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ARS Home » Plains Area » Las Cruces, New Mexico » Range Management Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #310186
Title: Utah juniper and two-needle piñon reduction alters fuel

Author
item YOUNG, KERT - New Mexico State University
item ROUNDY, BRUCE - Brigham Young University
item BUNTING, STEPHEN - University Of Idaho
item EGGETT, DENNIS - Brigham Young University

Submitted to: International Journal of Wildland Fire
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 9/16/2014
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary: Juniper-piñon encroachment reduced herbaceous and increased canopy and woody fuel loads. Burn treatments reduced fuel loads while cutting and masticating juniper-piñon converted canopy to surface fuels, which reduced the potential for crown fire and extreme fire intensity. Cool-season prescribed after mechanical treatments may need to be applied to reduce surface fuels and potential burn severity.

Technical Abstract: Juniper (Juniperus spp.)-piñon (Pinus spp.) trees have encroached millions of hectares of sagebrush (Artemisia spp.)-bunchgrass communities. Juniper-piñon trees are treated to reduce canopy fuel loads and crown fire potential. We measured the effects of juniper-piñon infilling and fuel-reduction treatments on fuel load characteristics at four locations in Utah. At each location, treatment areas were burned, left untreated, or trees were cut or masticated in a randomized complete-block design. We measured standing and downed fuels by size and type along 30-m transects on 15 subplots (30x33 m) per location before and 1-3-yr after treatment. Increased tree cover was associated with decreased shrub and herbaceous fuel loads (P<0.01). By 2-yr post-treatment, herbaceous fuel loads were greater than pretreatment in all treated areas (P<0.01). Cut and mastication treatments increased surface woody 10- and 100-hr fuel loads and wood/bark cover (P<0.01). Masticated-tree depth was a good estimator of fuel loads (R2=92). The conversion of canopy fuels to surface fuels reduced fuels that enable crown fire and extreme fire intensity. Cool-season prescribed fire may need to follow mechanical treatments to reduce surface fuel and the potential for wildfire damage to perennial understory vegetation.