The ecological role of fire in Sierran conifer forests: its application to national park management
Kilgore BM. 1973. The ecological role of fire in Sierran conifer forests: its application to national park management. Quaternary Research. 3:496-513
This document focuses on the role of fire in maintaining an ecologically balanced ecosystem in Sierra conifer forests. Fire impacts the forest environment in many ways including: seedbed preparation, nutrient cycling, wildlife habitat modification, changes in successional patterns, and disease susceptibility. Natural fire frequency averages 8 years and may range from 4 to 20 years in Sierran mixed-conifer forests. The national park service policies of Sequoia and Kings Canyon are aimed at restoring fire by prescribed burning at low and mid elevations and by allowing naturally ignited lightning strikes to burn in higher elevations.
- Type
- Journal Article
- Authors
- Kilgore, Bruce
- Units
- KLMN , SEKI
- Keywords
- Conifer Forest, Ecology, FIRE, Policies, Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks