Season and interval of burning in the southern Blue Mountains, Oregon: Surface fuels

Metadata:
Identification_Information:
Citation:
Citation_Information:
Originator: Westlind, Douglas J.
Originator: Kerns, Becky K.
Publication_Date: 2017
Title:
Season and interval of burning in the southern Blue Mountains, Oregon: Surface fuels
Geospatial_Data_Presentation_Form: tabular digital data
Publication_Information:
Publication_Place: Fort Collins, CO
Publisher: Forest Service Research Data Archive
Online_Linkage: https://doi.org/10.2737/RDS-2017-0042
Description:
Abstract:
These data document surface fuels data for a prescribed burning study with unburned controls on the Malheur National Forest in the southern Blue Mountains of Oregon. The original prescribed fires were conducted in the fall of 1997 and spring of 1998 and were repeated at two intervals, five and fifteen years. Five year interval reburns have been repeated three times (four burns total) and the fifteen year interval a single time (two burns total). These data document fuels prior to (2012) and following the last reburns including 1-hour (0 to 0.64 centimeter [cm] diameter), 10-hour (0.64 to 2.54 cm diameter), 100-hour (2.54 to 7.62 cm diameter) and 1000-hour fuels (> 7.62 cm diameter); average combined litter and duff depth; and surface fuel height.
Purpose:
Fuels data were collected to examine the impact of season of burn (fall, spring and no burning) at two intervals (5 and 15 years).
Supplemental_Information:
Original metadata date was 08/28/2017. On 05/04/2021 minor metadata updates were made to keywords.
Time_Period_of_Content:
Time_Period_Information:
Range_of_Dates/Times:
Beginning_Date: 20020602
Ending_Date: 20150913
Currentness_Reference:
Ground condition
Status:
Progress: Complete
Maintenance_and_Update_Frequency: As needed
Spatial_Domain:
Description_of_Geographic_Extent:
Data were collected within six ponderosa pine stands on the Emigrant Creek Ranger District of the Malheur National Forest, Harney County, Oregon.
Bounding_Coordinates:
West_Bounding_Coordinate: -118.955352
East_Bounding_Coordinate: -118.754798
North_Bounding_Coordinate: 43.899644
South_Bounding_Coordinate: 43.790250
Bounding_Altitudes:
Altitude_Minimum: 1570
Altitude_Maximum: 1740
Altitude_Distance_Units: meters
Keywords:
Theme:
Theme_Keyword_Thesaurus: ISO 19115 Topic Category
Theme_Keyword: biota
Theme:
Theme_Keyword_Thesaurus: National Research & Development Taxonomy
Theme_Keyword: Ecology, Ecosystems, & Environment
Theme_Keyword: Ecology
Theme_Keyword: Fire
Theme_Keyword: Fire ecology
Theme_Keyword: Fire effects on environment
Theme_Keyword: Prescribed fire
Theme_Keyword: Forest & Plant Health
Theme_Keyword: Natural Resource Management & Use
Theme_Keyword: Forest management
Theme_Keyword: Restoration
Theme_Keyword: Inventory, Monitoring, & Analysis
Theme_Keyword: Monitoring
Theme:
Theme_Keyword_Thesaurus: None
Theme_Keyword: fuels
Theme_Keyword: season of burn
Theme_Keyword: interval of burn
Theme_Keyword: fire effects
Theme_Keyword: JFSP
Theme_Keyword: Joint Fire Science Program
Place:
Place_Keyword_Thesaurus: None
Place_Keyword: Malheur National Forest
Place_Keyword: Emmigrant Creek Ranger District
Place_Keyword: Oregon
Place_Keyword: Southern Blue Mountains
Place_Keyword: Harney County
Access_Constraints: None
Use_Constraints:
These data were collected using funding from the U.S. Government and can be used without additional permissions or fees. If you use these data in a publication, presentation, or other research product please use the following citation:

