Authors
Timothy Assal, Collin Haffey, Ellis Margolis, Craig D Allen
Publication date
2019/12
Journal
AGU Fall Meeting Abstracts
Volume
2019
Pages
B33G-2568
Description
Several major wildfires have eliminated conifer forest in mid to upper elevations of the Jemez Mountains in northern New Mexico over the last several decades. Fire suppression over the previous century led to an increase in tree density and forest structure, where ladder fuels favored crown fire development resulting in high mortality. There is concern these fires may have triggered a change from forest to deciduous shrubland where the majority of seed source has been removed. Resprouting woody species are likely to become more prevalent on the landscape as this life-history trait may be an advantage in areas that experience frequent disturbance. The goal of our study is to quantify the amount and rate of vegetation change that has taken place on the landscape at key points in time with respect to major disturbance events. We developed continuous cover models of coniferous and woody deciduous vegetation …
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