NOAA/WDS Paleoclimatology - Tepley fire data from Williams Creek, southwestern Colorado, IMPD USWCR001
This archived Paleoclimatology Study is available from the NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI), under the World Data Service (WDS) for Paleoclimatology. The associated NCEI study type is Fire. The data include parameters of fire history|tree ring with a geographic location of Colorado, United States Of America. The time period coverage is from 491 to -63 in calendar years before present (BP). See metadata information for parameter and study location details. Please cite this study when using the data.
Dataset Citation
- Cite as: Tepley, A.J.; Veblen, T.T. (2015-06-17): NOAA/WDS Paleoclimatology - Tepley fire data from Williams Creek, southwestern Colorado, IMPD USWCR001. [indicate subset used]. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information. https://doi.org/10.25921/n29x-qx83. Accessed [date].
- Please refer to Credit tab for full citation information.
Dataset Identifiers
- doi:10.25921/n29x-qx83
- noaa-fire-18896
- NCEI DSI 1200_02
- NCEI DSI 1200_01
ISO 19115-2 Metadata
noaa-fire-18896
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NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information ncei.info@noaa.gov |
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NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information ncei.info@noaa.gov |
Dataset Point of Contact | Data Center Contact NOAA World Data Service for Paleoclimatology 828-271-4800 paleo@noaa.gov |
Coverage Description | Date Range: 1459 CE to 2013 CE; Date Range: 491 cal yr BP to -63 cal yr BP; |
Time Period | 1459 to 2013 |
Spatial Bounding Box Coordinates |
West: -107.235773
East: -107.235773
South: 37.526443
North: 37.526443
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Spatial Coverage Map |
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Data Presentation Form | Digital table - digital representation of facts or figures systematically displayed, especially in columns |
Dataset Progress Status | Complete - production of the data has been completed |
Data Update Frequency | Data update frequency not available |
Supplemental Information | STUDY NOTES: The fire-scar dataset was collected as part of a study using fire scars and forest stand- and age-structure data to reconstruct the fire history and fire-driven forest dynamics across the gradient from dry to moist mixed-conifer and aspen forests in the San Juan Mountains of southwestern Colorado. The Williams Creek study area is 1,330 ha located west of the Williams Creek Reservoir, approximately 33 km northwest of Pagosa Springs (within the Pagosa Ranger District of the San Juan National Forest). Sampling of forest stand- and age-structure data was conducted in 33 contiguous stands across the study area. Fire scars were collected by searching while hiking to and from each transect, searching the area around each transect, and by making additional trips at the end of the field season to help fill spatial gaps in the dataset. Scars were sampled preferentially from dead trees, but live trees were also sampled to better represent recent fires and to provide a fire record in stands where ponderosa pine was absent and scars were poorly preserved on dead stems of the more rapidly decaying species. Ponderosa pine accounts for 66% the samples. The remaining samples are from white fir (28%) Douglas-fir (5%) and aspen (1%) The fire-scar data were analyzed along with the age-structure data to reconstruct the extent and severity of each major fire event since the late 17th century. Lowest elevation: 2522 meters, Highest elevation: 3054 meters. Individual sample information is located at: http://www.ncei.noaa.gov/pub/data/paleo/firehistory/firescar/northamerica/supplemental/uswcr001-individual-sample-information.csv . Alan J. Tepley (Alan.Tepley@Colorado.edu or tepleya@gmail.com). ABSTRACT SUPPLIED BY ORIGINATOR: Mixed-severity fire regimes may be the most extensive yet poorly understood fire regimes of western North America. Understanding their long-term spatiotemporal dynamics is central to debates regarding altered fire regimes and the need for restoration in the context of changing climate and nearly a century of active fire suppression. However, the complexity of fire patterns and forest stand and landscape structures characteristic of mixed-severity regimes poses a substantial challenge to understanding their long-term dynamics. In this study, we develop analysis methods aimed at understanding the fire-driven forest dynamics of mixed-severity systems and apply them in the San Juan Mountains of southwestern Colorado. We sampled fire scars, stand structure, and >4,300 tree ages across two 1,340-ha landscapes (Williams Creek and Squaretop Mountain) that span the environmental gradient of montane mixed-conifer and aspen forests. New approaches were applied to identify pulses of tree recruitment, evaluate climate and fire as potential drivers of synchronous recruitment pulses, and combine fire scar and recruitment data to reconstruct fires. The reconstructions provided detailed fire history for each stand, which in turn was used to develop a fire-severity metric, compare fire frequency and severity by forest type, and develop a simulation procedure to evaluate the degree to which tree regeneration depended on fire by species within each forest type. Twenty fires were reconstructed since 1685 at Williams Creek and 13 fires since 1748 at Squaretop Mountain. Patterns of fire severity varied within each fire and over successive events, including high-severity patches of 100s of ha in both study areas. Dry mixed-conifer forests experienced relatively short fire intervals (mean 21 years) and low fire severity, and regeneration of the main conifer species was largely dependent on open conditions sustained over successive fires. Moist mixed-conifer forests experienced longer fire intervals (mean 32 years) and a 3 broader range of severities, and fire-caused canopy openings were important for initiating pulses of tree recruitment. Most (83%) aspen stands included two or more post-fire cohorts. The methods presented here can be adapted to other mixed-severity systems to better understand their long-term spatial and temporal dynamics and develop restoration priorities. |
Purpose | Records of past fire occurrence from tree rings, charcoal found in lake sediments, and other proxies. Parameter keywords describe what was measured in this dataset. Additional summary information can be found in the abstracts of papers listed in the dataset citations. Additional information on the International Multiproxy Database (IMPD) dataset procedures are also available. |
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Last Modified: 2023-10-11
For questions about the information on this page, please email: ncei.info@noaa.gov
For questions about the information on this page, please email: ncei.info@noaa.gov