2007 Fire Ecology Annual Report: Calendar Year 2007; Bandelier National Monument, El Malpais National Monument, Pecos National Historical Park, Salinas Pueblo Missions National Monument

Trader, Laura

A summary of fire ecology activities and program information for the Park/network including fire effects plot workload, staffing, management objectives and monitoring results, and planning, fire monitoring, communications, and research. Also included are staff accomplishments/areas of focus, future program direction and other optional information (e.g. data analysis graphics or presentations, annual highlights, publications, program challenges, unique solutions to problems, collaboration, photographs of monitoring/fire activities, and suggestions on FFI). BAND The field season at Bandelier began in April when Jenny Byington (Crew Leader) read 3 postburn plots in Project Area 40. These plots were visited again by Jenny, Beth Gastineau (Acting Crew Leader), Kevin Vogler (Seasonal), Tim Violante (SCA Volunteer), and Anne Sharp (SCA volunteer) in June to complete 1 year postburn reads. In July, the crew visited 9 plots in Project Areas 48, 49, and 55 to complete 10 year postburn reads. The data collected on these plots also doubled as the “tree mortality” reads. At the end of July, throughout August and into September, the crew worked on plots in Project Area 9 to prepare for the scheduled November prescribed burn. Four plots (that were actually installed last season) were read for the first time and 3 plots were read again to ensure current pre data (the data was more than two years old). Joel Mathews (SCA Volunteer) joined the crew in late August to help with some of these plot reads. In late August, Beth and Anne also took photopoints in five places in Project Area 41 to prepare for a prescribed fire scheduled for the spring of 2008. In November, Beth and Kevin helped with the Project Area 9 prescribed burn by serving on an engine crew. Beth also monitored weather and smoke on several days. Joel helped organize the traffic through the area. ELMA The field season at El Malpais began in early May, when Jenny Byington (Field Crew Leader) visited the East Bat Cave and North Rendija project areas. Jenny trained Kristi Bullock (the former Prescribed Fire Specialist at ELMA) on the protocols for installing plots and collecting data. Together, they installed 9 plots. On the 15th of June, Jenny and Beth spent a day reading the postburn and 1 year reads for 4 plots in the Lava Falls burn unit. In mid-August, Beth and Tim visited El Malpais again to read 5 plots in the Cerritos Gap project area in preparation for burning in 2008. The crew then came back at the end of August, with Beth, Kevin, Anne, and Joel, to read 5 plots in the Agua Fria project area in preparation for a 2008 prescribed burn. In September, the crew (Beth, Kevin, and Joel) visited the east side of El Malpais to install 6 new monitoring plots in the North Pasture Ridge and Homestead project areas. PECO The field season at PECO began in April when Jenny Byington (Crew Leader) visited 20 plots in Project Areas 18 and 19 for postburn reads. In July, the crew, led by Beth, finished 1 year postburn reads on the plots established in Project Areas 18 & 19 (20 plots). The crew came back again in July for a week and installed 12 new monitoring plots in Project Areas 6 and 12. The crew last visited Pecos on October 3rd to re-examine plants one last time before the winter.SAPU This season monitoring at SAPU began in April, when Jenny Byington visited Project Areas A4 and A5 to complete postburn reads on 10 plots. In mid-June, the crew, led by Jenny, read 10 1 year postburn plots in Project Areas A4 and A5. The crew also collected data on 15 more monitoring plots at this time, 10 in Project Areas A2 and A3 and 5 in Project Area Q5.

2007 Fire Ecology Annual Report: Calendar Year 2007; Bandelier National Monument, El Malpais National Monument, Pecos National Historical Park, Salinas Pueblo Missions National Monument

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