Title:

Rugged terrain, wildfire spatial patterns, and postfire tree regeneration on the Bridger-Teton National Forest (Wyoming, USA) from 1984 - 2024 ver 1

Author(s):

Keller, Timon T.; Turner, Monica G.

Publication Year:

2026

How to Cite:

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Keller, Timon T.; Turner, Monica G. 2026. Rugged terrain, wildfire spatial patterns, and postfire tree regeneration on the Bridger-Teton National Forest (Wyoming, USA) from 1984 - 2024 ver 1. Environmental Data Initiative. https://doi.org/10.6073/pasta/7d94431d6ab61a30d31803bb62103551

Abstract:

Climate change is altering fire-recovery dynamics 1) by increasing the size of high-severity fire patches, thereby increasing distances between burned areas and live forest, and 2) by reducing germination and establishment of tree seedlings because climatic conditions for establishment may become unsuitable. However, rugged terrain may constrain fire spread and enhance dispersal, establishment, and germination of seedlings by enhancing dispersal distances and buffering microclimate.

Here, we present data for a remote sensing analysis and a field study that occurred on the Bridger-Teton National Forest in northwestern Wyoming, USA. We used remotely sensed data from the Monitoring Trends in Burn Severity project for fires that occurred between 1984 - 2024 to test whether terrain ruggedness, as measured by the terrain ruggedness index, results in smaller fires with less high-severity fire and more complex shaped high-severity fire patches. We also used a field study to survey postfire tree regeneration in summer 2024 in three fires (2000 Blind Trail, 2007 Middle, and 2018 Marten Creek) to test whether regeneration densities increase with increasing ruggedness.

Keywords:

biota; economy; elevation; Fire; Fire ecology; Ecology, Ecosystems, & Environment; Landscape ecology; wildfire; disturbance; forest; post-fire tree regeneration; terrain ruggedness; remote sensing; lodgepole pine; Douglas-fir; quaking aspen; subalpine fir; Engelmann spruce; Joint Fire Science Program; JFSP; Wyoming; Greys River District; Bridger-Teton National Forest; Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem

Related publications:

• Keller, Timon T.; Turner, Monica G. 2026. Rugged terrain may contribute to both resilience and reorganization after wildfire in subalpine forests. Landscape Ecolology. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10980-026-02430-y

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