fire history and age structure analyses of kipuka forests in el malpais national monument, new...
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![Page 1: Fire History and Age Structure Analyses of Kipuka Forests in El Malpais National Monument, New Mexico D aniel B. Lewis Henri D. Grissino-Mayer Laboratory](https://reader036.vdocuments.net/reader036/viewer/2022070400/56649f155503460f94c2a738/html5/thumbnails/1.jpg)
Fire History and Age Structure Analyses of Kipuka Forests in El Malpais National Monument, New Mexico
Daniel B. LewisHenri D. Grissino-Mayer
Laboratory of Tree-Ring ScienceDepartment of GeographyUniversity of TennesseeKnoxville, Tennessee 37996
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About El Malpais • “el malpais” is Spanish for “badlands” or “bad country”
• Established December 31, 1987 to protect a unique lava flow environment
• Located in NW New Mexico
• A patchwork of lava flows ranging from ca. 110,000-ca. 3200yrs
• > 30 cinder cones found in and around the area
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Research Questions• How interrelated are the fire regimes of the
kipukas and the Hoya Flow?
• Does the age structure of the kipukas indicate that forest composition has been altered due changes in their fire regimes?
• What can the agencies managing the monument do to preserve these relict areas and reduce the impacts of human disturbances?
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Fire History
Methods
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Age Structure Methods
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Fire History Results• Fire frequency increased in the mid-late 1700s,
followed by a long, fire-free interval from 1782-1806.
• Most fire-free intervals were between 2-10yrs, and more widespread fire-free intervals were between 3-16yrs (all sites combined).
• Maximum hazard intervals were 20yrs (all scarred) and 93yrs (10% scarred) (all sites).
• The seasonality of fire events changed ca. 1800 from predominantly late season occurrences to predominantly early season occurrences.
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Age Structure Results• 64 trees were found on the lower slopes of Hidden
Kipuka, 53 occurred as seedlings <20yrs, and only one was >180yrs old.
• Seedling density was higher on the western side of Hidden Kipuka due to the more dense ponderosa pine forests on the Hoya Flow.
• Lower slopes of Mesita Blanca dominated by trees <40yrs old.
• Majority of trees in excess of 100yrs were located on the upper slopes.
• Tree density on Mesita Blanca was not noticeably different from the eastern side to the western side.
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Mesita Blanca- Slope #2
6
15
31
8
35
2
0
5
10
15
20
20 40 60 80 100 120 140 160 180 200 >200
Age
Num
ber
of S
ampl
es
Mesita Blanca- Slope #6
14
8
3 2 1 2 3 2
0
5
10
15
20 40 60 80 100 120 140 160 180 200 >200
Age
Num
ber
of S
ampl
es
Hidden Kipuka- Slope #2
43
10
10
2030
40
50
20 40 60 80 100 120 140 160 180 200 >200
Age
Num
ber
of S
ampl
es
Hidden Kipuka- Slope #6
10
13
6
02468
1012
20 40 60 80 100 120 140 160 180 200 >200
Age
Num
ber
of S
ampl
es
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Conclusions• From 1600-1799, 31% of all fires recorded on
the Hoya Flow were synchronous with the kipukas. From 1800-2000, 47% of all fires were synchronous.
• When analyzing widespread fire events (10% scarred), only 15% of the fires were synchronous from 1600-1799. From 1800-2000, 61% of the fires in this class were synchronous.
• Fires became scarce on the Hoya Flow after 1933. Subsequently, fire frequency declined on the kipukas after 1933.
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Conclusions• Inordinate numbers of ponderosa pine
seedlings were found on the lower slopes of Hidden Kipuka.
• Large numbers of trees <40yrs were found growing on the lower slopes of Mesita Blanca.
• The lack of mature ponderosa pines on these lower kipuka slopes indicates these areas were not formerly in the natural range of ponderosa pine in the malpais area.
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Recommendations• Allowing fires to burn as they once did prior to
Euro-American settlement is problematic due to the proximity of human development.
• Before these can be implemented, many areas of the monument will have to be thinned.
• The trees growing on the lower slopes of the kipukas should be considered for removal (preferably by methods with low environmental impact).
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Acknowledgements• Joint Fire Science Program
• El Malpais National Monument
• Laboratory of Tree-Ring Science
• Committee members: Dr. Henri D. Grissino-Mayer, Dr. Sally P. Horn, Dr. Ken H. Orvis
• Department of Geography
• Beth Atchley, Michael Armbrister, David Mann, Jake Cseke, Kevin Anchukaitis, Damian Kolbay