Altered disturbance regimes: demise of fire in the eastern United States

摘要: We generated a series of maps to help alert and educate people the pervasiveness fire regime changes across eastern United States. Using geographic information systems (GIS), regimes were assigned spatial vegetation databases depict past current conditions. Comparisons revealed substantial reductions in throughout East. The most dramatic shifts took place former Midwestern grasslands broad swath southern central States where pine oak communities historically dominated. Land-use (e.g., agricultural forest-type conversions) recent suppression largely explain these shifts. Fire change was least northern hardwood systems, mixed mesophytic region, within Mississippi Embayment. Negative ecological consequences prolonged are mounting while restoration opportunities waning.