Klamath Fire Ecology Program: 2012 Annual Report

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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). The 2012 season was a year of change for the Klamath Network Fire Ecology program, as it included the hiring of new fire ecologist, Eamon Engber, after a season of vacancy in fire ecology and fire effects. Eamon spent considerable time becoming familiar with KLMN parks and the vegetation types, plot networks, and past fire ecology work completed by former fire ecologists, leads, and seasonals. Jen Beck (former fire ecologist) and Becky Smith (former lead fire effects monitor) left a legacy in the network, punctuated by attention to detail, organization, a staggering amount of collected data, and a commitment to fire effects monitoring. The 2012 season was the first in which there was a fire ecologist but no fire effects crew at REDW, necessitating creative measures to accomplish high priority monitoring needs in the network. The SFBAN fire effects crew, with Kristin Shive (acting fire ecologist) leading seasonals Monica Delmartini and Jenny Cribbs, helped complete post-fire sampling needs at REDW June 18 – 25 (6 FMH forest plots, 4 grass plots, multiple rainy days), and battled poison oak and rattlesnakes sampling post-fire and post-thinning plots at WHIS May 29 – June 1 (4 FMH forest plots and 11 photo points). Sampling efforts at REDW were further supplemented by the venerable plant ecologist, S. Samuels, along with seasonals from Veg. and Fire. The Southern Cascades fire effects crew, consisting of seasoned veterans Todd Erdody and Christy Frenzen, assisted the fire ecologist with fieldwork at WHIS and also sampled three post-fire forest plots at ORCA July 26 – 28. Data entry couldn’t have been completed without assistance from Wende Rehlaender from SFBAN, who managed to enter most of the 2012 data as well as those lingering from 2011.

Klamath Fire Ecology Program: 2012 Annual Report

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