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Author(s):
Sharon M. Hood, Ilana L. Abrahamson, C. Alina Cansler
Year Published:

Cataloging Information

Topic(s):
Recovery after fire
Resilience
Restoration

NRFSN number: 18268
Record updated:

Wildfire is a common occurrence in the Northern Rockies and many tree species have adaptations to survive and regenerate after fire. The following information provides a general understanding of fire resistance and regeneration traits and strategies. This information is important for predicting how fire will impact trees in an area and how forest succession and future disturbance processes will influence the development of stands with and without management actions. This information, in combination with the Post-fire Assessment of Tree Status Report 17-17 v2.0, can be used to evaluate the relative likelihood that a tree species will survive or die within 3 years from fire-related injuries and expected post-fire regeneration response. Tables 1 and 2 provide summary information of 11 conifer species characteristics that influence their degree of resistance to fire and regeneration traits. Figure 1 estimates the probability of seedling establishment based on distance to seed source for four conifers in the Northern Rockies. More detailed information is listed by species.

Citation

Hood, Sharon; Abrahamson, Ilana; Cansler, C. Alina. 2018. Fire resistance and regeneration characteristics of Northern Rockies tree species. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Fire Sciences Laboratory, Missoula, MT. 13 p.