Can wildland fire management alter 21st-century subalpine fire and forests in Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming, USA?

ABSTRACT: In subalpine forests of the western United States that historically experienced infrequent, high-severity fire, whether fire management can shape 21st-century fire regimes and forest dynamics to meet natural resource objectives is not known. Managed wildfire use (i.e., allowing lightning-ignited fires to burn when risk is low instead of suppressing them) is one approach for maintaining natural fire regimes and fostering mosaics of forest structure, stand age, and tree-species composition, while protecting people and property. However, little guidance exists for where and when this strategy may be effective with climate change. We simulated most of the contiguous forest in Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming, USA to ask: (1) how would subalpine fires and forest structure be different if fire

SUBMITTER: Hansen WD 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7612770 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature