loading are needed in a variety of situations, such as predicting fire behavior and damage; preattack planning; developing fuel management plans; assessing fire potential in and around residential developments in forests; and as an aid to silviculturists, landscape architects, wildlife biologists, and land use planners. Natural dead fuel loading in 62 undisturbed southwestern ponderosa pine stands averaged 21.9 tons per acre. Sixteen mixed conifer stands averaged 44.1 tons per acre of dead fuel. Heavy humus loads contributed to loading of 22.2 tons per acre of fuel.