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Investigator’s Annual Reports (IAR’s) for Crater Lake National Park

Fire History of Whitebark Pine Forests Crater Lake, Mount Rainier, and North Cascades National Parks

Report Number: 25854

Permit Number: CRLA-2003-SCI-0001

Current Status: Checked in

Date Received: Jan 14, 2004

Reporting Year: 2004

Principal Investigator: Dr Michael Murray, Crater Lake, OR

Park-assigned Study Id. #: CRLA-03014

Permit Expiration Date: May 20, 2005

Permit Start Date: May 20, 2003

Study Starting Date: May 20, 2003

Study Ending Date: May 20, 2005

Study Status: Continuing

Activity Type: Research

Subject/Discipline: Fire (Behavior, Ecology, Effects)

Objectives: The Cascade Range features prominent timberline forests which are valued by tourists, recreationists, and wildlife. These ecosystems are characterized by whitebark pine (Pinus albicaulis). This tree is considered a keystone species in several forest communities because of its influence on wildlife, flora, and ecological processes (Tomback and others 2001). Whitebark pine is also known to be fire dependent based on studies in other regions where it is declining largely due to decades of suppression and an introduced disease ? blister rust. However, knowledge of fire regimes in the markedly different Cascadian whitebark pine forests is absent. No published fire studies of these forests exist. This proposal pertains to two objectives:

1. Gain an understanding of fire regimes associated with whitebark pine forests in the Cascade Range.
2. Describe historic and current stand conditions and estimate potential ecological effects of fire exclusion policies.

Understanding of fire regimes and current conditions is the first step towards re-introducing fire. Currently, managers cannot confidently determine if management-ignited fire is warranted because knowledge of forest conditions and historical fire regimes is lacking. Re-introducing fire may risk accelerating the decline of whitebark pine in the region. It is imperative that managers possess knowledge of historic and predicted fire characteristics for these forests in order to prescribe fire. It is the goal of this project to take a comprehensive step in filling this information gap for the Cascades, thus providing an important and essential baseline resource for fire planning in the region.
A significant information gap in fire management planning in the Cascades will be addressed by this project. Our objectives will answer many of the immediate questions that managers have and provide a baseline of information for long-term fire management planning. Our findings will enable science-based re-introduction of fire into these important forests. Specifically, this project will:

• Prioritize the need for re-introducing fire according to fuel type.
• Define appropriate severity and frequency goals for different fuel types.
• Identify fuel types where mechanical pre-treatments may be warranted to protect mature whitebark pine from lethal fire.
• Discern whether management-ignited or lightning fires are more appropriate for different fuel types.
• Provide managers with fuels data to predict spread rate and intensity ? especially important near visitor facilities.

Findings and Status: This year’s sampling took place in Crater Lake N. P., Mt. Rainier N. P. and in the Winema N. F. at Pelican Butte. Twenty 400 square meter plots were installed at Crater Lake, 7 at Mt. Rainier, and 5 at Pelican Butte. One plot was typically established for each site unless the site was extensive then two were installed. We considered a site as an area homogeneous in stand structure, soil properties and age, and had a minimum of 25% whitebark pine canopy coverage. Sites ranged in size from 2 acres to over a hundred acres were diverse in stand structure, soil properties, and age. Close to 400 core samples were taken for the purpose of aging trees. Charcoal was found at nearly all sites and approximately 30 fire-scarred whitebark pine were located at 12 of 22 sites. Wedge samples were taken from about 19 trees three of which turned out not to be fire scars.

Sites at Crater Lake and Pelican Butte ranged in age from ~90 to 450 years old, most being in the 250 year old range. Pumice soils dominated the sites at Crater Lake. Four sites were barren and rocky, as were four of the sites at Pelican Butte. Stand composition varied widely. Few were purely whitebark pine, however whitebark dominated most stands . Stands were mixed with mountain hemlock, Shasta red fir or lodgepole pine. Most occurred in a forest setting with adjacent stands lower in elevation, however, several were isolated in meadows or rocky terrain. Fire histories have been estimated for several sites based on fire scars and age cohorts. Multiple fire dates were firmly determined for only one site. The fire frequency there is 30-40 years. Dates to the latest significant fires ranged from 70 years ago to never. Some sites never burn as a unit. Clumps of whitebark burn but with limited spread.

Stands at Mt. Rainier were fewer in number overall and quite different than those found in Oregon. Pumice and rocky soils were rare in the areas surveyed. All sampled stands were mixed with subalpine fir to some extent and were younger, being less than hundred years. One stand was ~200 years old however. Trees showed much greater growth than what was found at the Oregon sites and understory coverage was much greater. Evidence of stand replacement and surface fires was found. Multiple fire dates were estimated for two sites based on fire scars. The frequency of major fires was ~100 years with a surface fire ~55 years ago. Fire dates for the three remaining sites were estimated based age cohorts. Fires were 70, 170 and ~250 years ago.

For this study, were one or more specimens collected and removed from the park but not destroyed during analyses? Yes

Funding provided this reporting year by NPS: 10000

Funding provided this reporting year by other sources: 23000

Full name of college or university: n/a

Annual funding provided by NPS to university or college this reporting year: 0

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