Using Bigcone Douglas-Fir Fire Scars and Tree Rings to Reconstruct Interior Chaparral Fire History
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Fire Ecology Vol. 5, No. 3, 2009 Lombardo et al.: Reconstructing Interior Chaparral Fire History doi: 10.4996/fireecology.0503035 Page 35 RESEARCH ARTICLE USING BIGCONE DOUGLAS-FIR FIRE SCARS AND TREE RINGS TO RECONSTRUCT INTERIOR CHAPARRAL FIRE HISTORY Keith J. Lombardo* 1, 2, Thomas W. Swetnam1, Christopher H. Baisan1, Mark I. Borchert3 1Laboratory of Tree-Ring Research, University of Arizona, 105 W. Stadium, Tucson, Arizona, USA 2Department of Geography and Regional Development, University of Arizona, Harvill Building, Room 409, 1103 E. 2nd Street, Tucson, Arizona, USA 3San Bernardino National Forest, United States Forest Service, 602 S. Tippecanoe, San Bernardino, California, USA *Corresponding author: Tel: 001-520-621-5391; e-mail: [email protected] ABSTRACT Bigcone Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga macrocarpa [Vasey] Mayr) is a long-lived, fire-adapt- ed conifer that is endemic to the Transverse Ranges of southern California. At the lower and middle reaches of its elevational distribution, isolated stands of bigcone Douglas-fir are surrounded by extensive stands of chaparral. Our dendrochronology investigations have revealed that these ancient trees commonly record multiple past fires as fire scars in their lower boles. We hypothesized that the fire-scar record found within and among big- cone Douglas-fir stands reflects the temporal and spatial patterns of fire in the surrounding chaparral. We compared the fire scar results with independent, twentieth century fire atlas data to assess our interpretations. Using fire scars and ring-growth changes, we recon- structed fire history in Los Padres National Forest and investigated changes in fire regime characteristics over the past several centuries. Our analyses confirm that the tree-ring record can be used to accurately reconstruct past fire occurrence and extent patterns both within bigcone Douglas-fir stands and surround- ing chaparral stands. Many extensive fires were apparent in both the pre- and post-twenti- eth century period indicating that such events were a natural component of the system. However, many smaller fires were also evident in the tree-ring record, and more of these types of events occurred during the nineteenth century (and earlier) than during the twen- tieth century. We also identified a shift after the late nineteenth century to potentially more severe fires within and among stands, and by inference the surrounding chaparral. These findings suggest that land management policies, rates of human-set fires, or climatic variations may have played a role in shaping the contemporary fire regime, and that this recent period is different in some respects from the pre-twentieth century regime. Repli- cation of this work in other mountain ranges, in addition to comparisons with climate and human histories, will provide valuable insights into our understanding of the relative roles of humans versus climate in changing bigcone Douglas-fir and chaparral fire regimes. Fire Ecology Vol. 5, No. 3, 2009 Lombardo et al.: Reconstructing Interior Chaparral Fire History doi: 10.4996/fireecology.0503035 Page 36 Keywords: chaparral, dendrochronology, fire history, fire regimes, Los Padres National Forest, Pseudotsuga macrocarpa, southern California Citation: Lombardo, K.J., T.W. Swetnam, C.H. Baisan, and M.I. Borchert. 2009. Using bigcone Douglas-fir fire scars and tree rings to reconstruct interior chaparral fire history. Fire Ecology 5(3): 35-56. doi: 10.4996/fireecology.0503035 INTRODUCTION and management implications of scientific in- terpretations of the underlying causes of these In July 2007, just one year after the 2006 events, it is crucial that we extend our histori- Day Fire (64 000 ha), another chaparral-driven cal perspectives of fire regime changes and dy- blaze, the Zaca Fire, burned nearly 100 000 ha namics in this region by providing a rich, tem- in Los Padres National Forest and surrounding poral data set against which these competing areas. Total fire suppression costs were ap- perspectives can be tested. proximately 185 million US$. Since the turn Chaparral vegetation is composed of rela- of the nineteenth century, mega fires have been tively fast growing, dense, flammable shrubs a common and increasingly costly occurrence and is the dominant vegetation type in south- in southern California. Since the 2003 fire- ern California. This fuel type accounts for storms, property damage from southern Cali- 95 % of the area burned in southern California fornia wildfires is estimated to be over 3 bil- from 1950 to 1991 (Davis and Michaelsen lion US$ with fire suppression costs at more 1995). Chaparral fires are typically intense, than 1 billion US$ (http://www.fire.ca.gov/). fast moving, and can occur at relatively short Within the scientific community there is an intervals (i.e., <20 years, but typically 30 years animated discussion regarding the size and fre- to 60 years; Barro and Conard 1991). Previ- quency of pre-historic chaparral fires and the ous work (Rothermel and Philpot 1973, Minn- role twentieth century land management prac- ich and Chou 1997, Minnich 2001) has advo- tices have played in shaping modern fire re- cated age-dependency as a primary fire control gimes characteristics (e.g., see Minnich 2001 in southern California chaparral systems. and Keeley 2001). Some believe that these Within these landscapes, the probability of fire contemporary mega-fires are at least partly a in relatively young patches of chaparral is low consequence of nearly 80 years of fire suppres- and increases over time. The spatial patterns sion, and resulting spatial changes in fuels of burns are constrained by previous fire histo- (Minnich 2001). Others believe that they are ry, which in turn creates a time-dependent, mainly a natural product of the interaction be- self-organized mosaic of fuel ages. However, tween drought, extreme winds, and vegetation external drivers, such as weather, ignition characteristics (Keeley and Zedler 2009). rates, and topography, can influence fire occur- However, the observational basis of these per- rence and thus can alter this deterministic rela- spectives are derived primarily from twentieth tionship independent of fuel production. century fire atlas records, late twentieth centu- Unique synoptic climate patterns, coupled with ry remote sensing data, and from a relatively extreme wind events, create one of the most limited number of nineteenth century accounts fire-prone landscapes in North America (Barro in newspapers and other historical documents and Conard 1991). Ample precipitation typi- (Minnich 2001, Keeley and Zedler 2009). cally falls from late December through March; Given the large impacts of recent mega fires in however, seasonal drought characterizes the southern California, and the profound policy remainder of the year. In autumn, after nearly Fire Ecology Vol. 5, No. 3, 2009 Lombardo et al.: Reconstructing Interior Chaparral Fire History doi: 10.4996/fireecology.0503035 Page 37 six months of little to no precipitation, multi- Yet, these efforts have failed to prevent the day Santa Ana wind events are a common oc- large mega fires of recent years (Keeley and currence, with the number of events peaking in Zedler 2009). December (Raphael 2003). These hot, dry föhn winds have the potential to turn small Background fires into landscape-scale conflagrations. In addition to natural factors that promote A broad consensus now exists among ecol- fire hazard, increased human-caused ignitions, ogists that stand-replacing fires, with 20-year which are highly correlated to population to 60-year fire return intervals, are generally growth, have complicated the situation (Keeley natural in southern California chaparral com- and Fotheringham 2001). Historically, igni- munities (Mensing et al. 1997, Moritz et al. tions are thought to have been the limiting fac- 2004). However, there is substantial uncer- tor in the southern California fire environment. tainty about the historic range of variability of The confluence of events—seasonal or annual fire frequency and size in this type, especially drought, high winds, sufficient fuels, and igni- over time scales of centuries. Moreover, the tions—required to create a widespread fire (i. relative role of human-induced changes and e., >5000 ha) was relatively uncommon. How- climatic variability is unclear (Keeley and ever, with a population of more than 23 mil- Fotheringham 2001, Minnich 2001, Keeley lion people, ignitions are no longer a limiting 2004). factor. Coupled with persistent or recurring Minnich (2001) has argued, using aerial droughts in recent years, multiple large fires images of modern fire perimeters, that fire sup- have become a common occurrence within the pression in southern California has resulted in region (Keeley and Fotheringham 2001). extensive even-aged patches of chaparral and Presently, a shared stance among some has eliminated natural, fine-grained chaparral managers and the public is that large chaparral mosaics like those he has documented in north- fires are a product of past land use practices ern Baja California, Mexico. Others (Mensing rather than a characteristic of the chaparral et al. 1999, Keeley and Fotheringham 2001, community. This idea draws from the para- Moritz et al. 2004, Westerling et al. 2004) have digm established largely in conifer forests of countered this argument with data indicating the western US (especially semi-arid pondero- that chaparral fire regimes in southern Califor- sa pine [Pinus ponderosa C. Lawson] forests), nia, with the