Westlind, Douglas J.; Kerns, Becky K. 2017. Season and interval of burning in the southern Blue Mountains, Oregon: Surface fuels. Fort Collins, CO: Forest Service Research Data Archive. https://doi.org/10.2737/RDS-2017-0042
Point_of_Contact:
Contact_Information:
Contact_Person_Primary:
Contact_Person: Doug Westlind
Contact_Organization: USDA Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station
Contact_Address:
Address_Type: mailing and physical
Address: Corvallis Forestry Sciences Laboratory
Address: 3200 SW Jefferson Way
City: Corvallis
State_or_Province: OR
Postal_Code: 97331
Country: USA
Contact_Voice_Telephone: 541-750-7376
Contact_Electronic_Mail_Address: dwestlind@fs.fed.us
Browse_Graphic:
Browse_Graphic_File_Name: \Supplements\SIB_Locality_StandMap.png
Browse_Graphic_File_Description:
PNG file displaying the season and interval of prescribed burn study location, stand orientation and treatment layout map.
Browse_Graphic_File_Type: PNG
Data_Set_Credit:
Funding for the Season and Interval of Burn Project was provided by the Joint Fire Science Program (01B-3-3-16, 03-3-3-28, 06-2-1-10, 12-01-01-10); the National Fire Plan; and the USDA Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station.
Cross_Reference:
Citation_Information:
Originator: Kerns, Becky K.
Originator: Thies, Walter G.
Originator: Niwa, Christine G.
Publication_Date: 2006
Title:
Season and severity of prescribed burn in ponderosa pine forests: Implications for understory native and exotic plants
Geospatial_Data_Presentation_Form: journal article
Series_Information:
Series_Name: Ecoscience
Issue_Identification: 13: 44-55
Online_Linkage: https://doi.org/10.2980/1195-6860(2006)13[44:sasopb]2.0.co;2
Cross_Reference:
Citation_Information:
Originator: Kerns, Becky K.
Originator: Buonopane, Michelle
Originator: Thies, Walter G.
Originator: Niwa, Christine G.
Publication_Date: 2011
Title:
Reintroducing fire into a ponderosa pine forest with and without cattle grazing: understory vegetation response
Geospatial_Data_Presentation_Form: journal article
Series_Information:
Series_Name: Ecosphere
Issue_Identification: 2(5)
Online_Linkage: https://doi.org/10.1890/ES10-00183.1
Cross_Reference:
Citation_Information:
Originator: Thies, Walter G.
Originator: Westlind, Douglas J.
Originator: Loewen, Mark
Publication_Date: 2005
Title:
Season of prescribed burn in ponderosa pine forests in eastern Oregon: impact of pine mortality
Geospatial_Data_Presentation_Form: journal article
Series_Information:
Series_Name: International Journal of Wildland Fire
Issue_Identification: 14: 223-231
Online_Linkage: https://www.fs.usda.gov/treesearch/pubs/25536
Cross_Reference:
Citation_Information:
Originator: Thies, Walter G.
Originator: Westlind, Douglas J.
Originator: Loewen, Mark
Originator: Brenner, Greg
Publication_Date: 2006
Title:
Prediction of delayed mortality of fire-damaged ponderosa pine following prescribed fires in eastern Oregon, USA
Geospatial_Data_Presentation_Form: journal article
Series_Information:
Series_Name: International Journal of Wildland Fire
Issue_Identification: 15: 19-29
Online_Linkage: https://doi.org/10.1071/wf05025
Cross_Reference:
Citation_Information:
Originator: Kerns, Becky K.
Originator: Westlind, Douglas J.
Originator: Day, Michelle A.
Publication_Date: 2017
Title:
Season and interval of burning and cattle exclusion in the southern Blue Mountains, Oregon: Overstory tree height, diameter and growth
Geospatial_Data_Presentation_Form: tabular digital data
Publication_Information:
Publication_Place: Fort Collins, CO
Publisher: Forest Service Research Data Archive
Online_Linkage: https://doi.org/10.2737/RDS-2017-0041
Cross_Reference:
Citation_Information:
Originator: Kerns, Becky K.
Originator: Day, Michelle A.
Publication_Date: 2017
Title:
Season and interval of burning and cattle exclusion in the southern Blue Mountains, Oregon: Environmental attributes
Geospatial_Data_Presentation_Form: tabular digital data
Publication_Information:
Publication_Place: Fort Collins, CO
Publisher: Forest Service Research Data Archive
Online_Linkage: https://doi.org/10.2737/RDS-2017-0043
Cross_Reference:
Citation_Information:
Originator: Kerns, Becky K.
Originator: Day, Michelle A.
Publication_Date: 2017
Title:
Season and interval of burning and cattle exclusion in the southern Blue Mountains, Oregon: Understory vegetation attributes
Geospatial_Data_Presentation_Form: tabular digital data
Publication_Information:
Publication_Place: Fort Collins, CO
Publisher: Forest Service Research Data Archive
Online_Linkage: https://doi.org/10.2737/RDS-2017-0044
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Data_Quality_Information:
Attribute_Accuracy:
Attribute_Accuracy_Report:
Fuel accuracy is hard to determine. Technicians measuring fuels were trained by experienced personnel. Fuel mass was calculated using well established protocols using wood densities published from as near the study sites as possible. Accuracy could have been increased by measuring site specific wood densities but funding was insufficient for that effort. Slope measurements were made with a clinometer and accuracy is estimated to be 2%.
Logical_Consistency_Report:
Technicians measuring fuels were trained by experienced personnel and consistency checked periodically in the field. All treatments both pre- and post-fire were completed by the same personnel.
Completeness_Report:
There are no missing data, although null records are present for litter and duff depth when the sampling point fell on a rock or rock outcrop.
Lineage:
Methodology:
Methodology_Type: Lab
Methodology_Description:
The Season and Interval of Burn (SIB) study encompasses six upland ponderosa pine forested stands located at the southern end of the Blue Mountains, Emigrant Creek Ranger District, Malheur National Forest, Oregon. Stands range in size from 40 – 56 hectares (ha), with individual treatment units ranging from 4.5 – 24.5 ha. The stands were identified and delineated by US Forest Service district staff in 1995 and are part of a larger, relatively continuous ponderosa pine and mixed-conifer forested landscape. Four stands are located in the southeastern part of the district (Driveway Stands). The other two stands (Trout and Kidd Flat) are located 18 kilometers (km) to the west. Each stand received a thinning prescription in 1994 or 1995 (consistent within each stand), including areas later delineated in this study as controls. Parent materials consist of basalt, andesite, rhyolite, tuffaceous interflow, altered tuffs, and breccia. The soils received ash from pre-historical eruptions of ancient Mount Mazama and other volcanoes in the Cascade Mountains to the west. Soils are generally dominated by Mollisols, but Inceptisols and Alfisols are also present. The stands are dominated by mixed-aged ponderosa pine (in 1996 ages were mostly about 80-100 years old, with a few individual trees about 200 years old) but Juniperus occidentalis and Cercocarpus ledifolius also occur. The Driveway stands are characterized by the Pinus ponderosa/Agropyron spicatum (presently Pseudoroegneria spicata) plant association. The western stands are largely representative of the Pinus ponderosa/Carex geyeri plant association. In 2010-2014, the area was impacted by a large and somewhat unprecedented pine butterfly (Neophasia menapia) outbreak. Defoliation in the study area was significant, but our rapid qualitative assessment conducted fall 2011 indicated that defoliation was uniform across the sites and treatments and very little mortality has been documented.

