Approximation of Fire-Return Intervals with Point Samples in the Southern Range of the Coast Redwood Forest, California, USA

摘要: A legacy of past fires is evident in the form blackened basal hollows found throughout southern range coast redwood (Sequoia sempervirens [D. Don] Endl.) forest. deeper look reveals cambial scars dating back centuries, telling a story low- to moderate-intensity that burned periodically across California’s Central Coast bioregion. While attempts have been made reconstruct fire history this forest type, estimates fire-return interval vary widely, and relationship varying cultural influences not fully understood. We analyzed 373 from 70 cross-sections removed stumps, downed logs, live trees coastal Santa Cruz Mountains California, USA, order estimate intervals (FRI) for individual trees, mean FRI samples, seasonality historical fires. The FRI, averaged point was 60.6 yr with median 40.1 yr. Fire were most prevalent dormant latewood portions annual growth rings. sub-sample 19 cross-sections, which we able determine approximate years, exhibited high degree variation between samples tree FRIs ranging 10.4 128 43.3 marginally higher pre-settlement period (1352 1849) compared 30.7 settlement (1850 1924) 32.3 recent (1925 2013). our results suggest longer than previously documented within clouded distinctions illustrates culturally constructed regime characterized by temporal spatial heterogeneity.