Theses and Dissertations Collection

Wildfires in mixed conifer forests have increased in size and occurrence over the past decades and are expected to increase in the future because of a warming climate leading to longer fire seasons. To better understand that impacts of wildfires on forests, research focusing on the connection between severity of the fire and forest recovery is needed. Research on immediate fire effects and post-fire recovery within five years of fires have been reported, however long term effects are largely unexplored. To understand long term recovery in mixed conifer forests after wildfire, four wildfires from the 2003 fire season in western Montana were sampled in the field and via remote sensing. Analysis of field data and satellite imagery shows lower tree density in high severity burns and significant differences in recovery rates between severity classes. This research contributes to the scientific knowledge of long term effects of wildfires in mixed conifer forests.