Prior to burning in 1997, each stand was divided into three units and randomly assigned season of burn (spring, fall and unburned) with boundaries established along roads and topographic features to control prescribed burns. In 1998, six 0.2-ha circular plots were established to evaluate responses to the first burns. Plots were located at least 100 meters (m) apart, and plot centers were permanently marked and mapped. In 2002, each burned experimental unit was bisected and one randomly selected subunit of each pair was assigned to either a 5- or 15-year burn interval. Note that given control units were not burned they represent an incomplete split plot (all other units were split into two intervals). However, for data analysis purposes, controls were assigned an interval even though they were not burned. This interval information was utilized in linear models to account for the nested structure of plots. All non-control units were burned in fall 1997/spring 1998. Prescribed burns were repeated on the 5-year interval subunits in fall 2002/spring 2003, fall 2007/spring 2008, and fall 2012/spring 2013. Prescribed burns were repeated on the 15-year interval subunits in fall 2012/spring 2013. Note that in 2012, only two stands were burned due to adverse burn conditions initially, and then closure of the burn window. The other four stands were burned in the fall of 2013 and spring of 2014. Due to this change all plots were remeasured in 2015. Fires were ignited by hand-carried drip torches using a multiple-strip head-fire pattern. Crews attempted to maintain flame lengths at approximately 60 centimeters (cm) during the burns. Temperatures were higher for spring burns, but humidity, wind speed and flame length were similar during the application of all burns.

