Environmental Data Initiative logo
EDI Staging Environment

This data package was submitted to a staging environment for testing purposes only. Use of these data for anything other than testing is strongly discouraged.

Data Package Summary    View Full Metadata

  • Where are the trees? Extent, configuration, and drivers of poor forest recovery 30 years after the 1988 Yellowstone Fires.
  • Kiel, Nathan G; University of Wisconsin-Madison
    Turner, Monica G; University of Wisconsin-Madison
  • 2022-09-06
  • Kiel, N.G. and M.G. Turner. 2022. Where are the trees? Extent, configuration, and drivers of poor forest recovery 30 years after the 1988 Yellowstone Fires. ver 1. Environmental Data Initiative. https://doi.org/DOI_PLACE_HOLDER (Accessed 2024-12-27).

  • Postfire recovery of fire-adapted forests remains uncertain as climate and fire regimes continue to change. Areas of poor postfire tree regeneration following late-20th-century fires may reveal characteristics associated with increased vulnerability to forest decline. However, sufficient time must have elapsed and pre- and postfire forest cover must be compared to distinguish areas that have not recovered. We used remotely sensed data and the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) to detect areas of poor forest recovery across >250,000 ha of area burned as stand-replacing fire 30 years after the 1988 Yellowstone fires. We asked three questions: (1) What is the extent and configuration of sparse and reduced forest recovery? (2) How do vegetation characteristics compare between areas of sparse and reduced recovery vs. recovered forest? (3) What environmental characteristics explain the distribution and patch size of sparse and reduced recovery? We related postfire (2013-14) NDVI to field-measured stem density to establish an NDVI threshold of sparse tree regeneration, and we contrasted pre- (1986-87) and postfire (2018-19) NDVI as a proxy for pre- and postfire forest cover. Sparse and reduced forest recovery occupied ~41,000 ha across the burned area, about half of which was ≥150 m from ex situ seed sources. Patches of poor recovery were generally large, with ~13,400 ha in patches ≥50 ha and an area-weighted mean patch size of 97 ha. Vegetation was short (<2 m) in areas of sparse and reduced recovery and non-evergreen biomass was three times greater than in recovered forest. Sparse and reduced recovery was more likely at high elevations, on steep slopes, and far from ex situ seed sources, and patches were larger at high elevations and far from seed sources. It took 20 years for sparse and reduced recovery to be distinguishable from recovered forest using NDVI, suggesting a time lag before remotely sensed data can detect alternative pathways of postfire forest recovery. Now, 30 years after the 1988 fires, ~16% of the forest burned as stand-replacing fire has failed to recover. The extent and configuration of these areas suggest some may persist as sparse or non-forest for the foreseeable future, with implications for biodiversity and ecosystem processes.

  • N: 45.5      S: 43.8      E: -109.3      W: -111.3
  • edi.1213.1  (Uploaded 2022-09-06)  
  • This information is released under the Creative Commons license - Attribution - CC BY (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). The consumer of these data ("Data User" herein) is required to cite it appropriately in any publication that results from its use. The Data User should realize that these data may be actively used by others for ongoing research and that coordination may be necessary to prevent duplicate publication. The Data User is urged to contact the authors of these data if any questions about methodology or results occur. Where appropriate, the Data User is encouraged to consider collaboration or co-authorship with the authors. The Data User should realize that misinterpretation of data may occur if used out of context of the original study. While substantial efforts are made to ensure the accuracy of data and associated documentation, complete accuracy of data sets cannot be guaranteed. All data are made available "as is." The Data User should be aware, however, that data are updated periodically and it is the responsibility of the Data User to check for new versions of the data. The data authors and the repository where these data were obtained shall not be liable for damages resulting from any use or misinterpretation of the data. Thank you.
  • DOI PLACE HOLDER
  • Analyze this data package using:           

Copyright 2024 Environmental Data Initiative. This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under grants #2223103 and #2223104. Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in the material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation. Please contact us with questions, comments, or for technical assistance regarding this web site or the Environmental Data Initiative. Please read our privacy policy to know what information we collect about you and to understand your privacy rights.

EDI is a collaboration between the University of New Mexico and the University of Wisconsin – Madison, Center for Limnology:

UNM logo UW-M logo