Response of Arizona cypress (Hesperocyparis arizonica) to the Horseshoe Two Megafire in a south-eastern Arizona Sky Island mountain range

Barton, Andrew M.; Poulos, Helen M.

doi:10.1071/wf18133

Cited by 7 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 35 publications

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“…Of those studies that specified size thresholds for megafires, the most commonly used threshold was ≥ 10,000 ha (41%, 18/44) (Figure 3). The second most commonly specified size thresholds were in the 10,001–50,000 ha range (Figure 3), specified in 32% (14/44) of definitions (e.g., Anthony et al., 2021; Barton & Poulos, 2019; Maezumi et al., 2018). The lowest thresholds identified were 100 ha (Fidelis et al., 2018) and 500 ha (Alló & Loureiro, 2020; Mancini et al., 2017).…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

What do you mean, ‘megafire’?

Linley

Jolly

Doherty

et al. 2022

Global Ecol Biogeogr

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Background: 'Megafire' is an emerging concept commonly used to describe fires that are extreme in terms of size, behaviour, and/or impacts, but the term's meaning remains ambiguous. Approach:We sought to resolve ambiguity surrounding the meaning of 'megafire' by conducting a structured review of the use and definition of the term in several languages in the peer-reviewed scientific literature. We collated definitions and descriptions of megafire and identified criteria frequently invoked to define megafire.We recorded the size and location of megafires and mapped them to reveal global variation in the size of fires described as megafires. Results:We identified 109 studies that define the term 'megafire' or identify a megafire, with the term first appearing in the peer-reviewed literature in 2005. Seventyone (~65%) of these studies attempted to describe or define the term. There was considerable variability in the criteria used to define megafire, although definitions of megafire based on fire size were most common. Megafire size thresholds varied geographically from > 100-100,000 ha, with fires > 10,000 ha the most common size threshold (41%, 18/44 studies). Definitions of megafire were most common from studies led by authors from North America (52%, 37/71). We recorded 137 instances from 84 studies where fires were reported as megafires, the vast majority (94%, 129/137) of which exceed 10,000 ha in size. Megafires occurred in a range of biomes, but were most frequently described in forested biomes (112/137, 82%), and usually described single ignition fires (59% 81/137). Conclusion:As Earth's climate and ecosystems change, it is important that scientists can communicate trends in the occurrence of larger and more extreme fires with clarity. To overcome ambiguity, we suggest a definition of megafire as fires > 10,000 ha arising from single or multiple related ignition events. We introduce two additional terms -gigafire (> 100,000 ha) and terafire (> 1,000,000 ha) -for fires of an even larger scale than megafires.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

What do you mean, ‘megafire’?

Linley

Jolly

Doherty

et al. 2022

Global Ecol Biogeogr

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“…12-17 Woody plants were often negatively affected by fire, whereas grasses and forb species often experienced post-fire increases in abundance. 13,18 However, rapid-reproducing woody species fared better following fire than poor recruiters, 15,16 and some perennial grasses that invested heavily in above ground compared with below ground production did not respond well to fire. 12 Negative responses to fire were further exacerbated by low soil nutrient 19 and water availability 20 conditions.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Wildfire Risk and Hazardous Fuel Reduction Treatments Along the US-Mexico Border: A Review of the Science (1986-2019)

Laushman

Munson

Villarreal

2020

Air, Soil and Water Research

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The ecosystems along the border between the United States and Mexico are at increasing risk to wildfire due to interactions among climate, land-use, and fuel loads. A wide range of fuel treatments have been implemented to mitigate wildfire and its threats to valued resources, yet we have little information about treatment effectiveness. To fill critical knowledge gaps, we reviewed wildfire risk and fuel treatment studies that were conducted near the US-Mexico border and published in the peer-reviewed literature between 1986 and 2019. The number of studies has grown during this time in warm desert to forest ecosystems on primarily federal lands. The most common study topics included fire effects on native species, the role of invasive species and woody encroachment on wildfire risk, historical fire regimes, and remote sensing and modeling to study wildfire risk across the landscape. A majority of fuel treatment studies focused on prescribed burns, and fuel treatments collectively had mixed effects on mitigating future wildfire risk and threats to ecosystems depending on vegetation and fire characteristics. The diversity of ecosystems and land ownership along the US-Mexico border present unique challenges for understanding and managing wildfire risk, and also create opportunities for collaboration and cross-site studies to promote knowledge across broad environmental gradients.

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“…Successful xerophytic plants in the post-fire environment could serve as nurse plants for promoting piñon pine regeneration success in the coming decades. For example, Barton [47] documented such a nurse-plant effect for Pinus discolor growing under oaks and other species in similar habitat in the eastern part of the Chiricahua Mountains, a pattern observed elsewhere in southwestern piñon pine-dominated forests [86][87][88]. Xerophytic resprouters and obligate seeders alike may serve this same role in fostering P. discolor regeneration in the future, although increasing aridity under climate change may modulate this potential successional trajectory in coming decades.…”

Section: Wildfire Effects On Piñon Pine Forestmentioning

confidence: 94%

Mixed-Severity Wildfire as a Driver of Vegetation Change in an Arizona Madrean Sky Island System, USA

Poulos

Freiburger

Barton

et al. 2021

Fire

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Fire is a powerful natural disturbance influencing vegetation patterns across landscapes. Recent transitions from mixed-species forests to post-fire shrublands after severe wildfire is an increasingly prevalent phenomenon in pine-oak and conifer forest ecosystems in southwestern North America. However, we know little about how variation in fire severity influences other common forest types in the region. In this study, we evaluated fire-induced changes in woody plant community composition and forest structure in Chiricahua Mountains in southeastern Arizona in the United States that hosts a diverse set of vegetation types. Cluster analysis of the pre-fire vegetation data identified three dominant pre-fire vegetation types including juniper woodland, piñon forest, and pine-oak forest. All vegetation types experienced significant tree mortality across a wide range of size classes and species, from forests to shrublands. The magnitude of change within sample plots varied with fire severity, which was mediated by topography. Significant shifts in dominance away from coniferous obligate seeder trees to resprouting hardwoods and other shrubs occurred across all vegetation types in response to the fire. Regeneration from seed can be episodic, but projected increases in aridity and fire frequency may promote continued dominance by hardwoods and fire- and drought-resistant shrub communities, which is a regional forest management concern as wildfire size and severity continue to increase throughout the southwestern USA.

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Response of Arizona cypress (Hesperocyparis arizonica) to the Horseshoe Two Megafire in a south-eastern Arizona Sky Island mountain range

Cited by 7 publications

References 35 publications

What do you mean, ‘megafire’?

What do you mean, ‘megafire’?

Wildfire Risk and Hazardous Fuel Reduction Treatments Along the US-Mexico Border: A Review of the Science (1986-2019)

Mixed-Severity Wildfire as a Driver of Vegetation Change in an Arizona Madrean Sky Island System, USA

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