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Deforested Condition Trends for Selected Wildfires

Printable format of document (.pdf 52 Kb)

Column chart displaying deforested condition trends for selected wildfires from 2000 - 2011. The X axis has the relavent years; the left Y axis has acres for deforested condition outside wilderness, etc. on national forest, and acres for maximum planting need; and the right Y axis has total perimeter acres. Year 2000 has 13,912 acres of deforested condition, 13,079 acres of planting need, and 57,953 perimeter acres. Year 2001 has 24,686 acres of deforested condition, 20,981 acres of planting need, and 91,073 perimeter acres. Year 2002 has 56,896 acres of deforested condition, 44,531 acres of planting need, and 210,526 perimeter acres. Year 2003 has 32,442 acres of deforested condition, 16,495 acres of planting need, and 458,349 perimeter acres. Year 2004 has 15,499 acres of deforested condition, 12,263 acres of planting need, and 61,629 perimeter acres. Year 2005 has 892 acres of deforested condition, 892 acres of planting need, and 2,291 perimeter acres. Year 2006 has 26,251 acres of deforested condition, 11,227 acres of planting need, and 346,792 perimeter acres. Year 2007 has 75,924 acres of deforested condition, 61,211 acres of planting need, and 708,706 perimeter acres. Year 2008 has 84,184 acres of deforested condition, 64,370 acres of planting need, and 1,173,218 perimeter acres. Year 2009 has 33,897 acres of deforested condition, 16,011 acres of planting need, and 303,807 perimeter acres. Year 2010 has 3,053 acres of deforested condition, 310 acres of planting need, and 36,028 perimeter acres. Year 2011 has 2,199 acres of deforested condition, 1,637 acres of planting need, and 24,874 perimeter acres.

Assessment of Potential Reforestation Needs

Of the total 3,475,000 acres burned in the 12 year period, about 263,000 acres (8%) potentially needs planting on national forests. This analysis indicates an average annual maximum planting program of 22,000 acres and an average annual maximum natural regeneration survey program of 9,000 acres. The range of variation year to year is high. Potential planting need in a given year ranged from 0 to 64,000 acres during the 12 year period.



Summary of Vegetation Conditions after Selected Wildfires on National Forests in California
(Acres) Calendar Years 2000-2011
Vegetation Type treatments NOT permitted treatments permitted treatments permitted Total Within Fire Perimeter
Deforested Condition Forestland that Remains Forested Deforested Condition Forestland that Remains Forested Deforested Condition Forestland that Remains Forested
Steep Ground
( > 30 % Slope)		 Flat Ground
( < 30 % Slope)
alpine 2,829 5,521 9,949 2,972 5,232 1,915 28,419
fir 23,309 92,443 7,319 15,745 7,719 20,908 167,443
pine 7,315 18,700 20,257 29,280 33,185 29,039 137,775
Douglas-fir 18,822 158,123 40,143 200,916 9,956 47,072 475,033
mixed conifer 28,208 90,635 66,592 91,015 62,656 81,310 420,416
closed cone conifers 10,415 12,929 4,249 4,847 5,469 6,224 44,132
coastal conifer/cypress 163 225 99 38 41 11 578
pinyon juniper 7,623 2,438 9,375 4,803 16,288 4,924 45,451
hardwood 59,012 71,805 51,291 62,726 20,015 16,408 281,257
Sub Total 157,696 452,819 209,275 412,343 160,560 207,811 1,600,504
shrub/non-forest 1,053,313
other ownership 821,430
Total 3,475,247

3,475,000 acres burned in the large fires we selected for analysis over the 12 year period 2000-2011. We analyzed fires that burned more than 1,000 acres of forestland (land that grows trees) on national forest.


Pie chart: Of the fires of 2000-2011 there were 3,475,000 total acres burned. How much of the burned area was National Forest? 2,654,000 acres were National Forest or 76 percent. The other 821,000 acres or 24 percent were on lands with other ownership.

Pie chart: Of the 2,654,000 National Forest acres burned in the fires of 2000-2011, how much of the area grows trees? 1,601,000 acres or 60 percent are forest land or areas that grow trees. The other 1,053,000 acres or 40 percent are shrubland, grassland, rockland, and desert.

Pie chart displaying post-fire conditions from fires between years 2000 and 2011 on the 1,601,000 acres of national forest land. Deforested condition on wilderness areas, etc. have 158,000 acres or 10 percent. Deforested condition on areas not wilderness, etc. have 370,000 acres or 23 percent. Forested areas not wilderness have 620,000 acres or 39 percent. Forest areas on wilderness, etc. have 453,000 acres or 28 percent.

Pie chart based on the 370,000 acres of land in a deforested condition where treatments are permitted after the fires from 2000-2011. The chart is divided by forest types. Mixed conifer, 129,000 acres or 35 percent. Hardwood, 71,000 acres or 19 percent. Pine, 53,000 acres or 14 percent. Douglas-fire, 50,000 acres or 14 percent. Alpine, 15,000 acres or 4 percent. Pinyon juniper, 26,000 acres or 7 percent. Fir, 15,000 acres or 4 percent. Closed cone conifers, 10,000 acres or 3 percent.


It is a general practice to not consider planting hardwood, pinyon-juniper, or closed cone conifer types. Given this generality, it may be broadly concluded that 12 years of fire has resulted in the following potential reforestation need.


Land in a Deforested Condition after Selected Wildfires on National Forests in California Where Treatments are Permitted. Calendar Years 2000-2011 (Acres)
Vegetation Type Steep Ground
( > 30 % Slope)		 Flat Ground
( < 30 % Slope)		 Total
mixed conifer 66,592 62,656 129,248
hardwood 51,291 20,015 71,306
pine 20,257 33,185 53,442
Douglas-fir 40,143 9,956 50,099
alpine 9,949 5,232 15,181
pinyon juniper 9,375 16,288 25,664
fir 7,319 7,719 15,038
closed cone conifers 4,249 5,469 9,718
Sub Total 209,176 160,520 369,695


Potential Reforestation Need Steep Ground
( > 30 % Slope)		 Flat Ground
( < 30 % Slope)		 Total
planting (12 year period) 144,260 118,748 263,007
natural (12 year period) 64,916 41,772 106,688
       
planting (per year) 12,022 9,896 21,917
natural (per year) 5,410 3,481 8,891


Of the total 3,475,000 acres burned in the 12 year period, about 263,000 acres (8%) potentially needs planting on national forests.

This analysis indicates an average annual maximum planting program of 22,000 acres and an average annual maximum natural regeneration survey program of 9,000 acres. The range of variation year to year is high. Potential planting need in a given year ranged from 0 to 64,000 acres during the 12 year period.

USDA Forest Service - Pacific Southwest Region
Last Modified: Friday, 13 April 2012 at 19:33:01 EDT
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