Restoring ecosystem health in ponderosa pine forests of the Southwest

The restoration of a ponderosa forest in the southwest was undertaken to provide an example of a healthy forest for future comparison. Restoration aimed to address decreases in soil moisture and nutrients, lowered plant growth and diversity, high mortalities in the older trees, and extreme fire size...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of forestry 1997-04, Vol.95 (4), p.23-29
Main Authors: Covington, W.W. (Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff.), Fule, P.Z, Moore, M.M, Hart, S.C, Kolb, T.E, Mast, J.N, Sackett, S.S, Wagner, M.R
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
ACLAREO
AMENAGEMENT FORESTIER
ARIZONA
BRULAGE
BURNING
ECLAIRCISSAGE
ECOSISTEMA
ECOSYSTEME
ECOSYSTEMS
fire regime
FOREST FIRES
FOREST HEALTH
FOREST MANAGEMENT
GESTION DES RESSOURCES
INCENDIE DE FORET
INCENDIOS FORESTALES
ORDENACION DE RECURSOS
ORDENACION FORESTAL
PINUS PONDEROSA
QUEMA
REHABILITATION
RESOURCE MANAGEMENT
THINNING
Citations: Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:The restoration of a ponderosa forest in the southwest was undertaken to provide an example of a healthy forest for future comparison. Restoration aimed to address decreases in soil moisture and nutrients, lowered plant growth and diversity, high mortalities in the older trees, and extreme fire size and severity. Treatments were varied across 15 plots, divided into total restoration, partial restoration, and control plots. Treatments included combinations of thinning, fuel removal, and prescribed burning. Ecological indicators were monitored for ecosystem structure and production, soil processes, tree physiology, tree resistance to insects, insect populations, and the microenvironment. Thinning and prescribed burning in combination changed the forest structure and reduced its vulnerability to fire.
ISSN:0022-1201
1938-3746
DOI:10.1093/jof/95.4.23