After establishing the experimental units above, the controls contained six plots and the season of burn x interval units each had three. This was expanded to seven plots per unit by adding one to the controls and four to each burn treatment. These new fuels-only plots were 50 m minimum from the existing plots to prevent overlap and double sampling. Two 20.1 m long fuel inventory transects were established at each plot center, one on a randomly chosen azimuth and another 180 degrees opposite. This resulted in 14 fuel transects within each of the five experimental units (season of burn x interval treatment; control, fall 5-year, fall 15-year, spring 5-year, spring 15-year) at each of the six stands.

We inventoried woody surface fuels along each transect using the planar intercept method outlined in Brown (1974). The 1-hour (0 to 0.64 cm) and 10-hour fuels (0.64 to 2.54 cm) were tallied for the first 1.2 m, while 100-hour (2.54 to 7.62 cm) and 1000-hour fuels (> 7.62 cm) were tallied over the entire 20.1 m length. In addition, we recorded species, diameter, and condition (sound or decayed) for 1000-hour fuels, however, these data not included as fuels were summarized to the transect level. We measured the forest floor (O-horizon) depth at 6 and 12 m along each transect. Litter and duff were not differentiated due to site aridity limiting duff development and layer mixing from multiple disturbances (mechanical ground-based thinning, multiple burns, and cattle grazing with no post-burn rest period). Height of woody fuel above the forest floor was measured at 6 and 12 meters along each transect. Fuel transects were tallied for prefire in 2012 in all plots. Due to the delay in burning four of the stands due to a short fall burn window in 2012 the postfire tallies were done in 2013 for Driveway14 and Driveway17, and in 2104 for Driveway26, Driveway28, Trout, and Kidd Flat. Fuels were not remeasured in the controls postfire, therefore, small amounts of natural non-fire related litterfall were accounted for in burned units but not controls. However, this amount of fuel is generally minimal as units are measured immediately following the end of smoldering when weather permits.
Methodology_Citation:
Citation_Information:
Originator: Brown, J. K.
Publication_Date: 1974
Title:
Handbook for inventorying downed woody material
Geospatial_Data_Presentation_Form: document
Series_Information:
Series_Name: General Technical Report
Issue_Identification: INT-16
Publication_Information:
Publication_Place: Ogden, UT
Publisher: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Intermountain Forest and Range Experiment Station
Other_Citation_Details:
24 p.
Online_Linkage: https://www.fs.usda.gov/treesearch/pubs/28647
Process_Step:
Process_Description:
The raw fuels data were summarized at the transect level. Fuel mass of the smaller 1 to 100-hour size fuel classes was determined using the non-slash average square diameter, specific gravity, non-horizontal particle angles, and formulas from Brown (1974). For calculation of 1000-hour fuel mass we used specific gravities of 0.4 for ponderosa pine (Brown 1974), 0.54 for juniper (Miles and Smith 2009), and 0.81 for mountain mahogany (Chojnacky 1984). We corrected the specific gravities for decayed ponderosa pine and juniper using a 0.75 multiplier (Brown 1974); no decayed mountain mahogany was encountered.

