Mixed-severity fire regimes: lessons and hypotheses from the Klamath-Siskiyou Ecoregion

Mixed-severity fire regimes: lessons and hypotheses from the Klamath-Siskiyou Ecoregion

Although mixed-severity fires are among the most widespread disturbances influencing western North American forests, they remain the least understood. A major question is the degree to which mixed-severity fire regimes are simply an ecological intermediate between lowand high-severity fire regimes, versus a unique disturbance regime with distinct properties. The Klamath-Siskiyou Mountains of so...

Mixed-fire Regime of the Klamath-Siskiyou: New Postfire Potentials

Conifer regeneration in stand-replacement portions of a large mixed-severity wildfire in the Klamath–Siskiyou Mountains

Large-scale wildfires (*104–106 ha) have the potential to eliminate seed sources over broad areas and thus may lead to qualitatively different regeneration dynamics than in small burns; however, regeneration after such events has received little study in temperate forests. Following a 200 000 ha mixed-severity wildfire in Oregon, USA, we quantified (1) conifer and broadleaf regeneration in stan...

The ecology of mixed severity fire regimes in Washington, Oregon, and Northern California

Forests characterized by mixed-severity fires occupy a broad moisture gradient between lower elevation forests typified by low-severity fires and higher elevation forests in which high-severity, stand replacing fires are the norm. Mixed-severity forest types are poorly documented and little understood but likely occupy significant areas in the western United States. By definition, mixed-severit...

Examining Historical and Current Mixed-Severity Fire Regimes in Ponderosa Pine and Mixed-Conifer Forests of Western North America

There is widespread concern that fire exclusion has led to an unprecedented threat of uncharacteristically severe fires in ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa Dougl. ex. Laws) and mixed-conifer forests of western North America. These extensive montane forests are considered to be adapted to a low/moderate-severity fire regime that maintained stands of relatively old trees. However, there is increas...