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Fire History and Age Structure Analyses of Kipuka Forests in El Malpais National Monument, New Mexico
Daniel B. LewisHenri D. Grissino-Mayer
Laboratory of Tree-Ring ScienceDepartment of GeographyUniversity of TennesseeKnoxville, Tennessee 37996
About El Malpais • “el malpais” is Spanish for “badlands” or “bad country”
• Established December 31, 1987 to protect a unique lava flow environment
• Located in NW New Mexico
• A patchwork of lava flows ranging from ca. 110,000-ca. 3200yrs
• > 30 cinder cones found in and around the area
Research Questions• How interrelated are the fire regimes of the
kipukas and the Hoya Flow?
• Does the age structure of the kipukas indicate that forest composition has been altered due changes in their fire regimes?
• What can the agencies managing the monument do to preserve these relict areas and reduce the impacts of human disturbances?
Fire History
Methods
Age Structure Methods
Fire History Results• Fire frequency increased in the mid-late 1700s,
followed by a long, fire-free interval from 1782-1806.
• Most fire-free intervals were between 2-10yrs, and more widespread fire-free intervals were between 3-16yrs (all sites combined).
• Maximum hazard intervals were 20yrs (all scarred) and 93yrs (10% scarred) (all sites).
• The seasonality of fire events changed ca. 1800 from predominantly late season occurrences to predominantly early season occurrences.
Age Structure Results• 64 trees were found on the lower slopes of Hidden
Kipuka, 53 occurred as seedlings <20yrs, and only one was >180yrs old.
• Seedling density was higher on the western side of Hidden Kipuka due to the more dense ponderosa pine forests on the Hoya Flow.
• Lower slopes of Mesita Blanca dominated by trees <40yrs old.
• Majority of trees in excess of 100yrs were located on the upper slopes.
• Tree density on Mesita Blanca was not noticeably different from the eastern side to the western side.
Mesita Blanca- Slope #2
6
15
31
8
35
2
0
5
10
15
20
20 40 60 80 100 120 140 160 180 200 >200
Age
Num
ber
of S
ampl
es
Mesita Blanca- Slope #6
14
8
3 2 1 2 3 2
0
5
10
15
20 40 60 80 100 120 140 160 180 200 >200
Age
Num
ber
of S
ampl
es
Hidden Kipuka- Slope #2
43
10
10
2030
40
50
20 40 60 80 100 120 140 160 180 200 >200
Age
Num
ber
of S
ampl
es
Hidden Kipuka- Slope #6
10
13
6
02468
1012
20 40 60 80 100 120 140 160 180 200 >200
Age
Num
ber
of S
ampl
es
Conclusions• From 1600-1799, 31% of all fires recorded on
the Hoya Flow were synchronous with the kipukas. From 1800-2000, 47% of all fires were synchronous.
• When analyzing widespread fire events (10% scarred), only 15% of the fires were synchronous from 1600-1799. From 1800-2000, 61% of the fires in this class were synchronous.
• Fires became scarce on the Hoya Flow after 1933. Subsequently, fire frequency declined on the kipukas after 1933.
Conclusions• Inordinate numbers of ponderosa pine
seedlings were found on the lower slopes of Hidden Kipuka.
• Large numbers of trees <40yrs were found growing on the lower slopes of Mesita Blanca.
• The lack of mature ponderosa pines on these lower kipuka slopes indicates these areas were not formerly in the natural range of ponderosa pine in the malpais area.
Recommendations• Allowing fires to burn as they once did prior to
Euro-American settlement is problematic due to the proximity of human development.
• Before these can be implemented, many areas of the monument will have to be thinned.
• The trees growing on the lower slopes of the kipukas should be considered for removal (preferably by methods with low environmental impact).
Acknowledgements• Joint Fire Science Program
• El Malpais National Monument
• Laboratory of Tree-Ring Science
• Committee members: Dr. Henri D. Grissino-Mayer, Dr. Sally P. Horn, Dr. Ken H. Orvis
• Department of Geography
• Beth Atchley, Michael Armbrister, David Mann, Jake Cseke, Kevin Anchukaitis, Damian Kolbay
