Chamise Chaparral Dead Fuel Fraction Is Not Reliably Predicted by Age

Abstract

Fire managers of southern California chaparral often assume that the amount of dead material in chaparral shrubs is closely related to canopy age. Analysis of chamise (Adenostoma fasciculatum), sampled from southern California shrublands, indicates that the ratio of dead to live components is not related reliably to age of shrub canopy. Further statistical description of the data indicates that fractions of dead material greater than 0.40 are rare. The results provide grounds for seriously questioning current assumptions about the strong relationship between age and fraction dead in southern California chaparral fuels.

Keywords

chaparral fuels, dead fuels

Citation

Paysen, Timothy E.; Cohen, Jack D. 1990. Chamise Chaparral Dead Fuel Fraction Is Not Reliably Predicted by Age. Chamise Chaparral Dead Fuel Fraction Is Not Reliably Predicted by Age. Western Journal of Applied Forestry 5(4):127-131