Evaluating the drivers of post-wildfire successional dynamics across large-scale environmental gradients

G. M. Casady, S. E. Marsh

Research output: Contribution to conferencePaperpeer-review

Abstract

Ecologists have long sought a better understanding of post-disturbance vegetation community dynamics. An important aspect of this pursuit is the determination of how large-scale environmental factors, such as climate, impact the rates and trajectories of post-disturbance vegetation dynamics. This research approaches one aspect of this discussion by investigating differences in post-wildfire vegetation dynamics across the Western United States. Locations of wildfires were used to investigate the primary productivity of each site for the period from 2001 to 2006. Satellite derived measure of net primary productivity (NPP) from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) were used to measure post-fire vegetation dynamics. Rates of change in primary productivity as a function of time since burn for each site were compared to a variety of large scale environmental drivers, including annual precipitation and average temperature maxima and minima. The relationships observed between rates of vegetation change since a wildfire event and broad-scale climatic drivers indicate that maximum temperature, total precipitation, and percent winter precipitation are important to consider when evaluating the potential for post-wildfire ecosystem recovery. Understanding these relationships should add valuable information to the prediction of post-disturbance ecosystem dynamics in the face of future changes in broad scale climate regimes.

Original languageEnglish (US)
StatePublished - 2007
Event32nd International Symposium on Remote Sensing of Environment: Sustainable Development Through Global Earth Observations - San Jose, Costa Rica
Duration: Jun 25 2007Jun 29 2007

Other

Other32nd International Symposium on Remote Sensing of Environment: Sustainable Development Through Global Earth Observations
Country/TerritoryCosta Rica
CitySan Jose
Period6/25/076/29/07

Keywords

  • Climate
  • MODIS
  • Net primary productivity
  • Time series
  • Wildfire

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Computer Networks and Communications
  • Environmental Engineering

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