Fire Frequency Effects on Fuel Loadings in Pine-Oak Forests of the MadreanProvince

摘要

Loadings of downed woody fuels in pine-oak forests of the Madrean Province areheavier on sites in southeastern Arizona with low fire frequencies and lower on sites in northeastern Sonora, Mexico, with high fire frequencies. Low fire frequencies in southeastern Arizona are attributed largely to past land uses and the fire suppression policies of land management agencies in the United States. Ecologists and land managers interested in reintroducing fire into these forests to reduce fuel loadings and meet other land management objectives could use information about fuel buildups in their planning efforts. Quantifying these fuel loadings could also be useful in improving fire behavior models for the forest.