Fire history and western juniper encroachment in sagebrush steppe
Miller RF and Rose JA. 1999. Fire history and western juniper encroachment in sagebrush steppe. Journal of Range Management. 52(6):550-559
This study was undertaken to test the hypothesis that the postsettlement expansion of juniper (Juniperus occidentalis) was synchronous with the introduction of domestic livestock, reduction in fire frequency, and optimal climate conditions for plant growth. We document the fire history and western juniper woodland chronology for a sagebrush steppe in a 5,000 ha watershed in south central Oregon. Regional tree ring data were used as proxy data for presettlement climatic conditions. Western juniper age distribution was determined by coring trees across the study area. Fire history was constructed from several small clusters of presettlement ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa) scattered across the study area. Samples were crossdated to determine fire occurrence to the calendar year. Mean fire intervals were computed for each cluster based on cumulative fire history of each tree sampled within the cluster. Fire events in low sagebrush (Artemisia arbuscula) were documented by determining death rates of fire-killed western juniper trees. Records dating the introduction and buildup of livestock during the late 1800s and dates of initial fire suppression were summarized.
- Type
- Journal Article
- Authors
- Miller, Richard; Rose, Jeffrey
- Units
- LABE
- Keywords
- Absence (Biodiversity), Artemisia spp. (sagebrush), Climate, Community Structure, Disturbance, Fire Regime, Grazing, Juniperus occidentalis (western juniper), Plants, Presence (Biodiversity), Succession, Taxa Links To References, Woodland