Biological Evaluation of Tree Survivorship within the Lowman Fire Boundary, 1989-1993

Document Type

Full Issue

Publication Date

1994

Abstract

In 1989, the Lowman fire burned 47,600 acres in the South Fork Payette River drainage near the town of Lowman, Idaho. Impact plots were installed to monitor tree survivorship and causes of mortality. Eighty two percent of the ponderosa pine and 52 percent of the Douglas-fir monitored in this study survived the fire. Trees which died from fire had an average crown scorch of 74 percent and trees which died from beetles had an average crown scorch of 48 percent. The data set compiled during this study was used to validate a probability of mortality equation developed by Reinhardt and Ryan (1988). This equation accurately classified trees as dead or alive 83 percent of the time. Marking guidelines for both Douglas-fir and ponderosa pine based upon DBH and percentage of the crown volume scorched could be developed using this equation.

Comments

This item was written and prepared by U.S. Government employees on official time, and is therefore in the public domain. Report can be accessed through the US Government Printing Office.

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