Miles, Patrick D.; Smith, W. Brad. 2009. Specific gravity and other properties of wood and bark for 156 tree species found in North America. Res. Note NRS-38. Newtown Square, PA: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Northern Research Station. 35 p. https://doi.org/10.2737/nrs-rn-38

Chojnacky, David C. 1984. Volume and biomass for curlleaf cercocarpus in Nevada. Research Paper INT-332 Ogden, UT: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Intermountain Forest and Range Experiment Station. 8 p. https://doi.org/10.2737/int-rp-332
Process_Date: 2017
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Entity_and_Attribute_Information:
Overview_Description:
Entity_and_Attribute_Overview:
DATA

This data publication contains 1 data file describing pre- and post-burn surface fuels. Below you will find a description of the data available.

\Data\SIB_Fuels.csv: Comma-delimited ASCII text file containing diameter at breast height, height and condition data for all trees centered in the 0.2 ha plot and associated treatment information. This file contains the following variables:

Yr = Sampling year [2012 = prefire; 1314 = 2013 or 2014, postfire]

Plot = Unique plot number [1-108, 200,201], plots with alphabetic suffix are a minimum of 50 meter in a randomly chosen direction from the whole number plot center

Stand = Stand or experimental block [D14 = Driveway14, D17 = Driveway 17, D26 = Driveway26, D28 = Driveway28, Trout, KF = Kidd Flat]

SOB = Season of Burn [C = control, F = fall, S = spring]

IB = Interval of Burn [5 = 5 year, 15 = 15 year]

Azimuth = randomly chosen azimuth for the fuel transect starting from plot center [0-360]

Slope = average slope along the fuel transect [%]

Hrone = total amount of 1-hour (< 0.25 inch diameter) fuel [Megagrams per hectare (Mg per ha)]

Hrten = total amount of 10-hour (0.25-1 inch diameter) fuel [Mg per ha]

Hrhun = total amount of 100-hour (1-3 inch diameter) fuel [Mg per ha]

hrthou = total of 1000-hour (> 3 inch diameter) fuel [Mg per ha]

Landd = average depth of litter and duff [O horizon, centimeters (cm); null = rock or rock outcrop]

Fuel = average total height above the forest floor of woody fuel [cm]

TSF = Time Since Fire (years) [0, 5, or 15, 99 = unknown for control plots]

NTB = Number of times burned by prescribed fire [0-4]
Entity_and_Attribute_Detail_Citation:
Kerns, Becky K.; Buonopane, Michelle; Thies, Walter G.; Niwa, Christine G. 2011. Reintroducing fire into a ponderosa pine forest with and without cattle grazing: understory vegetation response. Ecosphere 2(5). https://doi.org/10.1890/ES10-00183.1
Overview_Description:
Entity_and_Attribute_Overview:
SUPPLEMENTS

This data publication also contains 8 supplemental files. Below you will a list and description of each file.

\Supplements\SIB_BurnSchedule.png: Portable network graphics (PNG) file displaying the season and interval of prescribed burn study timeline of burning.

\Supplements\SIB_D14_F15_2010.jpg: Portable network graphics (PNG) file containing a photo of 15-yr interval fall reburn unit at the Driveway 14 stand for the season an interval of burn study taken in 2010.

\Supplements\SIB_D26_F5_2010.jpg: Portable network graphics (PNG) file containing a photo of 5-yr interval fall reburn unit and cattle exclosure at the Driveway 26 stand for the season and interval of burn study taken in 2010.

\Supplements\SIB_KF_CandS_2010.jpg: Portable network graphics (PNG) file containing a photo of 5-yr interval spring reburn unit (right side) and unburned unit (left side) at the Kidd Flat stand for the season and interval of burn study taken in 2010.

\Supplements\SIB_Locality_StandMap.png: Portable network graphics (PNG) file displaying the season and interval of prescribed burn study location, stand orientation and treatment layout map.

