Rocky Mountain wildfires for the last 2000 yearsThe frequency of large wildfires has increased starting with the 1988 fires in Yellowstone. How often have these types of large wildfires burned in the past and what were the climatic controls on these large wildfires?
In one mountain range in northern Colorado we looked at wildfire history for the last 2000 years. During that entire record there was only one period where we see evidence of these large wildfires: ~1000 years ago when the climate warmed 0.5° C. This suggests that these large wildfires are historically rare but sensitive to even small changes in temperature. |
Climate change altering feedbacks between subalpine wildfire and vegetationAbout 1000 years ago ~83% of the landscape burned in the Mount Zirkel Wilderness Area in northern Colorado in response to a small amount of warming (0.5° C). How did this large wildfire combined with climate change impact the forest vegetation?
At high elevations the forests opened and the pollen evidence suggests the forests became similar to the patchy ribbon forests (shown to the left). This lack of closed forest regrowth then appears to limit wildfire across the mountain range while temperatures remained elevated. Future wildfires and warming could show similar patterns where the combination of large wildfires and climate change causes abrupt shifts in the vegetation that permanently alters fire regimes. |
Current work: microbial ecologyNow I am a postdoctoral researcher with Alex Buerkle at the University of Wyoming modeling the abundance and distribution of microbes across Wyoming.
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Aspen to conifer succession: decreased competitive ability and herbivore defenseAs conifers increase abundance into aspen stands and alter the soil chemistry, aspen do not increase root biomass like subalpine firs. This lack of plasticity within aspen has a cascading effects on aspen physiology: reduced nutrient uptake, lower rates of photosynthesis and subsequent secondary metabolites, exposing exposing aspen to herbivory and replacement by conifers.
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