Patterns of conifer invasion following prescribed fire in grasslands and oak woodlands of Redwood National Park, California

The invasion, or “encroachment”, of native conifers commonly occurs in the absence of frequent fire in deciduous woodlands and grasslands of the Pacific Northwest, USA. To effectively target restoration activities, managers require a better understanding of the outcomes of prescribed fire and the spatial patterns of conifer invasions. We examined the duration of prescribed fire effectiveness for controlling conifer invasions, as well as multiple site characteristics (including distance to potential seed trees, prescribed fire history, and topographic variables) that influenced conifer invasions following fire in grassland and oak woodland communities in the Bald Hills of Redwood National Park, California. Prescribed fire substantially reduced counts of small conifers (