Abstract

The Ecological Role of Fire in Sierran Conifer Forests: Its Application to National Park Management. B.M. Kilgore. 1973. Quaternary Research 3:496-513.

The impact of fire on various Sierran conifer forests varies with intensity and frequency. Generally, fire (1) prepares a seedbed; (2) cycles nutrients within the system; (3) adjusts the successional pattern; (4) modifies conditions affecting wildlife; (5) influences the mosaic of age classes and vegetation types; (6) alters numbers of trees susceptible to disease and insects; and (7) both reduces and creates fire hazards. Natural fire frequency apparently coincides with levels of fuel accumulations that result in burns of relatively low intensity at frequent intervals. This may average 8 yr in mixed conifer forests, although frequencies from 4 to 20 yr or more are found at particular sites. Giant sequoia and various pine species of the Sierra survive today because of the role fire plays in the various forest types.