Forests and fire history of the Geyser Valley area, Olympic National Park, Washington State
Wendel R. 2009. Forests and fire history of the Geyser Valley area, Olympic National Park, Washington State. University of Washington
From the Abstract: "Fire scars and tree ages were used to reconstruct a 440-year fire history in the Geyser Valley area of the Elwha River watershed, Olympic National Park, Washington. Nine fire events were reconstructed in the 1873 ha study area for the period 1568 to 2007. Reconstructed fires occurred in 1568, 1661, 1729, 1868, 1890, 1898, 1927, and 1977. A 140-year natural fire rotation and a 127-year mean fire return interval were calculated for the study area. Fires were more frequent on south aspects, at low elevations, and in Pseudotsuga menziesii forests. Natural fire rotation varied by cultural and climatic time periods; warmer time periods with large human populations had more frequent large fires. Pseudotsuga menziesii and Tsuga heterophylla forests initiating after fire events were used to create a chronosequence of forest developement following fire."
- Type
- Academic
- Authors
- Wendel, Reed
- Date of Issue
- 2009
- Publisher
- University of Washington
- Units
- OLYM
- Keywords
- Elwha River Watershed, Fire History, Lowland Forest, Succession, Thesis