\Supplements\SIB_Plot_Layout.png: Portable network graphics (PNG) file displaying the season and interval of prescribed burn study plot layout schematic.

\Supplements\SIB_PrescribedFire_Fall.jpg: Portable network graphics (PNG) file containing a photo of 5-yr interval prescribed fire applied in fall 2007 at the Driveway stands for the season and interval of burn study.

\Supplements\SIB_StudyDesign.png: Portable network graphics (PNG) file displaying the season and interval of prescribed burn experimental study design schematic.
Entity_and_Attribute_Detail_Citation:
not applicable
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Distribution_Information:
Distributor:
Contact_Information:
Contact_Organization_Primary:
Contact_Organization: USDA Forest Service, Research and Development
Contact_Position: Research Data Archivist
Contact_Address:
Address_Type: mailing and physical
Address: 240 West Prospect Road
City: Fort Collins
State_or_Province: CO
Postal_Code: 80526
Country: USA
Contact_Voice_Telephone: see Contact Instructions
Contact Instructions: This contact information was current as of August 2017. For current information see Contact Us page on: https://doi.org/10.2737/RDS.
Resource_Description: RDS-2017-0042
Distribution_Liability:
This metadata document has been reviewed for accuracy and completeness. The data are considered to satisfy the USDA Forest Service's quality standards relative to the purpose for which the data were collected. However, the Forest Service cannot assure the reliability or suitability of these data for a particular purpose. The act of distribution shall not constitute any such warranty, and no responsibility is assumed by the Forest Service for a user's application of these data or related materials.

The metadata, data, or related materials may be updated without notification. If a user believes errors are present in the metadata, data or related materials, please use the information in (1) Identification Information: Point of Contact, (2) Metadata Reference: Metadata Contact, or (3) Distribution Information: Distributor to notify the Forest Service of the issues. Additional information is available at https://www.fs.fed.us/qoi.
Standard_Order_Process:
Digital_Form:
Digital_Transfer_Information:
Format_Name: CSV
Format_Version_Number: see Format Specification
Format_Specification:
Comma-delimited ASCII text file (CSV)
File_Decompression_Technique: Files zipped with 7-Zip 19.0
Digital_Transfer_Option:
Online_Option:
Computer_Contact_Information:
Network_Address:
Network_Resource_Name: https://doi.org/10.2737/RDS-2017-0042
Digital_Form:
Digital_Transfer_Information:
Format_Name: JPG
Format_Version_Number: see Format Specification
Format_Specification:
Joint Photographic Expergs Group (JPG) graphics file
File_Decompression_Technique: Files zipped with 7-Zip 19.0
Digital_Transfer_Option:
Online_Option:
Computer_Contact_Information:
Network_Address:
Network_Resource_Name: https://doi.org/10.2737/RDS-2017-0041
Digital_Form:
Digital_Transfer_Information:
Format_Name: PNG
Format_Version_Number: see Format Specification
Format_Specification:
Portable network graphics (PNG) file
File_Decompression_Technique: Files zipped with 7-Zip 19.0
Digital_Transfer_Option:
Online_Option:
Computer_Contact_Information:
Network_Address:
Network_Resource_Name: https://doi.org/10.2737/RDS-2017-0041
Fees: None
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Metadata_Reference_Information:
Metadata_Date: 20210504
Metadata_Contact:
Contact_Information:
Contact_Person_Primary:
Contact_Person: Doug Westlind
Contact_Organization: USDA Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station
Contact_Address:
Address_Type: mailing and physical
Address: Corvallis Forestry Sciences Laboratory
Address: 3200 SW Jefferson Way
City: Corvallis
State_or_Province: OR
Postal_Code: 97331
Country: USA
Contact_Voice_Telephone: 541-750-7376
Contact_Electronic_Mail_Address: dwestlind@fs.fed.us
Metadata_Standard_Name: FGDC Biological Data Profile of the Content Standard for Digital Geospatial Metadata
Metadata_Standard_Version: FGDC-STD-001.1-1999
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