United States Department of Warm Fire Assessment Agriculture Forest Service Post-Fire Conditions and Management Southwestern Considerations Region April 2007 North Kaibab Ranger District, Kaibab National Forest Coconino County, Arizona For Information Contact: Ariel Leonard 928-635-5614 [email protected] The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination in all its programs and activities on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, disability, and where applicable, sex, marital status, familial status, parental status, religion, sexual orientation, genetic information, political beliefs, reprisal, or because all or part of an individuals income is derived from any public assistance program. (Not all prohibited bases apply to all programs.) Persons with disabilities who require alternative means for communication of program information (Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.) should contact USDA's TARGET Center at (202) 72000 (voice and TDD). To file a complaint of discrimination, write to USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue, S.W., Washington, DC 20250-9410, or call (800) 795-3272 (voice) or (202) 720-6382 (TDD). USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer. ii Warm Fire Assessment Contents List of Figures and Tables ............................................................................................................ v Chapter 1 – Introduction .............................................................................................................. 1 Chapter 2 – Resource Assessments .............................................................................................. 1 Soil and Watershed........................................................................................................................ 3 Soil Conditions ......................................................................................................................... 3 Watershed Conditions ............................................................................................................... 7 Soil and Watershed Conclusions .............................................................................................. 9 Forested Vegetation ....................................................................................................................... 9 Fire Effects to Vegetation.........................................................................................................11 Methods .................................................................................................................................. 11 Fire Ecology and Vegetation ....................................................................................................... 17 Fire Regimes........................................................................................................................... 18 Fire Regime by Vegetation Type............................................................................................. 19 Vegetation Response to Fire ................................................................................................... 21 Fuel Models ............................................................................................................................ 23 Changes in the Presettlement Fuel Profile .............................................................................. 23 Post-Disturbance Fire Behavior.............................................................................................. 25 Fire and Fuels Conclusions..................................................................................................... 33 Predicting Post-Fire Tree Mortality........................................................................................... 34 Prefire Mortality Agents ......................................................................................................... 34 Post-fire Tree Mortality Factors.............................................................................................. 35 Bark Beetle Risk vs. Susceptibility......................................................................................... 36 Tree Deterioration................................................................................................................... 37 Management Considerations................................................................................................... 37 Wildlife Resources ....................................................................................................................... 38 Historic and Pre-fire Conditions ............................................................................................. 38 Effects of the Warm Fire on Specific Species and Their Habitats .......................................... 39 Management Activities ...........................................................................................................44 Threatened, Endangered, and Sensitive Plants ........................................................................ 45 Paradine Plains Cactus............................................................................................................ 45 Management Considerations................................................................................................... 49 Noxious Weeds ............................................................................................................................. 50 Current Condition ................................................................................................................... 50 Management Considerations................................................................................................... 50 Heritage Resources...................................................................................................................... 50 Background............................................................................................................................. 51 Current Condition ................................................................................................................... 51 Fire Effects to Heritage Resources.......................................................................................... 52 Desired Condition ................................................................................................................... 54 Possible Management .............................................................................................................54 Mitigations and Measures....................................................................................................... 54 iii Warm Fire Assessment Recreation and Scenery .............................................................................................................. 55 Recreation ............................................................................................................................... 55 Scenery Management..............................................................................................................57 Desired Condition ................................................................................................................... 63 Current Condition ................................................................................................................... 63 Management Recommendations............................................................................................. 64 Range ............................................................................................................................................ 64 Current Condition ................................................................................................................... 64 Management Recommendations............................................................................................. 66 Chapter 3 - Management Considerations ................................................................................. 67 Purpose and Need........................................................................................................................ 67 Possible Management Actions .................................................................................................... 67 Hazard Tree Removal .............................................................................................................67 Road and Trail Maintenance ................................................................................................... 68 Reforestation........................................................................................................................... 68 Salvage of Dead Timber..........................................................................................................69 Cliff Rose Management for Mule Deer .................................................................................. 69 Heritage Site Protection .......................................................................................................... 70 Weed Management.................................................................................................................. 70 Fuelwood Collection............................................................................................................... 70 Research/Adaptive Management ............................................................................................ 70 Interdisciplinary Team...............................................................................................................