Disturbance is an important process in most natural communities, shaping ecosystem composition, structure, and function. Studying and quantifying natural disturbance regimes (e.g., fire) often reveal complex relationships with climate, vegetation, and topography, as well as with other disturbance agents (e.g., insects and wind). Characterizing and quantifying past disturbances regimes is also key to understanding the historical variability of ecosystems themselves, such as fluctuations in vegetation types and structural conditions over time. Understanding historical disturbance regimes also helps to identify contemporary ecosystems that are outside of their historic range of variability, that are in need of ecological restoration, and that may require changes in disturbance for restoration. For instance, some ecosystems may require more frequent fire for effective restoration, while others may require less fire or altered fire-severity patterns.
We are using dendrochronology techniques, field-based studies of successional processes, and other approaches to investigate the natural disturbance histories of different ecosystems in the Intermountain West, from semi-arid, sagebrush shrublands to aspen forests in mountainous environments. This type of research provides information that is not only useful for guiding management and restoration but, by providing a better understanding of the drivers of historical disturbance dynamics, we can also better project future ecological change and disturbance dynamics under alternative land-use and climate change scenarios.
Below are other science projects associated with this project.
Fire Ecology in Dynamic Ecosystems Team (FRESC)
Below are publications associated with this project.
Identifying key climate and environmental factors affecting rates of post-fire big sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata) recovery in the northern Columbia Basin, USA
Exploring climate niches of ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa Douglas ex Lawson) haplotypes in the western United States: Implications for evolutionary history and conservation
Management of aspen in a changing environment
Historical fire and multidecadal drought as context for piñon - Juniper woodland restoration in western Colorado
- Overview
Disturbance is an important process in most natural communities, shaping ecosystem composition, structure, and function. Studying and quantifying natural disturbance regimes (e.g., fire) often reveal complex relationships with climate, vegetation, and topography, as well as with other disturbance agents (e.g., insects and wind). Characterizing and quantifying past disturbances regimes is also key to understanding the historical variability of ecosystems themselves, such as fluctuations in vegetation types and structural conditions over time. Understanding historical disturbance regimes also helps to identify contemporary ecosystems that are outside of their historic range of variability, that are in need of ecological restoration, and that may require changes in disturbance for restoration. For instance, some ecosystems may require more frequent fire for effective restoration, while others may require less fire or altered fire-severity patterns.
We are using dendrochronology techniques, field-based studies of successional processes, and other approaches to investigate the natural disturbance histories of different ecosystems in the Intermountain West, from semi-arid, sagebrush shrublands to aspen forests in mountainous environments. This type of research provides information that is not only useful for guiding management and restoration but, by providing a better understanding of the drivers of historical disturbance dynamics, we can also better project future ecological change and disturbance dynamics under alternative land-use and climate change scenarios.
- Science
Below are other science projects associated with this project.
Fire Ecology in Dynamic Ecosystems Team (FRESC)
Understanding how fire and other disturbances affect ecosystem health and resiliency is critically important for land managers and for society as a whole. - Publications
Below are publications associated with this project.
Identifying key climate and environmental factors affecting rates of post-fire big sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata) recovery in the northern Columbia Basin, USA
Sagebrush steppe of North America is considered highly imperilled, in part owing to increased fire frequency. Sagebrush ecosystems support numerous species, and it is important to understand those factors that affect rates of post-fire sagebrush recovery. We explored recovery of Wyoming big sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata ssp.wyomingensis) and basin big sagebrush (A. tridentata ssp. tridentata) coAuthorsDouglas J. Shinneman, Susan McIlroyExploring climate niches of ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa Douglas ex Lawson) haplotypes in the western United States: Implications for evolutionary history and conservation
Ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa Douglas ex Lawson) occupies montane environments throughout western North America, where it is both an ecologically and economically important tree species. A recent study using mitochondrial DNA analysis demonstrated substantial genetic variation among ponderosa pine populations in the western U.S., identifying 10 haplotypes with unique evolutionary lineages that gAuthorsDouglas J. Shinneman, Robert E. Means, Kevin M. Potter, Valerie D. HipkinsManagement of aspen in a changing environment
Aspen communities are biologically rich and ecologically valuable, yet they face myriad threats, including changing climate, altered fire regimes, and excessive browsing by domestic and wild ungulates. Recognizing the different types of aspen communities that occur in the Great Basin, and being able to distinguish between seral and stable aspen stands, can help managers better identify restorationAuthorsDouglas J. Shinneman, Anne S. Halford, Cheri Howell, Kevin Krasnow, Eva K. StrandHistorical fire and multidecadal drought as context for piñon - Juniper woodland restoration in western Colorado
Fire is known to structure tree populations, but the role of broad-scale climate variability is less clear. For example, the influence of climatic “teleconnections” (the relationship between oceanic–atmospheric fluctuations and anomalous weather patterns across broad scales) on forest age structure is relatively unexplored. We sampled semiarid piñon–juniper (Pinus edulis–Juniperus osteosperma) wooAuthorsDouglas J. Shinneman, William L. Baker